What Data Centers Are Teaching Us About Managing Environmental Noise
What Data Centers Are Teaching Us About Managing Environmental Noise
Tuesday, December 15, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm ET
Rapid data center development is bringing unprecedented attention to environmental noise, yet the noise sources at data centers – cooling equipment, generators, and transformers – have been successfully managed for decades. What has changed is the pace, scale and concentration of development, creating a stress test for environmental noise management. Using data centers as a timely case study, this webinar covers “Noise 101” essentials, including decibels, frequency, tonal and low-frequency sound, cumulative effects, and human response. It examines the limitations of addressing noise as a nuisance after problems arise. The proactive approach treats noise as a predictable environmental impact, establishing appropriate, quantitative objectives early and incorporating them into siting, permitting, equipment selection and facility design. The lessons extend well beyond data centers to all industrial development.
$99 A&WMA Member; $149 Nonmember
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Presenters:
Nick McCabe, MESc, PEng, PE, Regional Manager, HGC Noise Vibration Acoustics
Nick McCabe, MESc, PEng, PE, is Board Certified by the Institute of Noise Control Engineering and brings nearly 30 years of experience in noise and vibration control. He has developed effective solutions for a broad range of acoustic and vibration challenges, spanning projects from raw material mining to precision manufacturing, from high-rise residential construction to deep-bored subway tunnels, and from daycare centers to universities. He has also worked with regulators, helping to inform or shape noise-related policy and regulation. This experience gives Nick a practical understanding of regulatory concerns, as well as of how noise and vibration issues arise and how best to resolve them across very different settings. Nick is a Regional Manager at HGC Noise Vibration Acoustics, currently based in Charlotte, NC. HGC is a dedicated acoustical consulting firm that has helped clients achieve effective acoustical design and meet regulatory requirements since 1994.
Rob Stevens, MASc, PEng, Principal, INCE, HGC Noise Vibration Acoustics
Rob is a Principal of HGC Noise Vibration Acoustics. Over the past thirty-five years, he has conducted acoustical assessments and noise/vibration studies for hundreds of industrial and commercial facilities across North America, and abroad, including developing noise control recommendations to meet local regulatory requirements. Rob has conducted research into methods of low frequency noise attenuation in ducts, effects of high temperatures on absorptive silencers, resonant dissipative silencers, measurements of acoustical properties of materials, and the use of sound intensity measurement methods in novel applications. He is the current Chair of the A&WMA Ontario Canada Section. HGC is a consulting engineering firm specializing exclusively in noise, vibration, and acoustics – measurement, assessment, design, and mitigation with offices in the U.S. and Canada.
Moderator: Ron Huffman, QEP, Environmental Consultant
Ron Huffman, QEP, Environmental Consultant, has worked as an industry environmental manager and an Allegheny County Air Permitting Engineer. He has worked on air and wastewater projects for more than 40 years at several chemical production locations and at several corporate headquarters. He has been an active member of A&WMA since 1985. He served as the Chair of the Allegheny Mountain Section. He currently serves as the Vice Chair for A&WMA’s Webinar Committee and Secretary for the Tampa Bay Chapter.
