Brian Howe MEng, MBA, LLM, PEng Principal Acoustical Engineer
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.
- Areas of Acoustical Expertise
- Professional Accreditations & Committees
- Select Publications & Presentations
- Teaching
Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO), Designated Consulting Engineer
Acoustical Society of America (ASA)
Canadian Acoustical Association (CAA)
Canadian Standards Association (CSA), Chair, C2302.4, “Acoustic Noise Measurement of Wind Turbines”
Council of Canadian Academies’ Expert Panel on Wind Turbine Noise and Human Health (2014-2016)
Greater Toronto Airports Authority, Noise Management Committee, (1995-1998)
An Investigation into Short-Term Fluctuations in Amplitude Modulation of Wind Turbine Noise” Seventh International Meeting on Wind Turbine Noise, Rotterdam, Netherlands, May 2017
“Understanding the Evidence: Wind Turbine Noise. An Assessment by the Expert Panel on Wind Turbine Noise and Human Health”, Council of Canadian Academies, Ottawa, 2015
“Infrasonic Measurements, Pre- and Post-commissioning, Ontario Wind Farm” International Meeting on Low Frequency Noise and Vibration and its Control, Stratford upon Avon, UK, May, 2012
“Staircase Vibrations Due to Human Activity”, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Structures Congress, Las Vegas, April, 2011
“Low Frequency Noise and Infrasound Associated with Wind Turbine Generation Systems, A Literature Review”, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, December 10, 2010
“Recent Developments in Assessment Guidelines for Sound from Wind Power Projects”, Inter-Noise Conference, Ottawa, 2009
“Assessment Guidelines for Sound from Wind Power Projects in Ontario, Canada with a Comparison to Acoustic Audit Results”, International Meeting on Wind Turbine Noise, Aalborg, Denmark, June, 2009
“Recent Studies of Infrasound from Industrial Sources”, Canadian Acoustics, October, 2008
“Assessment of Environmental Noise and Infrasound, Pubnico Point Wind Farm, Nova Scotia”, International Meeting on Wind Turbine Noise, Lyon, France, September, 2007
“Environmental Noise and Infrasound Assessment – Best Practice Guidelines”, Canadian Wind Energy Association, Winnipeg, 2007
“Environmental Noise and Infrasound Assessment, Pubnico Point Wind Farm, Nova Scotia”, Canadian Wind Energy Association, Winnipeg, 2006
“Acoustical Pipe Lagging Systems Design”, Pipeline Research Committee International Conference, San Diego, CA, 1998
“Learning to Deal Effectively with Air Traffic Noise”, Ontario Planning Journal, May/June, 1998
“Engine Sound Quality in Sub-Compact Economy Vehicles: A Comparative Case Study”, Proceedings of the SAE Noise and Vibration Conference, Traverse City, MI, 1997
“Comparison of Computational Methods for Rectangular Silencer Insertion Loss Prediction”, Proceedings of the Canadian Acoustical Association, Toronto, 1993
“The Control of Noise Intrusions from Ground-Excitation for the CBC Broadcast Centre”, Proceedings of the Canadian Acoustical Association, Montreal, 1990
“Control of Building Vibration from Ground-Borne Excitation”, Proceedings of the Symposium on Serviceability of Building, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, 1988
1986 to 1993
Lecturer, Humber College: “Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning Technology”
1988 to 1990
Lecturer, Ontario Ministry of the Environment: “Noise Control in Land Use Planning”
2008, 2011, 2015
Lecturer, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Engineers’ Development Day