AVALUA applies over 25 years of experience in acoustic engineering to provide innovative solutions. Our founders are pioneers in the field, and our focus on continuous innovation has become part of our DNA.
Our leitmotif is to be an effective, efficient and useful tool for society. We strive to ensure activity, sustainable economic development, and the well-being of people and the environment.
AVALUA was constituted on April 23, 2004, and arises from the need to disassociate the inspection action of the engineering of Acústica Industrial de Tecnologies Mediambientals SL, in the desire to achieve the policy drawn up by the Management of the company to develop a work from the strict technical rigor with absolute impartiality and objectivity. Our system guarantees the last aspect, which is confirmed by ENAC accreditation and verified through periodic audits.
That is why from the first moment the objective is set to achieve the highest accreditation and recognition of technical competence. In this sense, we have been trailblazers in our natural geographical area, the Balearic Islands, and in other aspects in a state level.
This ENAC accreditation has allowed us to work for decades as accredited judicial experts in the field of noise pollution registered in the Superior Court of Justice of the Balearic Islands.
Our scope of action is statewide, achieving unique and highly complex goals. This fact has allowed us to open new challenges and in a globalized world, we also attend to unique international requests. Our accreditation has an international scope allowing us to aspire to achieve this objective.
As we are an entity accredited by ENAC in the Balearic Islands, both the regional and local administrations request the regulatory inspection of activities and infrastructures delegating the function of municipal inspection (art. 92.4 of Law 7/2013).
As a review to highlight, in 2010 we were selected, together with the UPC and Axioma, as the reference engineering companies by the Diputació de Barcelona, carrying out the evaluation of the acoustic easement of the road infrastructures of Barcelona and maps of Acoustic Capacity of different municipalities of Catalonia. In the Balearic Islands, we have made the main strategic noise maps (PRI Playa de Palma, Manacor, Felanitx) and other detailed maps, acoustic studies, and reference projects in the sector, as well as the drafting of municipal ordinances.
The activity of AVALUA, is not strictly limited to the development of its labor and commercial objective but aims to provide our society with solutions and approaches to avoid wasting the quality of life of people and the environment, as far as noise pollution affections are concerned. For all these reasons, it develops an intense public activity, totally disinterested from the economic aspect but with a high and rewarding social recognition due to its contribution to the improvement of the environment with the contribution of criteria and actions that promote acoustically sustainable development.
This development requires especially the transformation of production methods and consumption patterns, as well as the transformation of individual and social behavior patterns. Thus, acoustic sustainability would be part of a model of social development that seeks to raise awareness in society about the benefits of always opting for the article, attitude, habit, etc. with the least possible acoustic impact among the options available.
A large part of the solution to the problem involves social solidarity, the business effort for technological action, together with the political decision to promote and encourage the application of educational, technical, fiscal and legal measures.
Since our inception, we have collaborated altruistically and philanthropically with the Federation of Neighbourhood Associations of Palma and the Ombudsman of Palma City Council. Research, technical-scientific dissemination in the media, and teaching in various educational fields are fundamental tasks in our activities.
We provide training to our staff and external parties. Since 1999, we have been teaching at the University of the Balearic Islands in the Master of Quality and Business Management of the Environment of the Chair Sa Nostra – UNESCO. We also offer specific training courses in acoustics for vocational training teachers at the Department of Education and Culture of the Government of the Balearic Islands. Our continued relationship in this area dates back to our last intervention in 2018 at the Conference of the IES Politècnic de Palma, where we presented on the acoustic management of open spaces.
In the 2012 academic year, we provided training on analysing and evaluating noise pollution as part of the University Expert module in Climate Change, Air Pollution and Noise, which is included in the Master’s programme in Environmental Management and Engineering at UIB. Additionally, in 2010, we taught the acoustics course in the Master’s programme in Robotics at UIB.
We are part of the technical presentation established by the Department of Classified Activities and Shows of the Ministry of the Interior of the Government of the Balearic Islands. Our role is to analyze and regulate the methods and criteria for evaluating noise pollution in accordance with regional legislation.
We have continuously attended specific courses, conferences, and technical events at professional colleges such as the Official College of Industrial Engineers of the Balearic Islands, the College of Industrial Technical Engineers of the Balearic Islands, and the Official College of Surveyors and Technical Architects of Menorca.
In 2006, we were tasked with reviewing a draft of Law 1/2007 against noise pollution in the Balearic Islands within the parliamentary committee. The document had to be extensively modified to meet higher state requirements. Despite these changes, the legal document was approved with certain deficiencies that were intended to be rectified with the regulatory development of the Law. Currently, the regulation is still pending publication.
We believe that pedagogical dissemination is urgently necessary. To achieve this, we frequently participate in technical-scientific television programs like TV Mallorca, IB3, TVE, and 8TV. We also contribute as radio experts on environmental issues on Cadena SER – Mallorca and ONA Mallorca. Additionally, we regularly publish specialized articles in the written press, such as Diari de Balears, and participate in specialized internet forums.
In April 2009, we hosted a conference with the heads of the Department of Housing of the Balearic Islands, other administrations, banking entities, real estate developers, construction companies, and other involved sectors. The presentation analysed the costs of implementing the new Technical Building Code in comparison to the previous Basic Building Standard NBE CA 88. The presentation at the III Congress of Engineering and Catalan Culture focused on the best parameterized construction typology for Social Housing and its application in the DB-HR Basic Document for Protection against noise.
The author has participated in several conferences related to noise pollution management.
The author describes their participation in various conferences related to noise pollution management, including the Technology, Territory and Society conference held at the UIB.
On December 3-5, 2008, I spoke at the conference titled ‘The Need for Careful and Efficient Management Tools for Noise Pollution: Technical, Economic, and Social Consequences’ in Palma. On May 9, 2014, I participated as a speaker at the I Conference on Noise Awareness in Menorca, Mahón.
Additionally, I was a speaker and director of the work team in the pilot project ‘Sa Gerreria, Respect to Coexist: Transformation of Acoustic Habits’ at the Acusti.cat Congress of Acoustics of Catalonia on April 25-26, 2018.
The Ombudsman of Palma City Council has initiated a pilot project to improve the acoustic conditions in the historic district of Sa Gerreria. The project aims to ensure proper coexistence and cohabitation of different uses through careful diagnosis and continuous monitoring. The project also aims to democratize information and establish necessary mechanisms for the transformation and social integration of good acoustic habits.
