Case study of acoustic disturbances in pencil towers due to building movement

Abstract

Pencil structure high-rise residential towers are becoming increasingly prevalent in major city centers as the demand for housing increases in urban centers with limited available property for development. The narrow footprint of these structures, combined with the efforts to build subsequent structures higher than the last, lead to unique acoustic issues within these buildings, which impact the residents’ quality of life and affect the value of the properties. During periods of high, and even medium wind speeds, these structures deflect more than traditional skyscraper buildings and the resulting moment force on the internal building assemblies creates disturbing acoustic events that have been measured to be significantly higher than ambient sound levels in select octave bands. This paper presents two case studies in one such pencil structure building in New York City, from diagnosis, to proposed and implemented innovative acoustic treatments, to client satisfaction.