NOISE AND VIBRATION MONITORING
ACOUSTIC AND TECHNOLOGY DESIGN QUALIFICATIONS
Our Company
Valcoustics has been providing services in acoustics, noise and vibration for over70 years. Valcoustics has successfully completed a variety of major environmental sound (noise) and vibration studies over the last several decades. Over the last several years, Valcoustics has made a substantial investment (over $1,000,000.00) in new software development and equipment to assist us specifically for projects that require long-term noise and vibration monitoring. Advancements in technology have allowed us to increase accuracy, lead times and service levels. Our proprietary software is set up to handle and process large amounts of data for long term continuous monitoring. Investments to improve efficiencies and speed of delivery are on-going. In 2015, Valcoustics and Metrolinx were recognized with a CiPA (The Community iPerformance Awards) award for Infrastructure Innovation for our Community Noise and Vibration Monitoring System.
100M+
square feet of projects completed in Canada.
2B+
square feet of design experience.
150
people dedicated to our clients, their projects & each other.
150+ years
1,000+ active projects worldwide. worth of benchmark noise and vibration data.
8 offices Toronto, New York City, Washington DC, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Nashville.
Tarrytown, NY
We Know Monitoring.
St. Michael’s Hospital Expansion – Toronto, Ontario
Union Pearson Express, Toronto Airport Rail Link – Toronto, Ontario
TTC Spadina Expansion – Toronto, Ontario
TTC Union Station Presto Farecard Project – Toronto, Ontario
Eglinton Crosstown LRT Don Mills Station – Toronto, Ontario
Eglinton Crosstown LRT Maintenance & Storage Facility – Toronto, Ontario
Eglinton Crosstown LRT West Portal & Elevated Guideway –Toronto, Ontario
Penticton Regional Hospital – Penticton, British Columbia
Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital Expansion – Burlington, Ontario
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) – Toronto, Ontario
University of Toronto Faculty of Law Expansion & Renovation –Toronto, Ontario
Milton District Healthcare – Milton, Ontario
TTC Sheppard West Station and Southern Tunnels – Toronto, Ontario
Maple GO Station Pedestrian Tunnel – Maple, Ontario
Rutherford GO Station Pedestrian Tunnel – Concord, Ontario
TTC Woodbine Station – Toronto, Ontario
Humber College Lakeshore Campus Welcome Centre – Toronto, Ontario
Humber College Lakeshore Campus Athletic Centre – Toronto, Ontario
Highway 401 Tunnel Construction – Toronto, Ontario
Shirley Layover Facility – Kitchener, Ontario
Cooksville GO Station – Mississauga, Ontario
St. Joseph’s Hospital, Learning Centre – Toronto, Ontario
Twelve Mile Lake Dam Rehabilitation – Minden Hills, Ontario
Mount Sinai Phase 3A Renovation – Toronto, Ontario
Holy Trinity Mausoleum – Markham, Ontario
Noise Walls Conversion/Erin Mills & Finch – Mississauga, Ontario
Enbridge Underwood Wind Farm – Kincardine, Ontario
Don River Railway Bridge Replacement – Toronto, Ontario
University of Ottawa Heart Institute Expansion – Ottawa, Ontario
True North Square – Winnipeg, Manitoba
Monde Condominium – Toronto, Ontario
Walker Brothers’ Expansion – Niagara Falls, Ontario
Over a dozen condo projects as per the City of Toronto By-law 514-2008 and many others.
Our Expertise
Our services include:
Acoustic Design
• Acoustics and Vibration
• Architectural, Building Services & Interior Acoustics
• Mechanical Noise & Vibration Control
• Sound Masking and Acoustic Privacy
• Structural Dynamics
• Vibration Analysis and Control
• Environmental Assessments
• Community & Industrial Noise Control
• Monitoring for Transportation and Construction
• Acoustic Simulations
• Code Analysis and Compliance
• Impact Analysis
• Troubleshooting Telecommunications Infrastructure
Audiovisual
• Video Walls, Large Format Display, Lobby Displays
• Workplace Collaboration Solutions
• Boardroom & Conference Room Systems
• Classroom & Presentation Systems
• Video Teleconferencing Rooms
• Background Music & Paging
• Theaters, Auditoria & Multi-purpose Spaces
• Cable/ Satellite Television Distribution
• Digital Signage
• Digital/Video Wayfinding
• Strategy & Advisory Services
• Program Management
• Technology Solution Design & Implementation
• Voice, Data & Multimedia Network Design
• Unified Communications Systems
• Power over Ethernet (PoE) Lighting
• “Smart Building” Systems
• Integrated Building Network Systems
• High-Performance Wi-Fi & Distributed Antenna Systems
• Computer Center, Trading Floor & Mission Critical Facilities
• Regional, Municipal & Campus Telecommunications Master Planning
Security
• Threat Assessment
• Risk Mitigation Strategies
• Electronic Security System Design
• Access Control
• Video Sur veillance
• Visitor Management / Visitor Experience
• BioMetric, Facial Recognition Authentication
Site Assessments
Noise & Vibration Troubleshooting
• Elevators
• Generators
• Bar/Restaurant Noise
• Gym/Fitness Noise
• Community & Industrial Noise Control
• Noise & Vibration Monitoring
• Construction Activity
• Concer t/Music Festival Venues
• Feasibility Studies for prospective space programming
• HVAC Reviews for Noise Code Compliance
• Risk Assessments for building upgrades
Vibration
• Vibration Feasibility Studies
• Environmental Vibration Analysis
• Structural Vibration Recommendations
• Building Vibration Consulting
• High Sensitivity Noise & Vibration Monitoring
• Construction Vibration Monitoring
• Vibration Troubleshooting
Sustainability
• LEED Cer tification
• WELL Building Standard
• GHG Emissions Management
• Life Cycle Analysis and Carbon Footprint Development
• Energy Management
• CDP Verification and Assurance
• Digital Solutions
PENTICTON REGIONAL HOSPITAL PATIENT CARE TOWER PROJECT
The Penticton Regional Hospital Patient Care Tower Project will be constructed in two phases. Phase One involves the construction of the new patient care tower and parkade which will include an ambulatory care centre, surgical services, 84 medical/surgical inpatient beds in single patient rooms, a new medical device reprocessing unit, and space for the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Medicine program. Phase Two involves the renovation of vacated areas in the existing hospital to allow for an expanded emergency department plus renovations to the pharmacy, stores and support areas. As part of Interior Health’s commitment to environmental sustainability and green buildings, the new patient care tower will be designed and constructed to achieve LEED Gold certification, helping to create a healthy and healing patient environment and workplace. Valcoustics provided a full range of acoustical engineering services (acoustic privacy, reverberation control, mechanical noise and vibration control, etc.).
UN IO N P EARSON E X PR ESS,
TORONTO AIR PORT R AIL LINK
Union Pearson Express- Construction of the airport rail link between Toronto’s Union Station and Lester B. Pearson International Airport. This includes a 3.3 kilometre rail spur to the airport. Services Provided: Valcoustics, led by Ian, was responsible for monitoring noise and vibration from construction activities along the Georgetown South Airport Rail Link. The project included over 85 long-term remote-controlled noise and vibration monitors during the height of construction. We had a 5+ year monitoring contract with Metrolinx, with weekly reporting.
EGLINTON CROSSTOWN LRT
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE & STORAGE FACILITY
The Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (ECLRT) project scope includes the Eglinton Crosstown Maintenance and Storage Facility. The ECLRT project requires a primary Maintenance and Storage Facility to store and service Light Rail Transit (LRT) vehicles. The Eglinton Maintenance and Storage facility will store up to 165 vehicles and support daily cleaning, inspections, scheduled maintenance/ repair and heavy maintenance and overhaul of LRT vehicles. The Eglinton Maintenance and Storage Facility is located at the most western end of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT line on 42 acres of land, north of Mount Dennis Station. Our team is providing ongoing noise and vibration monitoring of the construction. Valcoustics is also completing noise and vibration monitoring for the tunnelling and construction of various stations for the Toronto Eglinton Crosstown LRT.
QEII HEALTH SCIENCES
CENTRE, HALIFAX INFIRMARY EXPANSION PROJECT
With 10 buildings across two campuses, the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre (“the QEII”) is the largest adult health sciences centre in Nova Scotia. The QEII is the leading research centre and training facility for healthcare professionals in the region, and each year more than one million patient visits are made to the QEII. As part of the QEII Redevelopment Initiative, the Province intends to initiate the Halifax Infirmary Expansion Project. This is an expansion of the existing Halifax Infirmary site and includes a new Ambulatory Care facility, a new Inpatient/OR facility, a new Centre for Research and Innovation, and a new Cancer Care Centre, totalling 1,758, 850 ft². The expansion also includes the Bayers Lake Community Outpatient Centre Project. The construction of a new Community Outpatient Centre located in Bayers Lake Business Park, totalling 126,295 ft². Our firm providing acoustic engineering on the Design Build Finance Maintain team and provided a full range of acoustical engineering consulting services, including completion of Construction Vibration Zone of Influence Study and corresponding vibration monitoring; structural vibration assessment and input; and acoustical design input, including sound isolation to ensure acoustical privacy, interior room acoustics to control reverberation and enhance speech intelligibility, and noise/vibration control of mechanical systems internally and externally.
MEDSTAR GEORGETOWN
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL MEDICAL AND SURGICAL PAVILION
HKS ARCHITECTS
SHALOM BARANES ASSOCIATES
The construction of the new medical /surgical pavilion, will transform the way personalized care is delivered, deploy new technologies and meet the needs of families throughout the region and beyond. By bringing innovative therapies from the laboratory to the patient bedside, the new building’s overall acoustics will help them embody cura personalis – care of the whole person.
Signature Solutions: Our team developed and provided acoustic design criteria, with the goal to bring a sense of calm to all areas of the PX – from the underground parking garage to the emergency department that can be directly accessed from a rooftop helipad.
We also collaborated with the structural engineers to ensure specific vibration criteria are met throughout the building in sensitive equipment areas, including operating room, imaging suites and laboratories.
Construction Noise Monitoring
Additionally, we provided construction noise monitoring services for the MedStar site throughout all phases of construction. Located in a highly populated residential area, we performed extensive monitoring to ensure noise disturbances to the surrounding community were kept at a minimum. Construction noise monitoring on site was particularly challenging due to the size of the site and its proximity to the surrounding community and residents’ townhouses.
Normally housed offsite, a concrete batch plant was brought to MedStar for increased efficiency, contributing to noise disturbances. To combat the disruption from the additional trucks, sifters, and debris, the team conducted extensive sound studies on off-site batch plants. Through our findings, we were able to create 3-D models to present to stakeholders demonstrating the impact and associated mitigation strategies.
Some of our noise mitigation strategies included the evaluation of equipment and the recommendation of less noisy alternatives, the implementation of physical noise barriers around the site perimeter, and when residents opted in, the direct installation of noise-reducing window treatments to surrounding homes.
The key to our noise monitoring approach at MedStar was communication. With transparent messaging, we worked with all project stakeholders. From client decision makers to the construction team members and affected community we ensured comprehensive mitigation strategies were in place, thus securing long-term project success. Through monitoring efforts at all stages of construction, the project team was able to avoid noise-induced scheduling delays, ensuring the project stayed on track and on budget.
REGENERON FLAD ARCHITECTS
Our team is currently providing acoustic, audiovisual, IT and security consulting services for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals during their Tarrytown campus expansion. The 2.6 M sf project includes the expansion and redesign of a variety of space types including, but not limited to, campus research and development buildings, amenity areas, vivarium, and standard offices.
We evaluated noise from the central utility plant to protect building occupants from excessive noise levels as well as noise to exterior terrace and event areas. Our firm is also providing monitoring services to protect labs, animal holding facilities, and other sensitive spaces from the impact of construction activities associated with the expansion, including blasting of bedrock near existing research buildings. Our scope includes the development of maximum allowable noise and vibration thresholds for various sensitive spaces, the development of alert handling protocols, and the procurement and management of a dedicated fleet of monitoring devices.
TIFFANY & CO.
CALLISONRKTL
OMA
PETER MARINO ARCHITECT
As the official acoustic and audiovisual designers of the lavish multi-year renovation of Tiffany and Co.’s Fifth Avenue flagship store, we continue to monitor the construction vibration on the iconic New York City block, including the adjacent high-profile Trump Tower. Bringing in the most sophisticated monitoring system, with the sensitivity to distinguish between construction, environmental and office noise, was necessary for our discerning client. Construction started in 2019 and our team has been assessing the vibrational impact on a minute-by-minute basis.
Given the task of honoring Tiffany’s 183-year legacy, while helping to reimagine this luxury space, we have been reviewing the interior to make certain that the store maintains the original acoustic integrity with the same benchmark quality as millions have loved throughout the decades and where so many memories have been made in the double-height box ceiling selling floor.
Signature Solution: Our firm is helping the storied company tell it’s story, acoustically and through a redesigned sound system throughout the new exhibition, event and ‘clientelling’ space with experiential moments, projecting an evolving brand.
Ian has a diverse background in Acoustics and has done extensive work in the area of Acoustics and Vibration since joining our firm. He regularly manages projects in the areas of environmental noise and vibration and was project manager for the Metrolinx Georgetown South Airport Rail link (Union Station to Pearson) construction noise and vibration monitoring project that includes over 85 long term remotecontrolled noise and vibration monitors. Other relevant project examples include long-term, unattended, noise and vibration monitoring for the construction of the Toronto-York Spadina TTC Subway Expansion, TTC Woodbine Subway Station Renovation and noise and vibration assessment, including unattended sound measurements to determine the impact of removing trucks from an arterial road (intersection of King Street and Queen Street) in the Region of Peel. In addition, Ian is currently managing a large monitoring program for the new Mills Memorial Hospital in Terrace BC.
Select Experience
Georgetown South Rail Expansion, Union Pearson Express Toronto, Ontario
TTC Woodbine Station Toronto, Ontario
TTC Sheppard West Station and the Southern Tunnels Toronto, Ontario
Twelve Mile Lake Dam Minden Hills, Ontario
Memorial West Trenchless Sewer Upgrade Vancouver BC
Metrolinx Emergent Contracts Toronto, Ontario
Eglinton Crosstown LRT Vehicle Maintenance & Storage Facility Toronto, Ontario
Penticton Regional Hospital Patient Care Tower Project Penticton, British Columbia
Royal Inland Hospital Patient Care Tower
Ian L. Matthew M.Sc., P.Eng.
Title Principal Engineer
Education M.Sc., University of Salford, February 2007, Acoustical Engineering
B.A.Sc., University of Waterloo, April 1999, Environmental (Chemical) Engineering
Affiliations
Registered Professional Engineer, Professional Engineers of Ontario
Canadian Acoustical Association
Acoustical Society of America
