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Noise and acoustics
During the last few years there has been growing public concern about the increase in
the volume of noise in everyday life and in November, 1960 the Noise Abatement Act
came into force. Measurements of noise have been made by officers of the Scientific Branch
for some time but recently there has been a very large increase in this type of work. The
Town Planning Committee of the Council considered, in the autumn of 1960, that the time
had come to measure background noise in order to obtain some objective knowledge which
would be of help in dealing with certain planning matters, e.g., proposals affecting London
that might emanate from the Government Committee on helicopter sites and other problems,
such as the construction of elevated road and multi-level junctions in built-up areas.
Surveys of noise have been made in other countries, particularly Germany and the
United States, but not on a large scale. Except for a pilot investigation, no noise survey has
been made in this country so far. The decision was reached that the Council and the
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research should collaborate to carry out large-scale
research in London over a period of about a year. Measurements of existing background
noise levels are being made at about 500 sites, approximately a quarter of a mile apart,
distributed uniformly over an area bounded on the west by the boroughs of Wandsworth,
Fulham, Kensington and Paddington; on the north by Hampstead, St. Pancras, Islington
and Hackney; on the east by Poplar, Greenwich, Deptford and Camberwell; and on the
south by Wandsworth and Lambeth. This area is approximately 36 square miles in extent
and contains a fair sample of all the various activities in the County of London.
Two vans have been fitted up with recording apparatus by the Building Research Station
and the Scientific Branch has an estate car containing portable recording equipment. The
former are employed in recording the background noise on magnetic tape at each site of the
500 mentioned above, for about two minutes in every hour throughout a twenty-four hour
period. Detailed surveys of sound levels in selected areas are being made by the Scientific
Branch, using the estate car carrying portable recording apparatus.
Noise measurements were made during the demolition of part of the carriageway at
Marble Arch. The macadam and concrete were broken up by means of explosive charges,
pneumatic breakers and rock drills and the opportunity was taken to observe the effect of
using the breakers behind a screen and also the effect of fitting mufflers. There is little
doubt that screening can be used to reduce the noise of pneumatic breakers and compressors
and would be expected to be more effective in open areas, such as in these tests,
than in a narrow street with tall buildings on both sides.
A survey was made of the noise levels existing in 37 various offices in County Hall and
in a machine room in County Hall where card punching and card sorting machines are
operated.
The sound insulating properties of different types of floors were measured with regard
to impact and air-borne noise. Floors embodying sound insulating materials are much
more effective in reducing the transmission of impact noise than are ordinary floors, but
in the case of air-borne noise little additional benefit is obtained by the use of such
materials.
Noise surveys were also made at the Council's mechanical works depot and at a school
dining hall where the ceiling was relatively low.
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