introduction | protecting threatened species | safeguarding biodiversity | improving water quality | enhancing the landscape | managing the archaeological heritage | restoring land for recreation | reducing neighbourhood noise | blending into the landscape | informing the community | creating nature reserves | conserving geological heritage | reducing environmental impacts

Reducing Neighbourhood Noise

BACKGROUND

In the summer of 2004 Franzefoss Pukk AS opened an entirely new and very modern aggregate plant in Norway. It was done after directions from the local authorities. Earlier the plant was located outside the quarry. The old plant was not built-in and had almost no kind of noise suppression.

ACTION

Franzefoss Pukk AS was directed by the local authorities and government to move the plant into the quarry. In connection with moving the plant, it was decided to build a new, modern and more environmentally friendly plant. Now, the new crushers and screens are built-in and located deep in the quarry to prevent the environment from unnecessary pollution. The tall, steep walls in the quarry act as noise and dust deflection walls. Further is an entirely new asphalt plant (NCC Roads) and silos, located “outside” the aggregate plant, to contribute to even lower noise level.

RESULTS

Both building a new plant and moving the location has led to a considerable reduction in noise and dust for the neighborhood, as well as for employees.

Here, Franzefoss Pukk AS can present results from noise level tests both with the old and the new plant. They confirm that the noise reduction is considerable. The figures below compare the noise-level in the neighborhood before and after relocating. The noise shown here is the measured level in the neighborhood.

Location 1: 200m from the old plant and 300m from the new plant
Location 2: 1000m from the old plant and 800m from the new plant
Location 3: 350m from the old plant and 400m from the new plant
Location 4: 500m from the old plant and 350m from the new plant

The old plant (measured June 2002):
Location 1 50 dBA
Location 2 43 dBA
Location 3 46 dBA
Location 4 44 dBA

The new plant (measured September 2004):
Location 1 42dBA
Location 2 34 dBA
Location 3 39 dBA
Location 4 42 dBA

The decibel scale is logarithmic, so a reduction of 3 dBA is the same as halved noise-level.

The figures show that the contribution of noise to the neighbours is reduced to an outstanding level.

introduction | protecting threatened species | safeguarding biodiversity | improving water quality | enhancing the landscape | managing the archaeological heritage | restoring land for recreation | reducing neighbourhood noise | blending into the landscape | informing the community | creating nature reserves | conserving geological heritage | reducing environmental impacts