Tech Talk
Mr. Mullins is an experienced speaker, and routinely makes presentations about acoustics and noise control at professional society meetings and design firms. He has made many technical presentations to building officials, architects, facilities departments, project managers, and school districts. He has also provided expert testimony for litigation and to numerous city councils, planning & zoning commissions, and at other public hearings. Audiences have included:
American
Institute of Architects, various chapter meetings & state conferences
Alaska Governor's Safety and Health Conference
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Anchorage and other chapters
ASHRAE Anchorage Chapter, Boise Chapter,
Sacramento Chapter
ASHRAE-IAPMO joint meeting
ICBO
chapter meetings
American Society of Interior Designers (ASID)
Council for Education Facilities Planners
(CEFPI)
American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS)
Institute of Noise Control Engineers (INCE)
conferences
Construction
Specifications Institute, various chapters and regional meetings
NEBB
National Conference
He has written several
papers and articles for trade journals and conference proceedings, including
the ICBO magazine, the CSI magazine, and others.
The two standard programs are described as
follows:
Practical Noise Control - Avoiding the Sound Traps
Earl Mullins, PE will talk about the practical aspects of noise
control. Learn about commonly tried sound reduction techniques that
accomplish little or nothing. You will be able to apply information from
this talk to your current work. Feel free to bring specific questions
about a current noise problem or project.
We start with the "how" and "why" of sound
production and sound transmission, then cover the basic principles of noise control,
and explain some of the industry jargon. We usually finish with case
studies of some real-world projects, describing the noise control solutions
that were used. A period for Q&A is
reserved to clarify any questions.
Tidbits
for Architectural and Mechanical Designers
This tech talk takes a list of specific
“tidbits” of information and debunks some of the mythology around
acoustics for construction and design.
For example, we discuss why resilient channels often do not work well to
improve sound separation between spaces.
For mechanical designers, discover why fiberglass “flex”
duct is not useful for HVAC noise control.
There are two separate sections, one targeting architects and designers,
and the second focusing on HVAC designers.
(Both disciplines will benefit from information in each presentation).
These are technical presentations about noise control, not a sales pitch for any particular product. You will leave with a better understanding of noise control principles and practices that are directly applicable to your immediate needs, and hopefully also gain enough knowledge to avoid making the most common design and construction errors. There is great value in simply knowing when to ask questions about noise. The program always includes a few minutes at the end for Q & A. Program length can be adjusted to fit your needs, but typically runs 55-60 minutes. Plan on a 30 minute minimum to make it worthwhile.
If a certain technical focus is desired, special topics can be covered in detail. Focused presentations have covered residential plumbing noise, environmental noise assessment, HVAC & machinery noise and vibration control, room acoustics and audio design, active noise cancellation, hearing protection, OSHA workplace noise requirements, sound requirements in the building codes, shooting range design, noise ordinance interpretation, etc.
If you would like to schedule a speaking
engagement, please call 208-514-6264.