ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS Noise measurement and noise reduction

A-weighted SPL or loudness calculation?

For many types of noise it has been found in practice that a simple measurement of dB(A) using a sound level meter correlates well with the more complicated calculation of loudness from a frequency analysis. For this reason dB(A) measurements are widely used in reporting noise measurements. For aircraft noise the alternative D-weighting, which gives greated emphasis to higher frequencies, is usually employed.

Figure 1: A, B, C and D weighting curves

Equivalent average sound level Leq

Noise evaluation is often carried out over an extended period, during which the noise level can vary between wide limits. The equivalent sound level Leq is dened by

Leq

t1

where T t2 t1 is the measurement time. Leq is the constant sound level which would give the listener the same noise dose (of sound energy) as the actual sound over the measurement time. Frequently the time-varying sound pressure p t is ltered in accordance with the A-weighting curve. The equivalent sound level is then described as LAeq .

1 10 log T

t2

p2 t dt p2 0

(1)

Recommended background noise levels

Noise rating curves

An alternative approach to evaluating the disturbing effect of background noise is through the use of Noise Rating (NR) curves, based on unweighted sound level measurements in octave frequency bands.

Figure 2: A, B, C and D weighting curves

Domestic bedroom: Domestic living room: Other domestic rooms: Small private ofce: Open plan ofce:

LAeq LAeq LAeq LAeq LAeq

35 dB (23.00-07.00) 40 dB (07.00-23.00) 50 dB (07.00-23.00) 40 45 dB 45 50 dB

Loud sounds and ear damage

Exposure to loud sound for prolonged periods can lead to a shift in the threshold of hearing. Temporary Threshold Shift (TTS) describes an elevation of the threshold of audibility which only lasts for a short time. Permanent Threshold Shift is a reduction in hearing sensitivity which corresponds to permanent damage to the ear. The gure below (from Campbell and Greated, The Musicians Guide to Acoustics ), shows how the Temporary Threshold Shift resulting from a loud rock concert gradually reduces over a period of several hours.

The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 dene an upper action level of noise exposure at work in terms of an LAeq of 85 dB averaged over an 8 hour working day. Higher levels can be tolerated for shorter periods, as long as the total noise exposure (intensity integrated over the period of exposure) does not exceed the noise exposure corresponding to L Aeq 85 dB. This implies a halving of the exposure time for each increase of 3 dB in the LAeq .

Noise reduction
Unwanted noise can travel through a building as mechanical vibrations of the stucture or as airborne sound. Stuctural vibrations (e.g. the sound of footsteps in a neighbouring room) can be reduced by minimising the rigid paths connecting the source of sound to the walls of the room. To reduce the transmission of airborne sound it is necessary to consider the sound transmitting properties of the partition walls, and the areas of windows and other openings. The sound reducing ability of a partition wall depends primarily on its mass per unit area. The Sound Reduction Index SRI or Transmission Loss T L of a partition measures the number of decibels lost when a sound of a given frequency is transmitted through the partition. The Weighted Sound Reduction Index Rw or Sound Transmission Class STC is a single number derived from transmission loss curves, giving a measure of the average sound reduction at mid frequencies.

There is a general rule called the mass law, which predicts the approximate sound reduction in a panel of mass per unit area m kg m 2 at frequency f Hz:

SRI

20 log f m

47dB

This implies that doubling the mass per unit area of a partition increases the transmission loss by 6 dB; in practice between 4 and 5 dB is more realistic. A double leaf wall can provide much higher sound insulation for a given total mass, as long as the two partitions are well isolated. Great care must be taken to avoid even small air gaps, for example under skirting boards.