BS 5228 · DEMOLITION · PILING · SITE CONTROL
Construction noise & vibration assessments.
Build noise and vibration control into your programme. ACP assesses construction activities, identifies sensitive neighbours and develops practical recommendations for the works.
From early predictions to a monitoring brief or Section 61 supporting assessment, connect the acoustic evidence with how the site will operate.
Read the illustration description
Construction site beside occupied homes. An airborne sound path travels from excavator to upper windows, while a separate vibration path travels through the ground from piling. Noise and vibration monitors are shown in different positions.
DEFINE THE BRIEF
Plan the works.
Understand the neighbours.
Plant, working methods and the programme change as a project progresses. A useful assessment addresses the relevant phases and sensitive locations, rather than represent the whole construction period with one generic scenario.
Construction & demolition
Review the plant schedule, operating periods and likely activity combinations. Identify noise-sensitive uses and practical controls while methods can still be adjusted.
Explore demolition and construction →Piling & vibration
Consider the proposed technique, ground conditions, nearby structures and occupied spaces. Separate potential disturbance from the question of building damage.
Explore the vibration brief →Section 61 & management plans
Prepare acoustic information for the defined council process. Connect predicted effects, proposed controls, monitoring and the responsibilities for responding.
Explore Section 61 support →TAILOR YOUR PROJECT BRIEF
Direct link to this version →Start with the methods and the programme.
Share the site postcode, works description, proposed hours and council requirements. We will identify the relevant assessment phases and information needed.
Tell us when works are due to start and whether baseline surveys, a management plan or monitoring have been requested.
SURVEY · ASSESS · COORDINATE
Assess the phases.
Make the controls practical.
We start with the actual construction method and programme. Predictions and survey information should help the contractor understand where controls are needed and how the agreed response will be implemented.
Establish the works and receivers
Review the programme, methods, hours and relevant residential or other sensitive uses. Identify phases that need separate assessment.
Assess noise and vibration appropriately
Use suitable source information and site assumptions. Address airborne noise and vibration as distinct technical questions.
Identify best practicable controls
Consider working methods, plant selection, position, scheduling, screening and maintenance. Relate the recommendations to the contractor’s delivery plan.
Define monitoring and response
Where required, set out locations, indicators, criteria, validation, responsibilities and reporting. Agree what happens when an event needs investigation.
A measurement only becomes useful when someone can interpret it and act. The management plan should identify the responsible people, agreed controls and the process for reviewing events.
THE DETAILS THAT SHAPE THE ANSWER
Noise and vibration
need separate treatment.
A decibel result and a vibration measurement answer different questions. We define the relevant assessment purpose before selecting indicators, criteria or monitoring locations.
| Consideration | What the assessment needs to address |
|---|---|
| Airborne construction noise | Assess relevant plant and activity combinations at affected locations. Working periods, duration, intervening features and the surrounding environment inform the assessment. |
| Vibration experienced by people | Disturbance can arise at levels that do not imply damage. Consider the occupied spaces, activity pattern and appropriate assessment method. |
| Potential effects on buildings | The building type, condition, vibration characteristics and measurement location matter. Structural advice or a condition survey is a separate scope where needed. |
| Sensitive equipment or uses | Hospitals, laboratories and other specialist receivers can need project-specific criteria. Identify these early rather than apply a residential assumption. |
| Ground conditions and method | Piling, breaking, compaction and excavation do not behave identically. Review the proposed technique and whether trial or verification measurements are appropriate. |
| Construction traffic and other sources | Clarify what falls within the project scope. Temporary works, access routes, fixed equipment and operational noise may require distinct scenarios or methods. |
Technical reference: BSI — BS 5228-2:2009+A1:2014.
EVIDENCE INTO ACTION
Controls that fit
the method and programme.
We help the project team identify practical ways to reduce effects at source and along the relevant pathways. The assessment should support implementable decisions, with assumptions the contractor can maintain.
Choose the lower-impact route
Review methods, quieter plant options, maintenance and unnecessary idling. For vibration, the choice of technique may be more important than an airborne-noise screen.
Arrange the works carefully
Consider distance, screening and scheduling of relevant activities. Account for sensitive uses and the actual planning or consent restrictions.
Assign the action
Define supervision, event investigation, communication and review. Scope monitoring equipment, attendance and any alert service expressly; do not assume all are included.
Check the planning conditions, council requirements and any Section 61 consent. A typical timetable from another authority is not permission for this site to operate at those hours.
THE RIGHT METHOD FOR THE RIGHT QUESTION
Guidance, scope
and the local requirement.
We identify which guidance and requirements apply to your project. The assessment method, the planning decision and any other statutory process each have their own role.
BS 5228-1:2009+A1:2014 — noise
Guidance on construction and open-site noise control, prediction, measurement and assessment. The relevant method and criteria must be selected for the project.
BS 5228-2:2009+A1:2014 — vibration
Guidance on vibration from construction and open sites. Human response and potential building effects need to be considered separately.
Section 61 prior consent
A route under the Control of Pollution Act 1974 to seek the local authority’s prior consent for the proposed works. Agree the submission requirements and lead-in before starting.
Planning conditions and site plans
A construction environmental or noise-management plan may be required separately. A Section 61 submission does not itself discharge a planning condition or grant planning permission.
DEFINED DELIVERABLES
A working acoustic brief
for the delivery team.
We define whether you need an assessment report, Section 61 supporting information, a management plan or monitoring advice. These are related deliverables, with different purposes and responsibilities.
Works & programme
Assessed phases, methods, plant, hours and concurrent activity assumptions.
Receivers & baseline
Relevant neighbouring uses, locations and the baseline evidence required for the assessment.
Predictions & findings
Noise and vibration assessment methods, inputs, results, limitations and interpretation.
Control measures
Practical recommendations linked to the method, layout and programme.
Monitoring & response
Where included: locations, indicators, project criteria, validation, actions and reporting responsibilities.
Submission & next steps
The agreed council or project deliverable, outstanding information and any further review or verification.
ACP · TECHNICAL EXPERTISE
Acoustic knowledge.
Clear project advice.
ACP brings acoustics together with wider environmental expertise. We help project teams turn technical findings into practical decisions and a defined next step.
Our team includes Institute of Acoustics members. Qualifications across the team include the IOA Diploma in Acoustics and Noise Control, an MSc in Applied Acoustics and a PhD in Air Quality and Environmental Noise.
Understanding changing sound.
Ayan Chakravartty’s co-authored 2025 research examines motorway speed management and environmental noise using high-resolution monitoring.
That research sits alongside our project-specific assessment work. Your advice will address the actual source, site and decision.
Explore the published research →FEES & PROGRAMME
Understand the scope
before you commit.
Programme complexity, plant information, affected locations and the extent of prediction or monitoring determine the scope. We provide a project-specific fee and state the services included.
Send the information you have. A consultant can request the supporting plans, technical details and authority correspondence needed to confirm the deliverables and programme.
What shapes your quotation?
Assessment requirements
Number of phases, source information, receiver locations and baseline evidence.
Site and monitoring arrangements
Access, survey periods, equipment requirements and attended or unattended work where agreed.
Submission and ongoing support
Council liaison, revisions, event review and reporting frequency, each defined in the quotation.
ENGLAND · LOCAL PROJECT CONTEXT
Where is your project?
We discuss projects across England and confirm practical survey arrangements in the quotation. Select your region and tell us the site postcode.
SITE-SPECIFIC SCOPING
England — national guidance
Share the site postcode, council request and project stage. We establish the relevant authority and assessment requirements for the actual site.
Include the planning reference or council request where available. We review the requirements for the actual authority and project.
These are regional scoping selections, not separately researched council-policy pages or claims of local ACP offices.
Direct link to this selection →BEFORE YOU BOOK
Clear answers.
A better project brief.
Share the authority’s request if you are unsure what is required. We can help distinguish the assessment, design advice, monitoring or verification that your project needs.
What is a construction noise and vibration assessment?
It considers the effects of proposed construction activities at relevant neighbouring locations. The scope can include baseline evidence, predictions, vibration considerations and practical controls for the project’s phases.
Is BS 5228 the same as BS 4142?
No. BS 5228 addresses construction and open-site noise and vibration. BS 4142 addresses industrial and commercial sound in its own scope. We select the appropriate approach for the activity being assessed.
Do noise and vibration need separate monitors?
They use different sensors and indicators. The monitoring arrangement depends on the assessment purpose and receiver. A noise meter does not measure ground-borne vibration, and one location may not represent every receptor.
Does feeling vibration mean a building is being damaged?
Not necessarily. Human perception and disturbance are different from building-damage considerations. The vibration characteristics and building context need assessment; structural inspection or advice may also be appropriate.
What is a Section 61 application?
It is an application for prior consent under the Control of Pollution Act 1974 for the proposed works. Supporting information describes the works, methods and measures to minimise noise. The local authority determines the application and any conditions.
Is Section 61 consent required on every project?
It is not a universal requirement for every construction site. The appropriate route depends on the project and local authority requirements. Planning conditions and other controls still need to be addressed separately.
How early should we prepare a Section 61 submission?
Start before the works and discuss the council’s submission requirements early. Allow time for the technical evidence, method review and determination. Many authorities request at least 28 days before works; confirm the actual timetable with the relevant council.
Can monitoring stop complaints?
Monitoring can provide evidence, but it does not prevent disturbance by itself. Practical controls, communication and a defined response process are also needed. We do not promise that monitoring eliminates complaints.
Are remote alerts and 24-hour attendance included?
Only if they are expressly agreed in the scope. Equipment provision, alert arrangements, event review, response times and attendance are separate operational requirements and should be clearly specified.
What do you need to prepare a quotation?
Start with the site postcode, type of works, programme and council request. We can then request plant schedules, drawings, proposed methods and any existing assessments to define the required services.
LET’S SCOPE YOUR PROJECT
Tell us about the works and programme.
A short brief is enough to start.
Send the essentials
Your site postcode, proposal, timing and any council request.
Discuss the technical scope
A consultant can request drawings, existing reports and the project-specific information needed.
Receive a defined quotation
Understand the deliverables, fee, programme and any separately scoped work.
CONSTRUCTION NOISE & VIBRATION
Tell us what you need.
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Technical references
- BSI: BS 5228-1:2009+A1:2014
- BSI: BS 5228-2:2009+A1:2014
- Control of Pollution Act 1974: Section 61
- Control of Pollution Act 1974: Section 60
- England Planning Practice Guidance: Noise
- Manchester City Council: Section 61 guidance — an example of local procedure, not a national working-hours rule
- Chakravartty, Dissanayake and Bell (2025) — published acoustic research
Technical references reviewed 26 October 2026. Illustrations explain assessment concepts; they are not measured or predicted project results.