Atlas Copco Rental Brazil helps comply with sound restrictions by constructing silenced rooms

May 18, 2016

Antwerp, Belgium, May 18, 2016: In order to build a 394 kilometer pipeline in Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, a major contractor in the Oil & Gas sector needed a partner to help with air pigging and nitrogen purging. But that was not all: an extra requirement was the ability to handle the extreme ambient conditions as well as severe sound restrictions. Atlas Copco Rental Brazil took up the challenge.

Our customer was contracted to build a 24” pipeline to transport oil from an offshore section to an onshore terminal. In order to take on that project they went looking for a company to handle the air pigging and nitrogen tests, and respect the local legislation. In that specific case it was a real challenge due to the strict noise restrictions. Because the construction site was located only 35 meters away from a residential area, noise levels above 55 decibels were entirely prohibited. On top of that, the blistering sun and coastline environment needed to be accounted for.

The project required equipment able to provide 8000 cfm of compressed air for the production of nitrogen at 95% purity, at a maximum noise level of 50db by night and 55db by day. This specification demanded reliable equipment and a specially designed sound reducing construction. Additionally, there were a number of environmental restrictions to consider since the site was located along the coastline.

Silenced rooms Brazil 2016

PNS 1250 in the silenced room

After thorough discussions with all the parties and engineers involved, Atlas Copco Rental Brazil came up with the idea to install eight PNS 1250 air compressors in 2 groups of four units. Both groups would then be placed in two specially designed silenced rooms with attenuators and silencers.

The customer agreed, so Atlas Copco Rental Brazil supplied and installed:

  • 8 PNS 1250
  • 2 silenced rooms of 10 by 20 meters
  • 16 sound attenuators
  • 8 silencers
  • 2 manifolds
  • Hoses and accessories As soon as the installation was completed, the noise reduction measurements had to be tested by a specialized organization before the project could really start. Fortunately, Atlas Copco Rental Brazil did a good job and the pipeline construction was able to continue as planned.

  • The customer later stated that teaming up with Atlas Copco Rental was a well thought-out decision: “Not only would Atlas Copco Rental provided a design based on their total solution approach, we also knew the risk of breaking the law or causing harm to the environment would be reduced drastically by choosing them as a partner. Additionally, the 24/7 support and the availability of the fleet, made them stand out from the competition.

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    Atlas Copco is a world-leading provider of sustainable productivity solutions. The Group serves customers with innovative compressors, vacuum solutions and air treatment systems, construction and mining equipment, power tools and assembly systems. Atlas Copco develops products and service focused on productivity, energy efficiency, safety and ergonomics. The company was founded in 1873, is based in Stockholm, Sweden, and has a global reach spanning more than 180 countries. In 2015, Atlas Copco had revenues of BSEK 102 (BEUR 11) and more than 43 000 employees.

    Specialty Rental is a division within Atlas Copco’s Construction Technique business area. It serves customers in the industry segments around the world with temporary air, nitrogen, steam and power rental solutions. The specialty rental services are offered under several brands. The divisional headquarters is located in Houston, USA.