SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, May 15, 2012 – 18,000 square feet of QuietFiber® noise absorbing material has been installed at the Galleria 360 mall in Santo Domingo.  This went in the massive generator room of the newly constructed, 750,000 square foot, facility.

The Problem

Industrial noise pollution from back-up generators is a growing problem in the Dominican Republic. This coastal area of the Caribbean is plagued by frequent power outages. One generator designer installed QuietFiber on the ceiling and walls of the generator and substation rooms. These rooms house the industrial emergency generators. They are a staple in this island republic and a necessity to keep power running.

Finding The Solution

Edelca owner Carlos Montas, consulted with an Acoustiblok rep who recommended QuietFiber for the project. They achieved excellent results with QuietFiber on a similar project at the La Sirena Superstore.

“QuietFiber is not inexpensive, but I keep coming back to it because the results beat all the competitors. Acoustiblok’s noise deadening products have double the noise insulating qualities,” Montas said. “The customer on this job wanted to install a double layer of a different product, but I convinced him to try the QuietFiber.

“I’ve been designing and installing these emergency generators for 20 years. I have never had the results from other noise abatement products that I have with QuietFiber, and now I’m trying to use it everywhere.”

“Noise from these industrial generators is a major problem and it plagues both businesses and residential property owners. The noise levels are almost unbearable, and the constant drone can cause permanent hearing loss. You need to have an adequate level of soundproofing in place when they are running, so I always install noise absorbing material wherever I install my generators.

QuietFiber is the best soundproofing product we’ve ever used. The sound deadening qualities of QuietFiber will help to protect the mall’s employees, and streams of tourists and local residents from the high volume industrial noise caused by the generators when they are operating.

Fire resistance is another important consideration in the selection of soundproofing material. Recently in Santo Domingo, a serious fire started in a generator room.  The foam soundproofing material they used was a prime contributor, leading Montas to search for a new solution. QuietFiber is fire resistant even at 2,000 degrees.

The Result

Montas and his crew were able to easily cut the QuietFiber to fit around electric conduits, and secured the material to the walls and ceiling with standard insulation stick pins.

Per Acoustiblok’s owner, Lahnie Johnson:

“QuietFiber was designed with this type of hot, humid environment in mind. When you’re addressing solid surface noise issues, you need a product with proven maximum sound absorption, high temperature rating for fire blocking, and hydrophobic properties,”