Sound Advice from Capita Symonds' Acoustics Team

Negative sounding financial phraseology has dominated media reports for some months now, as reports of a global credit crunch have followed on from over-ambitious bank lending in the US sub-prime property market. The ripples are now being felt further afield, with initial talk of belt tightening now leading to gloomier fears of economic recession. For stadium and arena managers, it seems that investment plans will be under greater scrutiny than ever.

But for the paying public, attention to detail when it comes to the audible experience at their favourite venue can no longer come second best – especially when the ticket cost for entertainment represents a larger percentage of their remaining disposable income. What’s more, there is the increasingly tempting option of saving on a ticket price and staying at home, perhaps with a cheaper takeaway meal, enjoying the sophisticated sonic delights of 5.1 home cinema sound on a widescreen high definition plasma TV display – why bother with muddy sound when you can catch the game on your sofa instead?

So doing nothing to compete with this attractive alternative is not an option. Budget restraints may force a compromise, but it’s clear that many venues in Europe, for instance, do need to catch up with their North American counterparts and overcome some of the structural and legislative factors that have held back their development in this area. At the ‘top end’ of the market, among Premiership football clubs for example, this work has already seen results. But for other facilities, such as those in the ‘middle market’, there is plenty of ground to make up. For them, one big question is how to achieve this?

Reaching the limit

Daryl Prasad, Associate Director at Capita Symonds Acoustics, believes market emphasis has moved to improved quality of sound and a switch towards improved technology that’s better able to direct sound within a venue. “The old days of managers being simply able to exponentially increase sound volume levels are gone – environmental considerations and local authority limits on acoustic emissions in the area surrounding a venue have changed that.”

He adds that the emphasis on quality and directional sound is being achieved by methods including the use of large phase arrays that angle sound so that it’s projected onto an audience and does not create ‘spillage’ beyond a boundary. These phase arrays can also be used for in-house systems to avoid creating unwanted reflections and echoes that can typically cloud and muddy the sound quality. Cardioid, and super cardioid, sub-woofers are another method of ensuring that low frequency energy is directional and have proved especially useful at music festivals such as the recent Glastonbury event in the UK, to prevent spillage.

Daryl Prasad, who’s spent 10 years in consulting and acoustics, including previous spells with Arup Acoustics and BDP Acoustics, points out that new EU health and safety regulations relating to occupational noise came into effect for the music and entertainment sectors in the UK this April.

The EU Directive (2003/10/EC) on which the Control of Noise at Work Regulations are based allowed these sectors a two-year transitional period. Arenas and stadiums hosting concerts should check that staff are not being exposed to sound volumes beyond the stated high noise levels – namely 85 decibels (daily or weekly average exposure) – without providing hearing protection and hearing protection zones.

Clearly, then, entertainment sound control is an important issue both for venues and consumers. Capita Symonds’ team of acoustic consultants provide a full range of services relating to entertainment noise. As specialists in sound, noise monitoring, acoustics and IT solutions they have worked on venues including Chelsea FC, Hong Kong Stadium, Eircom Park, The Point in Dublin and the new Wembley national stadium.

For further information on the services which Capita Symonds Acoustics can provide, please contact Daryl Prasad or visit our website

Christmas Countdown

Feeling festive?

To get you into the spirit we've launched the Capita Symonds Christmas Countdown Calendar(that's a mouthfull!). Each day we'll have a handy hint or some festive fun all the way up to the big day itself - so visit daily!

http://www.xmas-countdown.com/

Capita Bobrowski rock out with AC/DC

Capita Bobrowski has been working on the spectacular stage set for AC/DC’s ‘Black Ice’ World Tour.

The design features a 6m high ‘Rock 'n' Roll Train' (the title of the group's recent single) which sits on a special track at a sharp 14 degree incline. The show opens with a brief 'Rock 'n' Roll Train' film segment before the train actually runs down the track in a blaze of lights, smoke and pyrotechnics. Lead guitarist Angus Young then leaps out of the structure to start the show.



Malcolm Richards from the Southampton office has been working closely with Richard Hartman, ACDC's Production Manager, and Mark Fisher, the tour Art Director, on the set's various structural engineering aspects.

Malcolm – who recently advised on Paul McCartney's acclaimed concert in Tel Aviv - is also currently working on George Michael and Alicia Keys' December gigs in the Middle East. He has previously designed theatres, studios and venues such as the revamp of the famous Abbey Road studios, De Montford Hall in Leicester and Riverside Arts Centre in London.

Following the current North American leg, the ACDC tour comes to Europe for two months including dates at London 02 Arena (April 14), Manchester MEN Arena (21), Birmingham LG Arena (23) The tour then heads to South America and Japan before culminating in Australia/New Zealand in 2010.

Find out more about Capita Bobrowski

Richard Goes Out on a Limb

Richard Limb, Capita Symonds’ Director of Leisure Safety, has successfully completed a 1,700 mile solo cycle ride across Australia.

The daunting trip was along the Stuart Highway – known locally as ‘The Track’ – which stretches from Port Augusta in the south to Darwin in the north.

As the route crosses some of the remotest and hottest parts of Australia - including the infamous ‘Red Centre’ – Richard often faced distances of 150 miles between ANY human habitations, not to mention stifling temperatures of 52C

During the ride, Richard also faced forced regular bush camps; serious water shortages which meant drinking potentially contaminated rain water; lack of shelter; millions of flies and ants; and chronic inflammation of the ulna nerve thanks to the constant pressure on his hands – not to mention an inability at times to pass water, produce saliva and digest food!

Half a million pedal strokes were required, approximately 186,000 calories of energy were burned, and 500 litres of water consumed.

When asked why he did it, his reply was: “The challenge, adventure, fun and my mobile phone did not work!”

Good on y' mate!!!

Find out more about Leaisre and Event Safety from Capita Symonds

Salute For Lewis

Capita Bobrowski recently provided structural engineering for a massive 12m x 8m picture of Lewis Hamilton.

The picture – produced by contemporary British artist Ian Cook - was on display at an event to celebrate the drivers Formula One world title.

Because of the tense finish to the F1 season, the event was put on hold until the very last second, meaning the team from our Southampton office (including Simon White and Dan Rolfe) only had a couple of days to turn the project around.

The 12m high, 8m wide picture was actually drawn by remote-controlled cars with paint on their wheels. It was produced by Total Fabrications, on behalf of one of Hamilton’s sponsors - Reebok.

Capita Bobrowski’s role was to check the picture’s huge 15.5m high, 10m wide, aluminium supporting edifice, advising on guying & ballast requirements and producing the required structural report.

Coverage can also be see on the Sky News Website and on YouTube:

Capita Symonds aquired Structural and Civil Engineering consultancy NRM Bobrowski in April 2008 to form Capita Bobrowski.

Speeding into the record books

Helen Loney - a Chartered Surveyor in the Blackburn office – has smashed the British Outright Ladies Water Speed Record at the famous Coniston Water in the Lake District.

Helen reached an average speed of 125.8 mph in her Formula 1 race boat ‘Crescendo’ at the annual powerboating ‘Records Week’ event, beating the previous record of 115.1 mph.

Helen also set a new Electric Outright Water Speed World Record of 76.8 mph in ‘FireFly’, her 15 ft three point hydroplane. Helen and her team – The Electric Record Team UK – specifically designed and built the boat which they hope will one day be able to break the magical 100mph barrier.

Helen – who owns her own Formula 1 race boat - has been racing on Windermere and Barrow-in-Furness Docks for over six years. Her team is sponsored by: Agni Motors, P.D.S Engineering, Capita Symonds, DHM, Exide Technologies, West Systems, Lunar, South Cumbria Construction Ltd and Cherry Concepts.

Find out more at http://www.electricrecordteam.com/

Capita Symonds career opportunities

There are currently 65 jobs being advertised on the Capita Symonds our website.

Roles are spread across the UK and include architect, accountant, project manager, civil engineer, environmental assistant, surveyor, mechanical engineer, planner.......the list goes on!

Why not have a look?
(To see our available roles on our website, simply click leave all the search fields blank, and then click "Search and Apply")

The lost invite of Atlantis?

This week sees the star-studded launch of the Atlantis hotel, The Palm, Dubai. A three day extraviganza will see the likes of Robert De Niro, Denzel Washington and Janet Jackson jetting in for the "the party of the decade". Apparently Tom Cruise has also booked his New Year party at the resort.

Situated in the middle of the crescent-shaped development, the 1,539-room, 46ha resort includes 17ha of water parks, beaches, luxury boutiques, restaurants, a nightclub, a spa and fitness club, and 5,600m² of meeting and function space. The jewel in it's crown is a suite costing a massive £23,000 a night!


Getting back to the point, Capita Bobrowski (Capita Symonds' Structural engineering firm) were involved in the project. The team, led by technical director Stuart Holdsworth and lead engineering technician Bruno Postle, designed, manufactured and installed 20 tensioned membrane shade structures covering 10,000m² at the complex.

Not sure where our invite to the bash is though (must have got lost in the post)!

Find out more about our involvement with the project
Read the Timesonline review
Go to the Atlantis Website

Watch the official video below:

Prince Charles visits Ebbw Valley railway

HRH Price Charles recently dropped by Ebbw Vale (South Wales) to visit the new railway line, which was project managed by Capita Symonds. The Prince even made a short journey on the train.

Find out more about the project, the visit and even a few facts about Price Charles himself!

Manchester's Spinningfield redevelopment near to completion

The £1bn Spinningfields project in Manchester city centre is now approaching completion.

A team from Capita Symonds’ Cheadle Hume office, led by Director Kevin Mitchell, has been providing structural, civil and geo-environmental engineering services on the mixed-use project for the past seven years.

The client, Allied London Properties, has also retained Capita Symonds in a monitoring/due diligence capacity on two buildings where they are not leading the structural design.

Heralded as ‘Manchester’s Canary Wharf’, the 22 acre development features high quality commercial, civic, residential, hotel, leisure and retail space including:

• 20 signature buildings - each one the result of a competition between leading international architects
• 4.6 million sq ft of high quality commercial, civic, residential, retail and open space
• Six acres of public space
• Five new public squares
• 2.37 million sq ft of Class A office space (25,000 workers will eventually occupy the site)
• 300,000 sq ft of complementary high-end retail and leisure areas
• 391 luxury apartments in the Left Bank complex
• A 24 floor complex featuring a four star hotel and luxury apartments

Kevin Mitchell, Capita Symonds, commented: “Spinningfields will set new standards for modern international city regeneration. The whole project has been designed, planned and implemented to create a development that will be the envy of London and the rest of Europe.”

Manchester is the UK’s fastest growing city. Since 1997, more than £700 million has been invested in transforming the city into one of Europe’s leading cultural and economic hubs with over £3 billion committed to major new real estate and infrastructure projects.