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Noise Disturbance

Building acoustics can help to mitigate the effects of noise disturbance which can have negative effects on health, well-being and general quality of life.

The Noise Policy Statement for England (NPSE) defines noise pollution as:

- Environmental noise: which includes noise from transportation sources. - Neighbour noise: which includes noise from inside and outside buildings. - Neighbourhood noise: which includes noise arising from industrial and entertainment premises, trade and businesses, construction sites and noise in the street.

This can be an important consideration for the location, design and construction of new developments.

Reverberation Time

The ‘reverberation time’ of a space changes the way the space ‘sounds’ and can affect the intelligibility acoustic information. A high reverberation time can make a room sound muffled, loud and noisy. Rooms designed for speech typically have a low reverberation time, whereas a higher reverberation time can add depth, richness and warmth to music.

The reverberation time of a room is defined as the time it takes for sound to decay by 60 dB after an abrupt termination. It is linked to the total quantity of soft treatments and the volume of the room.

Environmental Noise Levels

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the maximum exposure time at 85 dBA is eight hours.

At 110 dBA, the maximum exposure time is one minute and 29 seconds. If you must be exposed to noise, it is recommended that you limit the exposure time and/or wear hearing protection.

A three dBA increase doubles the amount of noise, and halves the recommended amount of exposure time.

Point of Reference

Points of Reference *measured in dBA or decibels:

  • 0 The softest sound a person can hear with normal hearing
  • 10 normal breathing
  • 20 whispering at 5 feet
  • 30 soft whisper
  • 50 rainfall
  • 60 normal conversation
  • 110 shouting in ear
  • 120 thunder

E2 Specialist Consultants
August 13 at 1:29pm
Today takes 2 of our engineers, air testing this enormous modular classroom in Tring, It took 4 fans to test this space and unfortunately resulted in a Fail. Remedial sealing will be required to areas that we have identified as leaking cold air infiltration. #preperationiskey

E2 Consultants Delivering compliance solutions for Architects & Developers    Head Office E2 HOUSE, South Park Way, Wakefield 41 Business Park, WF2 0XJ    Questions? Call: 0800 043 8100

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