For projects in Zurich
HVAC, plant and machine noise control in Zurich
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. Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery is standard, so duct and terminal unit noise are the sources.
- 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 / The material
What this is, and what it changes in a Zurich room
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.
Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery is standard, so duct and terminal unit noise are the sources.
Work reaching us from Zurich is mostly banking and professional offices, industrial conversions, apartments, clinics, restaurants, studios.
- Confidentiality is the requirement On a banking or professional floor the question is not comfort, it is whether a conversation leaves the room. Absorption plus a proper partition and door detail is what delivers that.
- Industrial conversions in the west Old industrial buildings give superb volume and terrible acoustics. Hard shells, big cubic volume and nothing soft, so the ceiling plane has to carry the whole room.
- Depth costs real money here Zurich floor area is among the most expensive in Europe. A thinner build-up that performs is worth more than a thicker one that performs slightly better.
- 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 Zurich.
02 / The build-up
How the layers stack, from the structure inwards
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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 Zurich, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery is standard, so duct and terminal unit noise are the sources.
Floating floor. Resilient layer and deck, to break impact energy before it reaches the structure.
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Layer 2
Wood wool acoustic panels
Wood fibre bound into a rigid board with an open texture. In Zurich, concert halls, church buildings and civic rooms are long-decay volumes where interventions must be reversible.
Direct fix. Mechanically fixed to the soffit or wall. Durable and simple.
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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 Zurich, school buildings are built to a high standard with hard cleanable surfaces, so rooms stay live and intelligibility is the target.
Corner loading. Low frequency energy collects in corners, so absorber in the corners does more than the same area spread across a wall.
If you are specifying for a Zurich project, we can give you a section, a BOQ and the honest limits of each layer. See how we support architects.
03 / On the ground
What we see driving Zurich briefs
- Confidentiality is the requirement
On a banking or professional floor the question is not comfort, it is whether a conversation leaves the room. Absorption plus a proper partition and door detail is what delivers that.
- Industrial conversions in the west
Old industrial buildings give superb volume and terrible acoustics. Hard shells, big cubic volume and nothing soft, so the ceiling plane has to carry the whole room.
- Depth costs real money here
Zurich floor area is among the most expensive in Europe. A thinner build-up that performs is worth more than a thicker one that performs slightly better.
- Trams and dense streets
Ground level trams put low frequency into the structure. That is a structural isolation question, and panels on a wall will not answer it.
- Plant and HVAC
Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery is standard, so duct and terminal unit noise are the sources.
04 / Room by room
Where the money goes on a Zurich project
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At source
Enclosure, barrier or anti vibration mounts at the machine. On a banking or professional floor the question is not comfort, it is whether a conversation leaves the room. Absorption plus a proper partition and door detail is what delivers that.
- SoundBlanket mass loaded vinyl, 2100 kg per cubic metre
- Wood wool acoustic panels, 20 mm
- Acoustic foam and BassBloc, 100 kg per cubic metre
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In the path
Duct lining, attenuators and lagging on the first run out of the plant. Old industrial buildings give superb volume and terrible acoustics. Hard shells, big cubic volume and nothing soft, so the ceiling plane has to carry the whole room.
- SoundBlanket mass loaded vinyl, STC 30, 5.25 kg per sq m
- Wood wool acoustic panels, 400 kg per cubic metre
- Acoustic foam and BassBloc, 100 to 500 Hz
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At the receiver
Only after the first two, and only for what is left. Zurich floor area is among the most expensive in Europe. A thinner build-up that performs is worth more than a thicker one that performs slightly better.
- SoundBlanket mass loaded vinyl, STC 34, 8.4 kg per sq m
- Wood wool acoustic panels, 0.30
- Acoustic foam and BassBloc, 0.85
Interior designers tend to arrive with the look already decided. We will tell you which finish gets there without losing the acoustics. See how we work with interior designers.
04 / Climate and durability
Durability in Zurich, before acoustics is discussed
Zurich is cool and damp, with long heating seasons and cold external walls, and that narrows the material list before acoustics is discussed.
Cold wall build-ups and long heating seasons mean interstitial condensation is a real risk behind any lining. PET felt is unaffected by damp air and will not feed mould where a fabric-faced mineral product would.
The failure we design against here is condensation behind linings in older, poorly insulated stock.
Where a consultant is already engaged on a Zurich project, we supply to their specification and send the test reports rather than describing them. More on working with acoustic consultants.
06 / Before you buy
Where this kind of project usually fails
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Absorption on the office wall for a plant room problem
Plant noise treated as a room problem is the most reliable way to spend a budget and change nothing anyone can hear.
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Lagging a duct that is carrying the noise as breakout from the fan
Enclose the machine, break the vibration path, then deal with what is left. Doing it in the other order costs more and achieves less.
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Ignoring structure borne vibration through the mounts
This is the one that comes back as a second fit-out rather than a snag.
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Treating it as a generic Zurich job
On a banking or professional floor the question is not comfort, it is whether a conversation leaves the room. Absorption plus a proper partition and door detail is what delivers that.
05 / Logistics
Getting it to Zurich, with real dates
| Ships from | Palwal, Haryana, India |
|---|---|
| Arrives at | Rotterdam or Antwerp, then rail into Zurich |
| Dispatch | 4 to 7 working days |
| Freight | Sea via Rotterdam, then rail |
| 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 Rotterdam or Antwerp, then rail into Zurich. Air freight for samples and urgent quantities.
Questions from Zurich projects
What makes HVAC, plant and machine noise control different in Zurich?
Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery is standard, so duct and terminal unit noise are the sources. On a banking or professional floor the question is not comfort, it is whether a conversation leaves the room. Absorption plus a proper partition and door detail is what delivers that.
Where should the budget go first on a Zurich 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 Zurich?
No. We manufacture in India and supply into Zurich. 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 Zurich site?
ships from: Palwal, Haryana, India, arrives at: Rotterdam or Antwerp, then rail into Zurich, 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
Send a plan and a section, get a real build-up
Send what you have. We will give you a layer by layer build-up, a bill of quantities and a date material lands, and we will flag anything in the brief that will not achieve what you want.