Certain areas require more information on noise levels than can be provided by a simple noise survey. There may be a requirement to view sound pressure levels everywhere in a workplace, or around a particular piece of plant and machinery.
Noise mapping can provide that detail. The concept is very simple – a noise map is just a visual representation of noise levels in a workplace in the form of a contour map. Contours are usually coloured to indicate intensity of noise, presence of high or low frequencies etc., and the map is usually overlaid on a plan of the area or workplace.
Though simple in principle, accurate maps can be difficult to produce in practice, particularly in dynamic environments where noise sources are intermittent and unpredictable. This can be overcome to a certain extent by taking multiple measurements, time weighting measurement data, and using noise prediction techniques. Noise mapping software can also be used to generate personal noise exposures based on position and movement through the workplace.
Shorcontrol have produced high-quality internal noise maps for several clients.
- Visualisation of acoustic environment
- Maps overlaid on client’s blueprints/site plans
- Range of information can be displayed – intensity, frequency, peak levels etc.
- Visual differentiation of ‘safe’ and ‘unsafe’ zones possible
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