Noise generated from building parts can be very loud and annoying, particularly when the noise is characterized by a very sharp tone or tonal noise. The impact of this tonal noise on the human comfort is becoming more and more crucial for architects and designers. There are two main reasons for this. The first is the required reduction of noise emissions to the environment and the second is the reduction of noise levels inside the building itself. For building design, the human comfort is currently the main driver for the evaluation of aero-acoustic noise sources, as the emission to the environment is dominated mainly by background noise. For the human comfort, several components, such as sunshades, veils or curtains, balustrades, cavity noise from an open window, joints such as a mullion or a balcony or repetitive structures in general contribute to the noise level in and from the building. As human comfort becomes an increasingly important sales argument, noise reduction has to be considered early in the design process. While the majority of noise studies in today’s building design are based on experimental testing, there is an increasing need for numerical methods to avoid poor design choices early on.

EASTechnology utilizes CFD modeling in conjunction with LES (large Eddy Simulation) Turbulence modeling as these phenomena are very affected by the turbulence levels, and wind tunnel testing to help design teams identify, review or modify features that will minimize noise problems caused by parts of a building.  Improved noise quality is important for occupant comfort and building performance.