Noise 101 What is a dB? What are Hz?

Quiet Asphalt 2005 Tire/Pavement Noise Symposium

Institute for Safe Quiet and Durable Highways

Session Objectives
To introduce:
How sound is created The terminology of noise How sound is measured and described

When we are done youll be able to talk dBese and you might become a psychoacoustician

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Basic Terminology - Sound

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Basic Terminology - Noise

Source: Brel & Kjr

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Basic Terminology
Anything that causes small, fast pressure changes will create sound
Vibration Aerodynamic

Sound pressure level is a measure of these pressure changes at the receiver

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Basic Terminology
The loudness of sound is physiological
It is related to how the pressure fluctuations excite the ear, and the transient and spectral nature of sound

Annoyance is psychological
It is related to personal preference and expectation

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Sound Amplitude
Sound waves are small air pressure changes (at least, as far as were concerned) Units of pressure are psi or Pascal (N/m) Can be measured with a microphone, a device sensitive to these small pressure changes

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Sound Amplitude

Air Pressure

Atmospheric Pressure

Source: Brel & Kjr

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Time

Sound Amplitude
Sound Waves
air pressure Amplitude (p) time

Source: Steve Karamihas

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Sound Amplitude
dB 140
Threshold of Pain

Pa 200 20 2 0.2 0.02 0.002 0.0002 0.00002

Space shuttle Rock concert Jet plane (@1000) Truck (@30) Normal conversation Whispering

120 100

Hearing Hazard FHWA threshold

80 60 40 20

Quiet bed room

Hearing threshold

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Sound Amplitude Loudness

Change in Sound Level ( dB) 1 to 3 dB 5 dB 10 dB 15 dB 20 dB Change in Loudness

Just perceptible Noticeable change Twice (or ) as loud Large change Four times (or ) as loud

! d n u o s e m a s e h t r o f y l n o e Tru
Source: Brel & Kjr

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Sound Amplitude Metrics

Sound pressure levels vary with time
Lmax
Maximum (peak) noise level during a defined time interval Commonly used to pick out the noise of a single vehicle in pass-by testing

Lxx
Noise level that is only exceeded xx% of the time during a defined time interval L10 (1 hr) is commonly used in traffic noise reporting

Leq
Equivalent (constant) SPL that would net the same total acoustical energy Often used to report for continuous traffic stream of different vehicles

dB

Lmax L10 Leq

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Time

Frequency

Source: Purdue

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Frequency
sound pressure Period = 1 / Frequency ( f )

time

Source: Steve Karamihas

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Hearing Range

10

100

1000

10 000

Frequency [Hz]

Source: Brel & Kjr

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Common Sources and their Frequencies

10

100

1000

10,000

Frequency (Hz)

Source: Brel & Kjr

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Frequency
p
time

Lp

+
time

Lp

Frequency

=
p
time

Lp

Frequency

Frequency

Source: Brel & Kjr

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Frequency
p
time Frequency

Lp

p
time

Lp

p
time

Lp

Frequency

Frequency

Source: Brel & Kjr

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Frequency
Narrow Band
Acoustic Level

63

125

250

500

1k

2k

4k

8k

Frequency, Hz

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Frequency
1/3 Octave Band
Acoustic Level

63

125

250

500

1k

2k

4k

8k

Frequency, Hz

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Frequency
Octave Band
Acoustic Level

63

125

250

500

1k

2k

4k

8k

Frequency, Hz

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Frequency
1/3 Octave Bands
Useful in many environmental, building acoustics and noise control applications Common way that traffic and tirepavement noise is reported

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Frequency
110

OBSI Measurement
105

Sound Intensity Level, dBA

100

95

90

85

Overall: 104 dBA

80

75

70 500 630 800 1 1 .2 5 1 .6 2 2 .5 3 .1 5 4 5

1 /3 O c ta v e B a n d C e n te r F re q u e n c y , k H z

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CPX Measurements of Tire/Pavement Noise

Tire on DGA asphalt 97.5 dB Tire on open graded asphalt 92.5 dB Tire on uniformly tined PCC 102.1 dB
A-weighted sound pressure level (dBA) Pavement Spectra: Treaded Tire, CPX Lead Mic., 60 mph 110 Trans.Tined PCC DGA 100 PFC 90 80 70 60 50 250

500 1000 2500 1/3 octave center frequency (Hz)

5000

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Sound Generation and Propagation Point source

Line source
r: Lp 2r: Lp 3 dB

r: Lp 2r: Lp 6 dB

Vehicles are point sources, respectively However, a series of vehicles act as a line source
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Source: Brel & Kjr

Sound Generation and Propagation

Doubling the traffic volume =

Source: Arizona DOT

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Basic Sound Measurement

Sound is measured by sensing impulses of acoustical energy (pressure fluctuations) In the air, we usually use a microphone The microphone is connected to instruments that analyze, record, and/or display data

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Basic Sound Measurement

Diaphragm Sound Waves Audio Signal Output Audio Signal

Sound Waves

Front Plate (Diaphragm)

Source: mediacollege.com

Back Plate

Battery

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Basic Sound Measurement

Source: G.R.A.S.

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Basic Sound Measurement

Preamp Microphone Pow er Mod ule

RT A
Source: G.R.A.S., Larson-Davis, Sony, M-Audio

DAT Recorder

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PC Sound Card

Basic Sound Analysis Frequency Filtering

D

Sound Pressure Level Adjustment

Lin. 0 D -20 (dB) A B A-weighted moderate sounds (most often used) B-weighted intense sounds C-weighted very loud sounds D-weighted noisiness measure (sometimes used for aircraft noise) 500 1k 2k 5k 10 k 20 k Frequency (Hz) C B+C A

-40

-60

10

20

50

100

200

Source: Brel & Kjr

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Session Summary
Brief discussion of sound to use later when we discuss how tire-pavement interaction creates noise, and how it can be controlled Brief introduction to dB, Hz, A-weighting, octave bands, etc. so you can talk the talk A few rules of thumb about the mathematics of decibels Basic sound measurement

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