The Situation

The human ear can tolerate a noise level of 80 or 85 dBA for a few hours without incurring permanent damage. Two 233 tonne diesel engines, each capable of generating 12 megawatts of power can produce upwards of 130 dBA. That simple observation dictated that the Caribbean Utilities Company needed to figure a noise solution into their Millennium Project Expansion. ATCO Noise Management was contracted to provide the answer.

Achieving the power plant’s noise level goal of 63 dBA at 200 feet from the plant would be no small feat. As idyllic as the Caribbean is, it also presented some unique challenges. At 121’ long, 115’ wide and 54' high, the sheer size of the building required to house the engines would make the structure extremely susceptible to hurricane force winds. The plant also required a ventilation system not only capable of cooling the two powerful engines, but also efficient at maintaining a comfortable temperature for the workers inside the plant.

The Solution

Recognizing that a local engineering solution simply wasn't available, the principle subcontractor, Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractors A/S of Denmark awarded the building design and construction contract to ATCO Noise Management from Canada. To treat the walls and roof of the plant, ATCO chose acoustical assemblies, guaranteed to achieve the required noise rating, from its comprehensive suite of 25 tested and approved acoustical assemblies. An added benefit of the ATCO exterior acoustical assemblies is the unique thin layer construction which allows for a baked-on enamel finish resulting in increased durability and weather-resistance - an important consideration for this tropical project. The entire structure was enclosed within an acoustical envelope designed by ATCO to withstand winds of 150 miles per hour. An extra durable design was also incorporated into the weatherhoods and other external building parts.

With a capacity of more than half a million cubic feet per minute, the building ventilation system could potentially be a huge source of noise. ATCO addressed this challenge by installing custom designed air intake and exhaust silencers. The air exhaust opening on the plant’s roof was silenced with the installation of a hurricane rated ridge vent that acted as a giant muffler. Using its proprietary assemblies, ATCO designed and installed an acoustical silencer around the 6’ by 12’ air intake fan to reduce the noise generated from these openings.

Looking well beyond the immediate year 2000 requirements, ATCO designed and constructed the plant to be easily expandable. With sufficient room for a third engine - complementing the existing two-engine configuration, a removable end wall will also accommodate three additional engines, should they be needed at some point in the future.

The end result is a futuristic plant that hums quietly in the Caribbean paradise with barely enough noise to rival a tropical breeze…

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