Distributors know and promise more pedagogy

Not so long ago, use of simple "earplugs" could you be a Martian. Now, "it sold 150 boxes a week", says this Parisian pharmacist. Yet quiet offices, it is more surprised to see colleagues Cap huge acoustic helmets to isolate themselves from others. And a little as if they permitted ceiling some riparian 500,000 French airports in chorus fishnets airlines seeking a respite to their eardrums.

Hunting the noise is open: "the ears don't have eyelids", said, and noise is needed as new evil of the century of rich countries. Polls show that they have become the black number beast one of the French, before air pollution and insecurity. Deafness became the fourth most common occupational disease, according to the World Health Organization, which alarm an "explosion of pathologies related to the noise". Already, efforts by the authorities have produced results Road, rail and air transportation, housing and public spaces, real progress has been made. A Caravel of the 1970s was so much noise that... 120 Airbus A320 today.

"It still change in a market dominated by the regulation," recognized Antoine Fabre, Delegate General of the Synamap, the Professional Union of prevention and protection. Standards European and national, coupled with the noise policy launched in 1992 under the Ministry of Ségolène Royal, "have been a huge the cultural revolution that we are living in acoustics, whose rapid development has now reached a point of no return", confirms Eric Gaucher, Executive Director of acoustics and Council. And public awareness gave rise to new requirements. "Little by little, noise levels have fallen, people are accustomed and auditory comfort required by the company level has become higher," explains Erwan Quesseveur, lecturer at the University of Rennes.

Growth driver

Suddenly, the noise control also became a private matter. And the industry has understood that there is a new market to take. "The growing level of intolerance leads people to spend more to protect themselves," said Alice Debonnet-Lambert, Director of the CIDB (Centre for information and documentation on the noise). "And, in this area, one cannot speak of the polluter-pays principle, but polluted-pays rule!", said Pascal Valentin, "Mr noise" to the Ministry of ecology.

The archibasique weapon in the fight against noise remains the ear plug. Long stationed in plants, it now has its place in sport stores, DIY, and is found in concert halls. Even the teenagers Barcelona revellers begin to go out in box equipped with small yellow "warheads"... "The public became aware of the risks of irreversible injury and playing comfort, it is the new" explains at 3 m, personal protection specialist. "The packagings are more attractive and even the technology evolves." "It launches a new product for the night, both less visible boxes, filter the sound, but allowing the human voice", it indicates in its competitor Sperian. More sophisticated: an application for the iPhone, called "WideNoise", exit at the beginning of the year, allows to measure the surrounding noise level and find quiet areas in the city where it is located...

But, in the era of cocooning, in habitat that demand is strongest. "As soon as upstream, the owners now combine the acousticians", explains Eric Gaucher. In the former, people take in hand. "It went from almost zero two years ago.". Today, turnover of our ray of acoustic insulation know growth rates in double digits. "It has become for us a vector of growth", said Frédérique Grigolato, head of group wood-built in Castorama. Among the flagship products of the Distributor, the Velux roof window which divides by two the sound of the rain and exclusivity, the Placophonique, an innovative plaster plate which reaches the same result. "Since its launch last July, sales have an explosion, although it is two times more expensive than a standard plate."

The appliance's prowess

Hunting the noise at any price can however lead to the contraflow. In Windows, is thus more easily confused isolations acoustic and thermal that this last "citizen" opens right to tax credit. It is the effect Grenelle of the environment. "Acoustics is the trailer in energy savings, but in urban areas, the trigger for changing Windows, it is the noise!" "But the products are not the same", explains Martine Ollivier, Saint-Gobain Glass solutions. Second pitfall: "this"leroy-merlinisation"of the noise can lead to acoustic"together"!", is a sound engineer. "By reducing outside noise, it removes the effect of"hiding"with interior noise in the building... is revealing in the end even more unbearable!", confirms Jean-Baptiste Chené, the CSTB (Centre scientifique et technique of the building). Distributors know and promise more pedagogy.

The large household appliance industry are them also prowess. Vacuum cleaners have a mute and the dishwasher are equipped with an indicator light to prove that they are well underway! "Were placed the noise on the same plane as the savings of energy and water," explains to the Gifam, the Professional Union of the branch. In the meantime, here two years, the entry into force of a signage similar to that of the savings under the impetus of Brussels, distributors such as Auchan or Darty advance already low sound levels as a selling point.

Large emitters of noise pollution, transport are also of the efforts. A European program, Renault Trucks has already tested in Barcelona and Lyon a "silent" truck to deliver the night. Effort for the passenger compartment of vehicles: "acoustics is the provision which has the most made progress on the latest generation of cars.". "All models launched three years were marked on this point a real break from previous generations", said Stéphane Rigaud, head of product for Peugeot. Absorbent materials, glass laminated, but also limitation of the sound of the engine, gear, suspension, tyres are thus the last 308 CC a global war against noise machine.

Same concern to SNCF. Is there much worked on the interior design of the trains, but "control noise pass mainly by its source, is Franck Poisson, the management and innovation.". The research is to push manufacturers to go beyond the standards imposed, to develop quieter trains which would allow us to pay the cheaper to RFF subject to the Act on the noise of 1999 that protects the residents. "The passengers also benefit...

Researchers unite

We can't imagine the number of researchers and engineers who work to reduce noise in France and in the world, and their sometimes spectacular finds are already or will soon be in our daily lives. Precursor in this field, the CNRS was very early believed in a "whimsical equation": sound noise silence. Downright magical: "sensors and calculators, it is in the direction of the noise embarrassing rigorously identical noise." "Changes in pressure will cancel and the sound disappears," explains Alain Roure of the acoustic laboratory of Marseille. Applications are amazing (read box). Other projects are emerging, as this silent flying wing which work at Cambridge University and the MIT in Boston. In France, the appeal to the people is permanent: every year, the national noise Council organizes in June the decibels of gold, rewarding innovative solutions against all forms of racket. Notice to fans.