Scru Club was tipped to be the next big thing on Birmingham’s club scene. The proposed venue was the basement of the old Phillips screw factory on Bissell Street, providing room for 4000 revelers including and a large outdoor terrace. Birmingham council demanded a music noise assessment and Blue Acoustics were called in to provide this and acoustic design services.

The first job was to carry out an in-situ sound propagation assessment with the clubs sound system in position. We insisted that all measurements be carried out between 03:00 – 04:00 on a weekday morning to ensure proper worst-case conditions near the end a typical weekday club night.

A bass heavy track was selected and a 5s loop set up to provide a steady sound source to measure. The system was set to its maximum level and the music noise measured on the dance floor at 4m from the stacks. Noise measurements were then taken at a number of dwellings around the area and octave band assessment levels calculated for each receptor.

The report concluded that one of the 4 receptors was subjected to an adverse noise impact. However, the club was not yet completed and on closer inspection the building envelope was found to be significantly compromised in many locations. It was therefore agreed that the building would be properly sealed and further noise measurement would be carried out upon completion. Any noise limiting would then be set according to the resultant assessment levels.

Unfortunately, a number of financial and organisational issues resulted in all funding being pulled and the club never reached its opening night. Seeing the work that had been put into the clubs interior, and hearing the amazing VOID sound system, we were gutted for the organisers and the sad demise of what would have been a stunning music venue.

Click here to find out more about our acoustic services

The team at Blue Acoustics has extensive experience across the full spectrum of noise related consultancy. All staff are trained to MSc level in Applied Acoustics and are members of the Institute of Acoustics, which is considered the industry gold standard for acoustics professionals.

We regularly service clients throughout the UK, in particular Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, Devon and Somerset. We cover a range of disciplines such as Noise Surveys, Noise at Work Assessments, Industrial Noise Surveys, Residential Noise SurveysSound Insulation TestingHospital Acoustics, School Acoustics and Office Acoustics.

To book your initial consultation please call us on 0333 444 3403 or drop us an email at info@blueacoustics.co.uk.

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