The Wayfarer apartment building in Belconnen. Photo by Rodrigo Vargas.
Canberra developer Geocon has brought in technical specialists to investigate the source of noises at the 27-storey Wayfarer apartments in Belconnen which have been concerning some residents in the upper levels of the huge building.
Two residents have submitted formal complaints about the loud noises which have occurred on a regular basis and apparently are similar to a tapping or hammering sound.
There are indications that the noises are mainly emanating from apartments with a north-easterly aspect in the building which has 331 apartments and is Canberra’s tallest residential building.
Geocon Manager of Construction, Damon Smith, said Geocon has engaged industry-leading acoustic and vibration specialists HW Technologies who will start work next Monday on assessing the source of the noise.
Mr Smith said the specialists will come to Canberra to assess and measure localised acoustic emissions using state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment including the VibroLaser and acoustic camera. He said this equipment can measure very minute movements of fractions of millimetres.
“The times of day when the noises are more frequent coincides with the level of sun exposure, suggesting the noises may be related to thermal expansion and contraction,” Mr Smith said.
“Expansion or contraction of even micro-millimetres in significant expanses of concrete can result in noises, and is not uncommon in large buildings.”
The Wayfarer is Canberra’s tallest residential building. Photo by Rodrigo Vargas.
Over the past week, Geocon has conducted investigations which appear to have ruled out structural defects and plant and equipment being the source of the noise concerns.
Mr Smith said the Wayfarer Body Corporate has been updated about the progress of investigations over the past week, which have included:
- An onsite investigation by a senior structural engineer to inspect elements of the structure including precast walls and balustrades, the lift core and roof slab. The engineer’s report after this investigation stated that “there did not appear to be any structural defects or cracking”.
- Controlled and monitored shut downs of major services – including mechanical, hydraulic, fire and lifts – with the aim of ruling out plant and equipment as a cause of the noise.
Mr Smith said a further update will be provided to the Body Corporate after HW Technologies have completed their assessment and their report is in hand.
The Wayfarer apartment building is located on the corner of Eastern Valley Drive and Aikman Drive in Belconnen and opened in January this year.
If you live in a Wayfarer apartment let us know what that is like. Have you experienced any noise problems?
Loading ...
