Do you see the difference between you and the engineers?
The engineers build and resolve the problem through the source, whereas the first thing we see as non-engineers receive the outcome and then look at the source. Our sensation tends to be influenced by a psychological factor.
Here below is an example of differences.
When you walk down to the street where a construction site stands, the construction workers usually install a soundproof canvas. The one-kilogram-per-square-meter vinyl insulates less than ten dB sound level. The quietness function has been used to minimise the source noise impact. The psychological effect may happen from the receivers when they see the printed text “soundproof” on the vinyl material surface.
What is this psychological effect? The quietness definition shall be redefined – redefined with a low sound pressure level and the visual element. The exposure of the noise barrier outside the facade to the passers-by guarantees the feeling of quiet. The noise barrier function now has unified – to hide the hideous noisy traffic from hearings and eyesight. One example is the noise barrier along railways and highways. The role of unification here is to create a harmonious society.
The visible acoustic measures work like: when we dress up and clean, people will feel more comfortable seeing us and even accept us as the social counterpart. Visual sensation contributes over fifty percent of human sensory input. The innovative concept of visual quietness raises the awareness of soundscape and the building environment achieving perceived acoustic comfort. You may experience an aircraft noise running over your head. If the aircraft is flying over low, you may feel the plane is noisier. In the setting of ornamented noise barrier would audibly and visually give you a quiet environment.
And, what would engineers do about the problem? The engineers would develop a solution to tackle the issues, such as finding the appropriate materials to accomplish the tasks.
The aesthetic design is now buddying up with sustainable material – this is what the engineers are doing for their jobs. The Amorim expanded cork is an aesthetically pleasing and negative carbon balance product. The panels can absorb more than ninety percent of random incident sound from 125 to 135 Hz. The versatility is the various combinations of sound absorption materials behind the corkboard, such as water repellent rock wool and fire resistance acoustic fabric to tune the cork panel’s sound absorption properties. It is worth noting that cork is a sustainable material – entirely natural, light, permeable to liquids and gases, elastic and compressible, thermal and acoustic insulation, completely biodegradable, renewable, and recyclable.
The new era of products starts from creative thinking, turning to reality through innovative implementation. The outcome significantly augments the process creating value for business and society. Engineers and non-engineers are contributing to reconstruct our environment for a more enjoyable living.
By: ANewR Consulting Limited, a digital environmental consultant headquartered in Hong Kong since 2008. Our expertise has grown into the context of air and water qualities, noise, green building, waste management, and remediation. With extensive know-how in environmental planning and assessment, feasibility study and policy review, ecological design, monitoring, and audit (EM&A), ANewR has matured to be a leading management consultancy. Standing in the digital transformation reign, ANewR has participated in various environmental digital projects – interactive 3D visualisation, immersive automation virtual environment, Virtual reality, automation system, and monitoring platforms.
(Website: https://anewr.com, LinkedIn: ANewR Consulting Group, Twitter: ANewR – Everyday Newer, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnpvmxnR9hbNxytSfBdfV8Q/videos)
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