Robert D. Bruce, P.E., INCE.Bd.Cert.
Arno S. Bommer, INCE.Bd.Cert.
Bob Bruce specializes in the solution of acoustical problems. He has investigated occupational noise exposures, hearing loss, structural fatigue, community annoyance, and vibration problems.
Bob has solved noise problems in the following industries: aerospace, automobile, chemical, cogeneration, food, gas compression, lumber, metals, oil, plastics, power, rubber, and textile.
Bob has analyzed noise problems from aircraft, airports, missiles, highways, rapid transit systems, railroads, racecars, and hovercraft.
He has designed acoustical treatments for concert halls, churches, hospitals, office buildings, recreational centers, shopping malls, and university buildings
For more than 40 years and on thousands of projects, Bob has shared with his clients and colleagues his knowledge of acoustical measurements, noise control, vibration, and building acoustics.
He has written chapters on measurements and control techniques for sound and vibration in 11 books and has published over 40 technical papers related to building acoustics, environmental noise, and industrial noise and vibration.
Since 1982, Arno Bommer has worked on acoustical projects ranging from offshore platform noise control to National Park sound surveys to church acoustics. He has worked in both the planning stage, when problems must be anticipated and avoided, and after completion, when existing problems need to be treated.
In the field of industrial noise and vibration control, Arno has worked on cogeneration plants, petrochemical plants, compressor stations, materials processing plants, and aircraft manufacturing facilities. These projects have involved reducing in-plant and community noise levels. On turn-key noise control projects, Arno designed noise control treatments, took his plans to bid, and supervised installation of treatments.
Arno has investigated transportation noise from aircraft, automobiles, boats, buses, dredges, forklifts, front-end loaders, hovercraft, racecars, trains, and trucks. He has also investigated vibration from railroads and pile driving.
For offices and residential buildings, Arno has designed walls and ceilings to improve noise isolation and/or speech privacy. He has designed noise control treatments for mechanical equipment including computers, transformers, elevators, HVAC systems, chillers, compressors, pumps, and cooling towers.
In the field of room acoustics, Arno has specified room shaping and surface materials to improve speech intelligibility and music presentation in churches, theaters, conference rooms, museums, and auditoria.
Arno has written and used computer models to analyze sound propagation and to determine the effectiveness of proposed noise control treatments.
In cases involving litigation, Arno has collected and analyzed noise data, investigated noise requirements, written reports, and served as an expert witness.
Education, Professional Registration, and Societies
BS, Lamar University
SM, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
EE (Engineer's Degree), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
PE, State of Texas #76351
Board Certified in Noise Control Engineering by the Institute of Noise Control Engineering (INCE)
President of INCE, 1986
Fellow, Acoustical Society of America
Who's Who in Science and Engineering
Who's Who in Industrial Hygiene Guest Lecturer at MIT, Emerson College, University of Michigan, Northeastern University, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Past Chairman, Boston Chapter of Acoustical Society of America
Past Chairman, Houston Chapter of Acoustical Society of America
EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION, AND SOCIETIES
BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Board Certified in Noise Control Engineering by the Institute of Noise Control Engineering (INCE)
Vice President of INCE, 1998
Member, Acoustical Society of America
Past Chairman, Houston Chapter of Acoustical Society of America
Past President, MIT Alumni Club of South Texas