Home > Johannesburg > HVAC, plant and machine noise control
For projects in Johannesburg
HVAC, plant and machine noise control in Johannesburg
Noise with a source. Almost every honest fix is at the machine, the duct or the plant room, and almost nothing useful happens by lining the far wall of the occupied space. Split units and generator sets, with backup generation running often enough that its enclosure matters as much as the HVAC.
- At source
- Enclosure, barrier or anti vibration mounts at the machine.
- In the path
- Duct lining, attenuators and lagging on the first run out of the plant.
- At the receiver
- Only after the first two, and only for what is left.
- Quote
- From a plan and a section, within 48 hours
01 / What it is
The material, and what it actually does on a Johannesburg job
Noise with a source. Almost every honest fix is at the machine, the duct or the plant room, and almost nothing useful happens by lining the far wall of the occupied space.
Split units and generator sets, with backup generation running often enough that its enclosure matters as much as the HVAC.
Work reaching us from Johannesburg is mostly corporate office parks, generator enclosures, retail, hotels, schools, hospitals, studios.
- Generator noise is routine Standby plant runs often enough that it has to be treated as a permanent condition. Enclosure at the source is the only reliable answer.
- Office parks, not street frontage Campus style buildings with large open floors and hard finishes. Speech carries a long way and the ceiling plane has to carry the room.
- The climb from Durban The inland leg is long and it is real. We quote it separately so the programme is built on actual dates.
- At source Enclosure, barrier or anti vibration mounts at the machine.
Full specification
Thickness, density, NRC by frequency, fire class, standard sizes and build-up detail for HVAC and plant noise control are on the main product page. This page covers what that means for a project in Johannesburg.
02 / The build-up
What goes where, from the structure in
-
Layer 1
Soundproofing materials
The blocking side of the range taken together: mass loaded vinyl, resilient layers, cavity absorption and the build-ups they belong in. In Johannesburg, split units and generator sets, with backup generation running often enough that its enclosure matters as much as the HVAC.
Independent leaf. A second wall that does not touch the first. Nothing else comes close for the money.
-
Layer 2
Wood wool acoustic panels
Wood fibre bound into a rigid board with an open texture. In Johannesburg, church buildings and community halls are large hard rooms carrying amplified music and speech at high level.
On a cavity. Mounted on battens with an air gap, which is where the low mid performance comes from.
-
Layer 3
Acoustic foam and BassBloc
Open cell foam shapes for high frequency control, and BassBloc, a high density absorber built for the low mid range where ordinary foam does nothing. In Johannesburg, classrooms are hard walled with high ceilings and large class sizes, and school halls double as assembly and performance spaces.
Behind a fabric frame. Where the room has to look finished, absorber inside a frame rather than foam on show.
We would rather argue about the build-up at design stage than on site. See how we support architects.
03 / In this market
What we see driving Johannesburg briefs
- Generator noise is routine
Standby plant runs often enough that it has to be treated as a permanent condition. Enclosure at the source is the only reliable answer.
- Office parks, not street frontage
Campus style buildings with large open floors and hard finishes. Speech carries a long way and the ceiling plane has to carry the room.
- The climb from Durban
The inland leg is long and it is real. We quote it separately so the programme is built on actual dates.
- Altitude and dry air
PET felt is stable in dry conditions and does not shed fibre, which suits sealed, conditioned buildings.
- Plant and HVAC
Split units and generator sets, with backup generation running often enough that its enclosure matters as much as the HVAC.
04 / Room by room
What each space in a Johannesburg project needs
-
At source
Enclosure, barrier or anti vibration mounts at the machine. Standby plant runs often enough that it has to be treated as a permanent condition. Enclosure at the source is the only reliable answer.
- Wood wool acoustic panels, 1200 x 600 mm
- Acoustic foam and BassBloc, 20 mm
- Ceiling baffles and clouds, Made to the drawing, standard and custom
-
In the path
Duct lining, attenuators and lagging on the first run out of the plant. Campus style buildings with large open floors and hard finishes. Speech carries a long way and the ceiling plane has to carry the room.
- Wood wool acoustic panels, 20 mm
- Acoustic foam and BassBloc, 100 kg per cubic metre
- Ceiling baffles and clouds, Both faces work, which is why suspended area outperforms the same area laid flat
-
At the receiver
Only after the first two, and only for what is left. The inland leg is long and it is real. We quote it separately so the programme is built on actual dates.
- Wood wool acoustic panels, 400 kg per cubic metre
- Acoustic foam and BassBloc, 100 to 500 Hz
- Ceiling baffles and clouds, ASTM C423
Designers get colour, pattern and CNC options with the absorption figure attached to each. See how we work with interior designers.
04 / Climate
What the Johannesburg climate rules in and rules out
Johannesburg is hot summers, mild winters and a distinct wet season, and that narrows the material list before acoustics is discussed.
PET felt handles the wet months without absorbing moisture or feeding mould. Timber and wood wool want a ventilated cavity and a stable indoor RH.
The failure we design against here is wet-season humidity behind linings.
Consultants get the raw data, not a sales sheet. That is the whole of our side of the job, and it is set out under working with acoustic consultants.
06 / Straight talk
Where this kind of project usually fails
-
Absorption on the office wall for a plant room problem
Noise with a source is fixed at the source. Treating the receiving room is the expensive way to get a small result.
-
Lagging a duct that is carrying the noise as breakout from the fan
Noise with a source is fixed at the source. Treating the receiving room is the expensive way to get a small result.
-
Ignoring structure borne vibration through the mounts
Small on the drawing, expensive on site, and almost always found after handover.
-
Treating it as a generic Johannesburg job
Standby plant runs often enough that it has to be treated as a permanent condition. Enclosure at the source is the only reliable answer.
05 / Supply
What the route into Johannesburg actually looks like
| Ships from | Palwal, Haryana, India |
|---|---|
| Arrives at | Durban, then road up to Johannesburg |
| Dispatch | 4 to 7 working days |
| Freight | Sea via Durban |
| Support | Drawings, build-ups, BOQ and material that arrives complete |
Standard items dispatch in 4 to 7 working days. Grooved panels and custom colours take longer, and we say so before you order, not after.
Sea freight into Durban, then road up to Johannesburg. Air freight for samples and urgent quantities.
Questions from Johannesburg projects
What makes HVAC, plant and machine noise control different in Johannesburg?
Split units and generator sets, with backup generation running often enough that its enclosure matters as much as the HVAC. Standby plant runs often enough that it has to be treated as a permanent condition. Enclosure at the source is the only reliable answer.
Where should the budget go first on a Johannesburg project?
At source. Enclosure, barrier or anti vibration mounts at the machine. In the path. Duct lining, attenuators and lagging on the first run out of the plant.
Do you have an office or installation team in Johannesburg?
No. We manufacture in India and supply into Johannesburg. We give you drawings, build-ups, a BOQ and material that arrives complete, and we will tell you plainly when a job needs a local contractor we cannot be.
How does material get to a Johannesburg site?
ships from: Palwal, Haryana, India, arrives at: Durban, then road up to Johannesburg, dispatch: 4 to 7 working days. Standard items dispatch in 4 to 7 working days. Grooved panels and custom colours take longer, and we say so before you order, not after.
What goes wrong most often on this kind of project?
Absorption on the office wall for a plant room problem. Lagging a duct that is carrying the noise as breakout from the fan.
What do you need from us to quote?
A plan, a section through the critical partition or ceiling, and what the room is for. From that we can give a build-up and a BOQ rather than a price per square foot.
Next step
Tell us the room, we will tell you the build-up
A plan and a section is enough. We will come back with a build-up, a BOQ and a delivered date, and we will say so if what you are asking for will not work.