{"id":1080,"date":"2026-10-28T11:38:08","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T11:38:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/soundmask.com.au\/blog\/?p=1080"},"modified":"2026-09-29T12:19:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T12:19:09","slug":"case-study-scrap-metal-drops-and-a-perth-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/soundmask.com.au\/blog\/case-study-scrap-metal-drops-and-a-perth-office\/","title":{"rendered":"Case Study \u2014 Scrap Metal Drops and a Perth Office"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Part 3 of our series based on our paper “User Comfort in Unexpected Acoustic Environments”<\/em>. This is the first of three case studies.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

High-impact, intermittent sounds are among the hardest acoustic problems to solve. They also cause a startle response, which over time can be damaging to physical and mental health. In a recent Australian inquiry<\/a> into aircraft noise, community members described sounds like these as causing palpitations, panic and stress, and even “an assault on the mental and physical health and well-being”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The site<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

IREAUS Construction’s head office is in an industrial precinct in outer Perth, about 25 metres from a main road. That means constant traffic noise, averaging around 45dBA, which created an underlying stress level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Directly opposite is a scrap metal facility with a large lifting magnet. It generates frequent but erratic “bangs” and “crashes” as scrap of varying sizes is dropped, with sudden peaks of around 70dBA. These were the reason the office considered sound masking. Occupants noticed disrupted concentration, an increased startle response, and less consistent phone calls and office tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two floors, two experiences<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Upstairs, acoustic tiles absorbed some of the sound. Downstairs, the reflective concrete ceiling increased the perceived sharpness and reverberation. So although both offices were in the same building, and theoretically needed the same masking levels, the experience in each space was different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The solution<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We installed a zoned sound masking system to reduce the contrast between background sound and the scrap metal drops, improve day-to-day communication and reduce overall stress from noise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n