Brian Howe MEng, MBA, LLM, PEng Principal acoustical consultant
His experience in addressing structural, mechanical, and ground-borne vibration dates back to evaluating the vibration impacting the Imperial Oil Research Centre in Sarnia, Ontario during the twinning of the CN Rail tunnel under the St. Clair River. For that project, he designed a “room within a room” to isolate the structure of the research centre and mitigate the effects of ground-borne noise and vibration from rail passes in the tunnel below. Brian also designed a vibration isolation system to protect the sensitive interior studios and recording spaces at the CBC Broadcast Centre in downtown Toronto from rail traffic and a future subway line. And he mitigated the impact of structural vibration on long-span floor designs for the Canary Wharf project in London, UK, while addressing the impact of vibration from the Docklands Light Railway which passes through the base of an office tower.
Brian has performed vibration assessments for mines, power plants and steel mills—and designed vibration isolation solutions for highly sensitive equipment used in research and healthcare settings, e.g., Electron Microscopes and MRI and CT Scanners.
He is an internationally respected authority on wind turbine noise and its impact on neighbouring communities. He authored a report commissioned by the Ontario Ministry on the Environment: “Low Frequency Noise and Infrasound Associated with Wind Turbine Generator Systems: A Literature Review,” and was part of an expert panel assembled by the prestigious Council of Canadian Academies to examine wind turbine noise and human health.
Brian often provides expert witness testimony at Municipal Board hearings dealing with land use planning, and before the Environmental Review Tribunal for renewable energy approvals.