Lecture 5 Noise assessment and control

Session objectives

• Understand noise control requirements and assessment

approaches
• Quantify noise levels
• Understand strategies to reduce the impact of external noise
Impact of noise
• Noise is an underestimated threat that can cause a number of
short- and long-term health problems, e.g. sleep disturbance,
cardiovascular effects, poorer work and school performance,
hearing impairment.
• Noise has emerged as a leading environmental nuisance in the
WHO European Region.
Noise Decibels Impact
Passing traffic 50 6,500 deaths a year from heart attack
and stroke
Traffic & music 80 140,000 cases of tinnitus
Loud music 105 Loss of hearing in almost 2 percent of
school children
Planes & trains 150 Slower learning
(WHO statistics)
 Noise in workplaces
• Exposure to high noise levels can cause hearing damage –
permanent or temporary.
• Recognised since 1890’s but not in legislation until 1960’s.
• Currently the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (the
Noise Regulations) effective from April 2006.
• Recognise that hearing is affected by total sound energy and
short periods of intense noise.

• Duty of care on employers:

 Carry out sufficient risk assessment.
 Consider exposure with different work practices.
 Control when noise levels exceed certain limits.
 Monitor - noise and people.

* Further details available from Health and Safety Executive (www.hse.gov.uk)

Noise assessment
• Where noise is at high levels posing a risk
• Carried out by trained assessor.
• Measure in workplace and through personal monitoring.
• Measure for all activities – may have to “simulate” certain
conditions.

• Identify mitigation:
 Personal protection
 Control of processes
 Acoustic containment
Equivalent continuous sound pressure level
• 𝐿𝑒𝑞 is an imaginary constant that will produce the same energy
as the fluctuating sound level over a given time interval.
Measurement
• Fluctuating sound expressed as an equivalent average over time:
𝑇
1
𝐿𝐴𝑒𝑞 = 10 log 100.1𝐿 𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑇 𝑡=0

• Use to determine exposure and limits

• Difference method allows calculation for N equal time periods
with a sound pressure 𝐿𝑖

𝑁 𝑁
1 1
𝐿𝐴𝑒𝑞 = 10 log 100.1𝐿𝑖 Δ𝑡 = 10 log 100.1𝐿𝑖
𝑁Δ𝑡 𝑁
𝑖=1 𝑖=1
Example 5.1 𝐿𝐴𝑒𝑞 calculation
• Over an 8 hour working day, a sound level of 50dB is recorded for
6 hours and a sound level of 85 dB is recorded for 2 hours while
machinery is operating.
• Calculate an equivalent sound level for this period.
Example 5.1 𝐿𝐴𝑒𝑞 calculation
• Over an 8 hour working day, a sound level of 50dB is recorded for
6 hours and a sound level of 85 dB is recorded for 2 hours while
machinery is operating.
• Calculate an equivalent sound level for this period.

𝑁
1
𝐿𝐴𝑒𝑞 = 10 log 100.1𝐿𝑖 Δ𝑡
𝑁Δ𝑡
𝑖=1

100.1×50 × 6 + 100.1×85 × 2
= 10 log
8

6.33 × 108
= 10 log
8
= 10 log 7.912 × 107 = 78.99 𝑑𝐵
Percentile levels (statistical noise level)
• 𝐿𝑛 is the noise level exceeded for n% of the measurement time,
e.g. 𝐿50 = 78 dB (𝑥 hours)
• 𝐿10 − 𝐿90 is often used to give a quantitative measure as to the
spread of sound.
Percentile levels
• 𝐿𝐴10,𝑇 is the dBA-weighted sound pressure level that is exceeded
for 10% of a measurement period T
– used for peak measurements
• 𝐿𝐴90,𝑇 is the dBA-weighted sound pressure level that is exceeded
for 90% of a measurement period T.
– used for background measurements
Exposure levels
• The action level is used to indicate the noise exposure level at which
employers are required to take certain steps to reduce the harmful effects of
noise on hearing.

• Daily personal exposure – a measure of cumulative noise over

8 hour working day
Lower exposure action level: LAEP,d = 80 dB (advisory)
Upper exposure action level: LAEP,d = 85 dB (compulsory)
Exposure limit value: LAEP,d = 87 dB (must not be exceeded)
• Impulse noise – a measure of peak values of exposure
Lower peak action level: LCpeak = 135 dB
Upper peak action level: LCpeak = 137 dB
Peak limit value: LCpeak = 140 dB
Noise Assessment in G.08 (Casting shop)
Enclosure at source
• Method of minimising sound transmission at source, usually for
particular items of machinery.
• Need to determine sound pressure level without (LP1) and with
enclosure (LP2)

Enclosure

Source of sound
Enclosure at source

𝐿𝑝1 − 𝐿𝑝2 = 𝑆𝑅𝐼 − 10 log 𝑆𝐸 + 10 log 𝐴𝐸

In the derivation (not required) approximations used

SRI = sound reduction index for enclosure
SE = surface area of enclosure (m2)
AE = total absorption of enclosure and its content

𝐴𝐸 = 𝑆𝑇 𝛼 = 𝑆𝐴𝑒 𝛼𝐴𝑒

SE ST
Example 5.2 Enclosure
• A compressor with dimensions 1 x 2 x 1m high is located on
a concrete floor in a factory. It is to be encased in an
enclosure having dimensions 2 x 3 x 2m high. The measured
SPL in the space is 80 dB before enclosure and 45 dB after.

• What is the SRI of the enclosure?

Assume 𝛼𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑒 = 0.02 𝛼𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑟 = 0.02

𝛼𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 = 0.75
Example 5.2 Enclosure
• A compressor with dimensions 1 x 2 x 1m high is located on a concrete
floor in a factory. It is to be encased in an enclosure having dimensions
2 x 3 x 2m high. The measured SPL in the space is 80 dB before
enclosure and 45 dB after.
• What is the SRI of the enclosure?
Assume 𝛼𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑒 = 𝛼𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑟 = 0.02 𝛼𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 = 0.75

Internal surface area of enclosure = 26 m2

Surface area of compressor = 8 m2
Exposed concrete floor area = 4 m2
Total internal surface area = 38 m2

𝐴𝐸 = 𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐 𝛼𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐 + 𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝 𝛼𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝 + 𝑆𝑒𝑛𝑐 𝛼𝑒𝑛𝑐

= 4 × 0.02 + 8 × 0.02 + 26 × 0.75 = 19.74 (𝑠𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠)

𝐿𝑃1 − 𝐿𝑃2 = 𝑆𝑅𝐼 − 10 log 𝑆𝐸 + 10 log 𝐴𝐸

80 − 45 = 𝑆𝑅𝐼 − 10 log 26 + 10 log 19.74 𝑆𝑅𝐼 = 36.15 𝑑𝐵
Traffic noise
• Continuous traffic noise along a road considered as a line source noise:

𝐿𝑝 = 𝐿𝑊𝑢 − 10 log 𝑟 − 5
𝐿𝑊𝑢 is the sound power level per unit length of line source

• Consider two points A and B at distances rA and rB from the same line source
𝑟𝐴
𝐿𝑝𝐴 − 𝐿𝑝𝐵 = 10 log
𝑟𝐵

• For a line source, doubling the distance from the source results in a 3 dB
reduction in SPL.
• For a point source, doubling the distance results in a 6 dB reduction
𝐿10 (18 hour) dB(A) Values
• Used to quantify fluctuating traffic noise. Measured at 1m from façade of a
dwelling,
• 𝐿10 is the noise level exceeded for 10% of the measurement time,
• 𝐿10 (18 hour) is an arithmetic average of the hourly 𝐿10 value taken over an
18 hour period from 0600 to 2400 hrs
• Used in legislation. If 𝐿10 (18 hour) > 68 dB(A), residents may be eligible for
a grant for double glazing, etc.

• Often impractical to take 18 hours worth of data.

• Good approximation over a shorter period of time using:

𝐿10 10 = 𝐿10 𝑚𝑎𝑥 −3

𝐿10 as a function of traffic flow
 Traffic noise model

US Department of Transportation: Federal Highway Administration's Traffic Noise Model

Traffic noise reduction
Action depends on project status and scope:
• New build, refurbish
• Building in isolation or part of bigger planning team

1. Reduce Noise at Source

– Reduce noise of individual vehicles
– Reduce total traffic volume
– Use “quiet” road surface
2. Attenuate Noise on Route
– Increase distance between source and recipient
– Use “soft” landscaping on route
Traffic noise reduction
3. Use Barriers
– Place screen between source and recipient (note: trees are not
a good acoustic barrier)
– Place road in a cutting

4. Design Buildings as an Acoustic Barrier

– Make walls “solid” dense and continuous
– Use double or triple glazing and avoid openings
– Use mechanical ventilation
– Place living rooms and bedrooms furthest from the road
Screens and barriers
• A sound barrier is a solid structure that intercepts the direct
sound path from a sound source to a receiver.
• It reduces the SPL within its shadow zone.
Screens and barriers
Summary
• Duty of care to assess, monitor and control workplace noise.
• Methods to quantify fluctuating noise enable background,
exposure and peak values to be assessed.
• Enclosing equipment can be beneficial.
• Quantify traffic noise with line source approximation and
𝐿10 measurements.
• Reduce traffic noise:
– At source, On route, With barriers and screens, Better building design
and insulation