Bubble Curtain
Bubble Curtain Sounds
Description
Bubble curtains can be deployed to reduce or mitigate impacts from high noise levels produced by pile-driving. Air streaming from closely spaced release points creates a “wall” of bubbles around the pile. Because air and water have a substantial impedance mismatch, the bubble curtain acts as a reflector. The bubbles also resonate in response to sound and absorb sound energy. Up to a 30 dB reduction in sound has been measured when bubble curtains are deployed with pile driving.
Additional Links on DOSITS
Additional Resources
- Reyff, J. A. (2003). Underwater Sound Levels Associated with Construction of the Benicia-Martinez Bridge: Acoustical Evaluation of an Unconfined Air-Bubble Curtain System at Pier 13. Illingworth & Rodkin, Inc., Petaluma, California.
References
- Lucke, K., Lepper, P. A., Blanchet, M.-A., & Siebert, U. (2011). The use of an air bubble curtain to reduce the received sound levels for harbor porpoises ( Phocoena phocoena ). The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 130(5), 3406–3412. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.3626123
- Reyff, J. A. (2009). Reducing Underwater Sounds with Air Bubble Curtains. In TR News: May-June 2009 Transportation and the Environment: Mutual Enhancements. Transportation Research Board. https://doi.org/10.17226/22039
- Würsig, B., Greene, C. R., & Jefferson, T. A. (2000). Development of an air bubble curtain to reduce underwater noise of percussive piling. Marine Environmental Research, 49(1), 79–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0141-1136(99)00050-1