An alleged homicide recently happened in Kaohsiung, apparently over a noise dispute. While it is common that neighbors see each other in court over noise complaints, it is shocking that such a dispute led to a fatal stabbing.
Noises not only irritate people, but also disrupt the harmonious relationship between neighbors. Whether a neighbor behaves properly is an ethical issue, and it is only by chance that one might have an ethical neighbor living upstairs or next door. To prevent an unfortunate homicide from happening again, a fundamental solution should be sought at technical and legal levels.
There are two kinds of noise. One is transmitted by sound waves and the other through vibrations. The former is easier to deal with. The noise levels of external sounds can be reduced by using acoustic panels: To prevent the sounds inside the house from influencing others, people can use acoustic absorbers.
Noise transmitted through vibrations is more difficult to deal with. People have to rely on buffers for noise control. When building an apartment, if those buffers are not installed for individual walls and floor slabs, it takes more effort to control noise afterward.
Moreover, the installation of buffers involves upstairs and downstairs neighbors, and certainly not everyone would be happy with the construction.
After the Ministry of the Interior’s Construction and Planning Agency revised the Building Technical Regulations (建築技術規則), Article 46-6 specifies that soundproofing materials should be installed for each individual wall and floor slab. The regulations defining what kind of materials should be used, how thick the acoustic panels should be and the noise level index are already in place.
However, even after years of going back and forth, no one can agree on how the rules should be enforced. Some corporations were against the changes, as they did not want their costs to increase, nor did they want the space of each floor to be reduced.
As a result, it was not until January 2021 that the amended regulations came into force. If the regulations could have been implemented sooner, thousands of new buildings would have been designed better in terms of noise control. Noise disputes involving neighbors would have been avoided as well.
Even so, construction companies nowadays might not follow the regulations, and the acoustic panels and soundproofing buffers they use might not abide by the law.
There is no investigative mechanism to check all the buildings, and when people want to buy a house, they tend to look at its appearance and interior layout. Most people do not know much about noise control. More often than not, people only find out about the noise levels after they have moved in, and even if they want to install more noise-control buffers, it is too late.
Officials and agencies must carry out professional, strict inspections before a construction project is under way. The interests of consumers should be safeguarded, to prevent another homicide.
Besides, if construction companies used more green materials for noise control, consumers would definitely favor their buildings.
Chen Wen-ching works in environmental services.
Translated by Emma Liu
Trying to force a partnership between Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and Intel Corp would be a wildly complex ordeal. Already, the reported request from the Trump administration for TSMC to take a controlling stake in Intel’s US factories is facing valid questions about feasibility from all sides. Washington would likely not support a foreign company operating Intel’s domestic factories, Reuters reported — just look at how that is going over in the steel sector. Meanwhile, many in Taiwan are concerned about the company being forced to transfer its bleeding-edge tech capabilities and give up its strategic advantage. This is especially
US President Donald Trump’s second administration has gotten off to a fast start with a blizzard of initiatives focused on domestic commitments made during his campaign. His tariff-based approach to re-ordering global trade in a manner more favorable to the United States appears to be in its infancy, but the significant scale and scope are undeniable. That said, while China looms largest on the list of national security challenges, to date we have heard little from the administration, bar the 10 percent tariffs directed at China, on specific priorities vis-a-vis China. The Congressional hearings for President Trump’s cabinet have, so far,
US political scientist Francis Fukuyama, during an interview with the UK’s Times Radio, reacted to US President Donald Trump’s overturning of decades of US foreign policy by saying that “the chance for serious instability is very great.” That is something of an understatement. Fukuyama said that Trump’s apparent moves to expand US territory and that he “seems to be actively siding with” authoritarian states is concerning, not just for Europe, but also for Taiwan. He said that “if I were China I would see this as a golden opportunity” to annex Taiwan, and that every European country needs to think
For years, the use of insecure smart home appliances and other Internet-connected devices has resulted in personal data leaks. Many smart devices require users’ location, contact details or access to cameras and microphones to set up, which expose people’s personal information, but are unnecessary to use the product. As a result, data breaches and security incidents continue to emerge worldwide through smartphone apps, smart speakers, TVs, air fryers and robot vacuums. Last week, another major data breach was added to the list: Mars Hydro, a Chinese company that makes Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as LED grow lights and the
RSS