Acoustics consultancy adds to RSK's expanding Australian environmental services

RSK Group has further enhanced its environmental consultancy services in Australia with the acquisition of Renzo Tonin & Associates (RTA), a leading noise, vibration and structural dynamics consultancy.

RTA provides a full range of acoustic services to support architects, engineers, planners, environmental consultants, developers and builders across a diverse range of projects. Established in Sydney in 1982, the firm has offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in Australia, as well as in Kuwait and Singapore.

The company’s technical expertise covers major infrastructure, environmental noise and vibration, architectural and building acoustics, expert evidence legal cases and work health and safety.

Clients include CPB Contractors, John Holland, Landcom, Lendlease, Meriton, Mirvac, Qube, Sydney Airport, Sydney Trains, Transport for NSW and UGL, and its recent projects include the following.

• Sydney Airport, New South Wales – 3D noise modelling and creation of a Gatewave model of ground-based operations to allow airport staff to run various operational and weather scenarios to determine impacts and assist with scheduling and planning
• WestConnex and Rozelle Interchange, New South Wales – detail design and construction acoustic services for multiple critical road infrastructure projects in Sydney
• Sydney Metro, New South Wales, and Cross River Rail, Queensland – multiple projects and packages comprising detail design, construction and commissioning phase acoustic services, including rail noise and vibration modelling; trackform design for ground-borne noise; in-car acoustics; tunnel acoustic treatments; station platform and concourse acoustics; mechanical services noise controls; internal and external station acoustic modelling and design; and noise and vibration predictions and monitoring services during construction phase
• One Sydney Harbour Towers 1 and 2, Barangaroo, New South Wales – complete acoustic services for multiple tower buildings in a newly developed area in the heart of Sydney, an extremely high-end residential development with complex curtain wall/façade acoustic issues
• Cairns Hospital expansion, Princess Alexandra Hospital expansion, Logan Hospital expansion, Hervey Bay Hospital, Mackay Base Hospital, Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital, Brisbane Private Hospital and Gold Coast University Private Hospital, Queensland – complete acoustic services, from assessment to detail design and compliance testing of hospital facilities
• Forbes, Narrabri, Maxwell Downs, Merino and Middlebrook solar farms/battery storage facilities, New South Wales – environmental noise and vibration impact modelling and assessments for operational and construction phases

RSK Group Board Member and Divisional Director for RSK Australia Mark Haydock said: “RSK has steadily expanded its environmental consultancy services in Australia to provide clients with integrated, multidisciplinary support for major projects. This approach reflects our commitment to helping build a more resilient, future-ready Australia and is evident in our continued growth and investment across the region.

“We look forward to welcoming RTA to our group of Australian businesses, which includes edge impact, ADENCO, Binnies Australia, EDP Australia, Extent Heritage, Pensar, Projence and SJA. Together, we continue to expand our integrated consultancy and engineering services to support complex projects that advance Australia’s environmental and resilience objectives. Acoustic expertise is a critical requirement on many key contracts, and RTA’s capabilities will further strengthen the value we bring to future opportunities.”

RTA Managing Director Peter Karantonis, who will continue to lead the business, said: “Over the last decade or so, RTA would typically be approached by one to two companies each year interested in acquiring and absorbing our business into theirs. Each time we have said no. This is because we do not wish to lose our identity, our culture, our brand and the way we operate. We chose RSK because it will allow our business to grow and develop more than would have been possible alone, while retaining our team, brand, values, strategy and culture and benefiting from RSK’s support and reputation.

“Like RSK, RTA is a business focused on client satisfaction and expansion. Joining RSK gives us a strong platform to expand from and the opportunity to work with a range of strategically important businesses. We look forward to continuing our strong growth trajectory from this impressive support base, which also supports our ambition to develop our software offerings, such as Gatewave, a project-specific construction noise and vibration management tool, and instruments, such as our Road Noise Data Acquirer (RONDA), designed to fill an unmet need in the measurement of road pavement noise.”