differences in loudness and must provide specific levels of sound

at specific frequencies. At the same time, it must be unobtrusive

in overall level and character so that it is not, in itself, an annoyance
to the office occupants.

Elevated background noise levels can, however, cause problems

for hearing-impaired employees. If it is known that one or more
hearing-impaired employees will be working in an area, then the
designer should endeavor to provide a space with low background
noise levels and a significant amount of acoustical absorption. If
a sound-masking system is provided, the use of adjustable levels in
zones can be beneficial.

D.8.5 Design Guidelines

The evaluation of mechanical system noise should take place in the

early design phase of a project. This evaluation is as important as
thermal load calculations. System noise calculations are the
responsibility of the Project Engineers designing the system, unless
an acoustical consultant is employed.

It is not recommended for a Project Engineer without experience

in acoustical matters to attempt to “wing it” through an acoustical
analysis of a major project. It is the experience of the NIH that
about two-thirds of these analyses are wrong in very elementary
ways, and the monetary consequences to correct acoustical
deficiencies can be quite substantial.

D.8.6 Noise Control

Mechanical Equipment Rooms: For most large buildings, there

will be two types of mechanical rooms. One will be central
mechanical rooms, and the other will be individual floor
mechanical rooms. To begin an analysis of the requirements for
sound attenuation and vibration isolation of the mechanical room,
two items must be identified. The first is requirements of adjacent
rooms, both in plan and in section. The second is the type and size
of equipment in the mechanical room. The selections need only to
be general at this point. Reasonable sound-level estimates can be
made without specific manufacturer's model numbers for standard
equipment.

The ASHRAE Systems and Applications Handbook, for Sound and

7/28/00
Mechanical D-19