The document discusses challenges with noise control in downtown Montreal due to increasing urban density and mix of activities. It describes how a noise control department uses new monitoring technologies like the DUO smart noise monitor to gather clear evidence of noise issues. Examples are provided where the monitors helped resolve complaints by identifying specific noise sources, like identifying a clothing dryer as the source of low frequency noise traveling between apartments. The monitors also helped improve sound quality at a music festival by identifying poorly positioned subwoofers as the source of bass tones infiltrating a nearby condo. Overall, the new monitoring technologies provide flexibility and reliable noise data to help manage noise pollution and resolve complaints in dense urban areas.

1. DOWNTOWN MONTREAL NOISE CONTROL
CHALLENGES ON THE RISE WITH MIXITY AND
URBAN DENSITY
F.Bouchard1, D.Vaucher de la Croix2, Ch. Gagné3
1Dept. of Noise Control, Ville-Marie Burough of Montreal, 800 Maisonneuve blvd 17th Floor, Montréal, Québec, Canada
2ACOEM, 200 Chemin des Ormeaux, 69578 LIMONEST, France
3Alliance Predictive, 1100 Thomas-Tremblay, Sherbrooke, J1G 5G5, Canada

2. CONTENT
1. Introduction
2. Inner city noise control
3. Examples of practice
4. Discussion & Conclusion

3. 3.
Duo Smart Noise monitor - 3
Introduction
Cities consist of a large urban mix where different human
activities coexist
Stores and transports
Schools and hospitals
Industrial facilities and service firms
Leisure and tourism activities
Keeping harmonious local noise situations is beneficial to
all inhabitants
Need to elaborate new policies for the management of
noise pollution
New approach with measurement of sound levels in
several synchronized points
Illustrate with typical situations in the Ville-Marie borough
of the city of Montreal, one of the most residential city
centers in North America, with over 80 000 residents.
Ajouter ici un
bandeau
“images des
situations
bruyantes”

4. 4.
Duo Smart Noise monitor - 4
Inner city noise control
Caseload overview
bedrooms only 40m away from massive air conditioning units blaring 90 dBA each,
resulting in 65 dBA exposure vs. an authorized 40 dBA limit;
sub bass from an outdoor party traversing brick and stone walls into a condo 200m
away;
business owners buying overly powerful and noisy ventilation systems from sellers
unaware of noise limits;
another bedroom 50m away from a 100’000 Watt sound system inside an after-
hours nightclub;
an entire touristic neighbourhood haunted by a fluctuating whistle tone coming from
a dust filled muffler half a kilometre away
…
solution such typical situations for noise annoyance requires clear evidence of
noise emission above limits:
Measurements: permanent better than occasional!

5. 5.
Duo Smart Noise monitor - 5
Inner city noise control
Technology for the benefits of all parties!
DUO smart noise monitoring station especially designed for permanent outdoor
measurements
Very unique features
waterproof microphone
automated system check
(CIC principle)

6. 6.
Duo Smart Noise monitor - 6
Inner city noise control
DUO smart noise monitor: Qualification with international recognition:
Class 1 Approval in France by LNE
Class 1 Approval in Switzerland by METAS
Class 1 Approval in Germany by PTB
First and unique!
(hear more from dedicated paper at 2.20pm!)

7. 7.
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Examples of practice - 1/3
More fear than harm…
Situation 1: annoying bass tone from upstairs neighbours…
Plaintiff suspects there could be a rotating press machine printing all night long
just a clothing dryer on four legs with a tool case on top, backed to the wall and
transmitting the frequency of 63 Hz all the way down to the plaintiff’s apartment
Solution = dryer legs placed on styrofoam pads and toolcase furthered from wall
Situation 2: plaintiffs believe upstairs neighbours are terrorizing them with low frequency
generators and ask me to raid their appartment with police force
Problem was a tabletop ventilator placed on a wobbly wood table with two foldable U-
shaped legs transmitting tones at 31.5 and 100 Hz into the apartment downstairs…
Solution =sitting the shaky table on a 1-inch thick Styrofoam baseplate instantly
resolved the problem!
(15 dBZ reduction at 31.5 Hz and 23 dBZ reduction at 100 Hz)

8. 8.
Duo Smart Noise monitor - 8
Examples of practice - 2/3 (1)
Discotheque soundproof diagnostics
a new 3000 person capacity nightclub located 200 m
away from existing and proposed condo buildings.
situation prior to completion of soundproofing: 15 dBZ
emergences at 63 Hz (i.e. kick drum or boom frequency),
- even after attenuating the 18 cardoïd subwoofers, a
process which was worsening the sound quality
only 1 dBA emergence at 180 m away,
but… the musical thump was still audible!
8 dBC emergence at 180 m away
(74.7 dBC with music and 66.8 without).

9. 9.
Duo Smart Noise monitor - 9
Examples of practice - 2/3 (2)
Discotheque soundproof diagnostics
inner and outer noise levels monitored with two DUO systems on six channels:
- dBA, lin & selected 1/3rd octaves 40, 50, 63 and 80 Hz, while repeating the same music.
Further soundproofing emergence levels dropped to 0 dBZ at 60 Hz
- with a remaining 10 dBZ at 50 Hz (yellow peak on the picture; inaudible)
No variations in dBA were observed with music on or off, and only 3 dBC varied
The club’s sound system has been set to
Montreal’s 98 dBA noise limit at minimum 3m
from speakers or musical instruments
No noise complaints ever been registered
towards the nightclub after several months of
operation

10. 10.
Duo Smart Noise monitor - 10
Examples of practice - 3/3 (1)
Outdoor music festival noise monitoring
Apply the DUO technology and place several instruments in strategic positions
between dwellings and festival sites involving amplified music and pyrotechnics.
- Standalone remote controlled waterproof units with modems, GPS, manual and
triggered wave recording, direct audio and SMS warnings thus greatly helped
efficiently collecting & processing all relevant information

11. 11.
Duo Smart Noise monitor - 11
Examples of practice - 3/3 (2)
Outdoor music festival noise monitoring
complaints about bass tones from an outdoor dance party infiltrating a condo unit
classical meters (used by sound and lighting company)
- No spectral analysis
- Levels said “within the authorized limits (80 dBA / 100 dBC) at 35m from speakers
DUO smart noise monitor spectral analysis during a 2-hours concert
- as much energy west at 50Hz (100 dBZ) as in front of the speakers, although the
global level was 9 dBA lower (79 vs 88) vertical subwoofers badly positioned

12. 12.
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Examples of practice - 3/3 (3)
Outdoor music festival noise monitoring
Second case with a neighbouring resident complaining about bass pulses
reaching his bedroom, where the energy level in the 63 Hz octave was 5 dBZ
over NR curve 55 that covered the rest of the spectrum.
The Ville Marie noise control department had that reduced by the sound
engineer without any audible difference at the site of the party.
The department also saw much variation in the high to mid frequencies, due to
insufficient compression or limiting of a percussive instrument. The sound
engineer quickly remedied this problem as well.
The department’s actions increased the quality of the sound instead of simply
lowering the master volume and frustrating the organisers and clients.
Everyone was happy, especially the plaintiff!
Illustrer avec une foule joyeuse /festival de Jazz?

13. 13.
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Discussion & Conclusion
Several cases have been reported illustrating the actions of the Ville-Marie noise
control team that improve urban noise environments and defuse possible
conflicts due to excess noise levels perceived
Although limits are expressed in dBA, pure tones between 22 and 11 314 Hz
warrant a 5 dBA penalty as do impulsivity and speech transmission
In some cases emergences are calculated with L95% levels in order to eliminate
parasite noises like traffic and animal noises (especially dogs and birds)
Technology helps a lot in getting reliable information based on permanent noise
monitoring
Especially DUO smart noise monitors that bring much more flexibility than any other
classical instruments and are easily deployable on site
Measurements have become a lot easier since acquiring this new technology but…
a lot of what the Ville-Marie noise control department does involves mediation and
dealing with human tolerance, perception and expectations

14. Thank you for your attention
Merci de votre attention !