Soundproofing curtain from Pyrotek blocks skateboard noise at Sydney's Olympic Park
A massive soundproofing curtain stops noise from the Monster
Skate Park escaping into the Sports Hall half of the complex at Sydney's Olympic Park.
Skateboarders performing their ollies, nosegrinds, indies,
kickflips and fakies at the Monster Skatepark within Sydney's Olympic Park
precinct no longer disturb team sports players in the other half of the huge
hall, thanks to soundproofing by the Soundguard division of Pyrotek.
The noise problem tackled by Pyrotek was caused not only by 100A durometer
hard wheels dropping from a great height onto toughened floor and ramps but
also by the loud music enjoyed by the young patrons using the 1000 square
metre street course and several vertical ramps of international competition
standard, one up to 6.6 metre's high.
"Soccer and volley ball players in the Sports Hall half of the building had
cause to complain about the noise of the skateboarders riding the ramps and
particularly the click-clack as they hit the metal transitions between the
wooden floor and ramps," reports Sydney Olympic Park Authority's contract
manager, Harry Lloyd.
"I was under some pressure to find an effective solution quickly before the
tenants took occupancy, which would have made impossible major installations
of the kind called for. The solution posed by Soundguard's Philip Cadwallen
promised to be both effective and fast, taking only two weeks. And it cost
far less than other options such as operable doors."
Solving the problem was made more difficult by the desire for the ramps, floors
and any sound barrier to be removable for Royal Easter Shows.
Foremost among the measures proposed by Pyrotek was the hanging of a massive
7-tonne curtain of Wavebar, filling in the entire space from wall to wall and
floor to roof, to separate, acoustically and physically, the two halves of the
cavernous space.
"The substantial mass per square metre of Wavebar readily dissipates sound
energy," Philip Cadwallen explains. "The barium-loaded vinyl composite -
whose flexibility lends itself to wrapping, shaping, and draping - boasts
high tear and tensile strength, enabling it to support many metres of its
own weight.
"SOPA's 50 metre wide curtain is hung in two drops: one from a crossbar at
wall height spanning the hall about 9 metres up, the other, a 6 metre drop
from a curved structure designed to carry an infill of Wavebar from the
crossbar up to the curve of the roof."
Such a draped sound barrier of course makes it possible to satisfy SOPA's
requirement for removal to turn the two spaces into one great exhibition hall
during Royal Easter Shows.
It took just six days to install the curtain.
Although the Wavebar was ideal for stopping airborne noise, further measures
were needed to deal with transmitted noise.
"Because concrete is very good at transmitting noise, we supplied Sylomer -
from our vibration isolation technology range - for mounting under the base
plates of the ramp support structure," says Cadwallen.
"We also proposed installation of Sorbertex 2D - a long lasting, non-woven,
fine-fibre polyester - under the ramps to take the echo out of the space,
and Soundpaint under the steel fairings between floor and ramp to reduce
the impact and wheel click noise as the skateboarders transition."
The dramatic improvement reported by occupants of the Sports Hall is only
subjective at this stage, although Harry Lloyd plans to ask Peter Knowland
of PKA Acoustic Consultants back to take some "after" decibel readings to
confirm objectively the success of the soundproofing measures.
The frame to support the Wavebar curtain was designed by Hyder Consulting
and made and installed by Inten.
Monster Skatepark is said to be the largest indoor skateboarding facility of
international standard in Australia.
For further information contact:
Pyrotek
Address: Girraween, NSW, 2145
Phone: 02 9631 1....
Fax: 02 9896 7....
Web: www.soundguard.com.au
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