Chemical Plant Noise Study
HMMH conducted a pre-construction noise study to support the City of Petersburg’s site plan review for a proposed three-building data center campus. The study evaluated how facility operations could affect sound levels at nearby residences and whether the proposed campus could meet the City’s noise limits.
Using SoundPLAN, HMMH developed a three-dimensional model that accounted for site terrain, proposed buildings, and major equipment noise sources, including cooling towers, rooftop exhaust fans, substation transformers, and backup diesel generators. The team modeled three operating scenarios with and without noise controls: routine operations, scheduled generator maintenance, and an emergency scenario that assumed all 108 backup generators would run simultaneously.
The model indicated that a combination of sound barriers and equipment silencers could bring predicted sound levels within the City’s limits at all evaluated locations under all three scenarios. HMMH also identified options for quieter equipment and recommended refining the noise controls during final design once the equipment was selected. The study gave the design team a basis for incorporating noise controls into the site layout and equipment specifications.