How to solve the problem of noise from the road first and then the house? Ventilated soundproof windows give you the answer!

On June 13th, Nandu reported on the noise nuisance posed by Shenzhen's elevated subway, sparking widespread public outcry. The report quickly generated strong reactions in major homeowner groups and on social media platforms, reaching over 100,000 views across Nandu's platforms and receiving countless comments and forwarding, becoming a hotly debated topic. On July 2nd, the 39th session of the Standing Committee of the Seventh Shenzhen Municipal People's Congress held a special inquiry into Shenzhen's noise pollution prevention and control efforts. Han Liqing, Director of the Shenzhen Municipal Transportation Bureau, and Huang Liping, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and General Manager of Shenzhen Metro Group Co., Ltd., answered questions from members of the Standing Committee on how to reduce noise in a situation where the subway comes before the buildings.

What measures should be taken to address the situation where roads are built before houses?

37km of elevated lines in sensitive areas have reduced operating speeds

At the inquiry meeting, Yang Yunbiao, director of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee Representative Working Committee, asked whether the Transportation Bureau and the Metro Group had also taken some measures to reduce residents' complaints and maintain social stability when the subway was built before the houses.

In response to this, Han Liqing, Director of the Shenzhen Municipal Transportation Bureau, responded on the spot, "We haven't completely shifted the blame onto the developers and local governments. Based on the legal principle that 'later construction follows earlier construction,' we have worked with the subway group to implement comprehensive measures to the greatest extent possible to reduce noise. We are also actively coordinating with the district government and relevant developers to reduce noise by adding soundproof windows and fresh air systems."

Huang Liping, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and General Manager of Shenzhen Metro Group Co., Ltd., also admitted that rail transit noise pollution primarily comes from the impact noise generated by wheels running on the tracks on earlier elevated lines, primarily Line 4 and Line 5 Phases 1 and 2. In 2024, approximately 7,000 employees worked from midnight to early morning daily to maintain normal network operations, including repairs and maintenance. A total of 87 kilometers of rails were polished and nearly 18 kilometers of rails were oiled. 37 kilometers of elevated lines in sensitive areas were also subject to speed reduction measures. Starting with Phase 3, Phase 2, virtually all lines were converted underground.

How to solve the problem of noise “meeting standards but still disturbing residents”?

We will work on developing standards that are more in line with local realities

At the inquiry, a NPC representative pointed out that there is still a certain discrepancy between the noise assessment method and the subjective perception of the public. Is this because the relevant standards are flawed? How will the Ecological Environment Bureau solve this problem?

Li Shuisheng, director of the Shenzhen Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau, said that the phenomenon of "noise meeting standards but still disturbing residents" is relatively common. This is mainly because the impact of noise on people is highly subjective, and the current monitoring method requires continuous measurement for 20 minutes and taking the average value. Even if the final result meets the standard, if a sudden high-intensity noise occurs at a certain moment (such as a loud "bang"), it is enough to wake up residents. The limitations of this monitoring method also bring practical difficulties to noise management. To this end, the Ecological Environment Bureau is taking two measures: First, based on actual conditions, it is starting to formulate standards that are more in line with local realities. Second, in terms of monitoring, the "annoyance" of noise will be included in the monitoring scope based on specific circumstances. In this process, special evaluations will be conducted on those sharp and particularly loud sudden noises to more comprehensively assess whether the noise conditions in the area are reasonable.

The above content is quoted from: Southern Metropolis Daily

The problem of traffic noise nuisance from elevated roads, subways, rails, etc. is not only found in Shenzhen. Basically, every city has traffic noise nuisance. Although common control measures can make the noise value meet the standard, the impact of noise on people is highly subjective. Meeting the noise value standard does not mean that the noise does not nuisance people. To reduce the impact of noise on people, it is not enough to control it from the source alone. An additional line of defense is needed. Ventilated soundproof windows are this line of defense, which can effectively solve the problem that traditional soundproof windows do not soundproof when opened and do not ventilate when closed.