Technology for a Quieter America
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
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NOTICE: To arrive at the findings and recommendations of this report, the National Academy of Engineering has used a process that involves careful selection of a balanced and knowledgeable committee, assembly of relevant information, and peer review of the resultant report.
Support for this project was provided by a generous gift from NAE member William W. Lang, the National Academy of Engineering Fund, and the Federal Highway Administration. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the supporting organizations.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Technology for a quieter America / National Academy of Engineering of the National Academies.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-0-309-15632-5 (pbk.) — ISBN 978-0-309-15633-2 (pdf)
1. Noise control—Technological innovations—United States. 2. Noise pollution—United States. I. National Academy of Engineering.
TD893.T43 2011
363.740973—dc22
2010037657
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COMMITTEE ON TECHNOLOGY FOR A QUIETER AMERICA
GEORGE C. MALING, JR. (NAE) (chair),
Institute of Noise Control Engineering of the USA, Inc. (retired), Harpswell, Maine
ROBERT J. BERNHARD,
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana
ROBERT D. BRUCE,
CSTI Acoustics, Houston, Texas
BETH A. COOPER,
Glenn Research Center, NASA, Cleveland, Ohio
PATRICIA DAVIES,
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
CARL E. HANSON,
Harris Miller Miller and Hanson, Burlington, Massachusetts
ROBERT D. HELLWEG, JR. (consultant),
Wellesley, Massachusetts
GERALD C. LAUCHLE,
Pennsylvania State University (retired)
RICHARD H. LYON (NAE),
RH Lyon Corp., Belmont, Massachusetts
IAN A. WAITZ,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
Project Staff
CAROL R. ARENBERG, Senior Editor,
National Academy of Engineering
VIVIENNE CHIN, Administrative Assistant,
Program Office, National Academy of Engineering
LANCE A. DAVIS, Executive Officer,
National Academy of Engineering
PROCTOR P. REID, Director,
Program Office, National Academy of Engineering
RICHARD TABER, Program Officer,
Program Office, National Academy of Engineering (until February 2009)
Preface
Noise emissions are an issue in industry, in communities, in buildings, and during leisure activities. As such, the audience for a report on noise control is broad and includes the engineering community; the public; government at the federal, state, and local levels; private industry; labor unions; and nonprofit organizations. These stakeholders should find something of interest in this report.
In the past few decades advances have been made in noise control technology, instruments for noise measurement, and criteria for noise control. These advances need to be recognized in our approach to the control of noise and public policy designed to improve the noise climate in the United States. This, together with increasing worldwide interest in reducing noise, makes it necessary to examine American interests in the production of low-noise products with a view toward remaining competitive. Reducing product noise emissions and achieving noise reductions in our factories, office buildings, classrooms, homes, and the environment are challenging problems.
This study was undertaken by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) to emphasize the importance of engineering to the quality of life in America, in particular the role of noise control technology making possible a quieter environment. This report was prepared by a study committee and five supporting panels of experts appointed by the NAE and reviewed by an independent panel appointed following NAE procedures. Implementation of the recommendations in the report will result in reduction of the noise levels to which Americans are exposed and will improve the ability of American industry to compete in world markets where increasing attention is being paid to the noise emissions of products.
Key areas where recommendations have been made include cost-benefit analysis of noise reduction, especially related to road traffic noise; improved metrics for noise control; lower limits for noise exposures in industry; “buy quiet” programs; wider use of international standards for noise emissions; airplane noise reduction technology; and noise control in structures such as schools, hospitals, and office buildings. Also recommended is improved cooperation between industry and government agencies involved with noise and, in particular, an expanded role for the Environmental Protection Agency, which can be undertaken under existing law.
George C. Maling, Jr.
Chair
Committee on Technology for a Quieter America
Acknowledgments
This report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the committee and NAE in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The reviewers’ comments and the draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their reviews of this report:
Lewis M. Branscomb, Emeritus, Harvard University, and Adjunct Professor, University of California, San Diego
Mahlon D. Burkhard, Consultant
William Cavanaugh, Cavanaugh Tocci Associates, Inc.
Malcolm J. Crocker, Sound & Vibration Research Laboratory
Tony F.W. Embleton, Retired, National Research Council of Canada
David K. Holger, Iowa State University
Alice Suter, Consultant in Noise and Hearing Conservation
István L. Vér, Consultant in Acoustics, Noise, and Vibration Control
Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations and did not see the final draft of the report before its public release. The review of this report was overseen by James L. Flanagan, Retired Vice President for Research, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Appointed by NAE, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and NAE.
In addition to the reviewers, the committee extends its sincerest gratitude to the members of the five expert panels that supported this study (Appendix K), and to the individuals who participated in the project’s eight fact-finding workshops (Appendix L) for sharing their expertise, insights, and best ideas to the study. The committee also wishes to thank the consultants to the committee—Leo L. Beranek, Stephen H. Crandall, Kenneth M. Eldred, and William W. Lang—who provided invaluable advice throughout the project. The committee also thanks the project staff. NAE executive officer Lance Davis and NAE senior editor Carol Arenberg substantially improved the readability of the report. Study director Richard Taber managed the project through January 2009, and NAE program director Proctor Reid managed the project from February 2009 to completion. Vivienne Chin managed the committee’s and panels’ logistical and administrative needs.
Tables and Figures
TABLES
1-1 |
Sound Pressure Levels Generated by Various Noise Sources, |
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4-1 |
Number of Workers Exposed to Noise of >85 dB(A), |
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4-2 |
Hazardous Noise Exposures as a Function of Exposure Time for 3-dB and 5-dB Exchange Rates (based on exposure to 85 dB for 8 hours), |
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4-3 |
Action Points, References, and Type of Sound Level, |
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4-4 |
Worldwide Regulations for Exposures to Hazardous Noise in the Workplace, |
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4-5 |
Noise Reduction and Productivity in a Beverage Can Manufacturing Plant, |
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5-1 |
Team Members Available to Work on European Noise Reduction Programs, |
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7-1 |
Relationship between Day-Night Average Sound Level and Impacts, |
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7-2 |
Noise Barrier Construction by State, through 2004, |
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7-3 |
Summary of Barrier Construction and Costs, by State, |
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7-4 |
Noise Values for Selected European Countries, |
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E-1 |
Hardware Options for Brüel & Kjær Monitoring Systems, |
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E-2 |
Software Options for Brüel & Kjær Monitoring Systems, |
FIGURES
1-1 |
Comparison of A-weighted sound levels in common outdoor environments, |
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3-1 |
Variability in survey results. ▼ = road traffic. = air traffic. ♦ = rail traffic, |
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3-2 |
Three versions of a Schultz curve, |
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3-3 |
Comparison of the present dose-response curves with results from Miedema and Vos, |
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4-1 |
Systems approach to reducing noise exposures, |
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4-2 |
Comparative noise reduction ratings for various earplugs, |
4-3 |
Comparative noise reduction ratings based on manufacturers’ laboratory tests and real-world “field” performance of different types of hearing protection devices, |
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4-4 |
Spectral attenuation obtained with real-ear attenuation at threshold (REAT) procedures for three conventional passive earplugs (premolded, user-molded foam, and spun fiberglass) and two uniform-attenuation, custom-molded earplugs (ER-15, ER-20), |
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5-1 |
Breakdown of typical noise sources for fixed-wing aircraft, |
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5-2 |
Breakdown of typical noise sources for a rotorcraft configuration, |
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5-3 |
Noise sources for 1960s and 1990s jet engines, |
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5-4 |
QTD2 noise reduction technologies, |
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5-5 |
Toboggan landing gear fairings for reducing landing gear noise tested in QTD2, |
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5-6 |
Goals of the N+1 and N+2 generation aircraft, |
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5-7 |
Noise reduction objectives and technology plans set by ACARE, |
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5-8 |
Aircraft noise research initiatives undertaken in Europe under the Framework Programs, |
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5-9 |
Engine/nacelle noise reduction technologies, |
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5-10 |
Aircraft noise reduction technologies, |
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5-11 |
Negatively scarfed intake reflects fan noise away from the ground, |
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5-12 |
SAX-40 silent aircraft, |
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5-13 |
SAX-40 engine design, |
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5-14 |
Schematic drawing of contra-rotating turbo fan design to be studied in VITAL, |
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5-15 |
Hybrid wing/body aircraft with vertical tails on either side of the engines to shield jet noise, |
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5-16 |
U.S. average pass-by noise levels under cruise conditions for light vehicles, medium trucks, and heavy trucks measured at a distance of 15 meters, |
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5-17 |
Typical levels for noise sources in light vehicles, |
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5-18 |
Acoustic images of typical noise source regions for light vehicles and heavy trucks obtained with acoustic beaming, |
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5-19 |
Range in one-third octave band sound intensity levels for tires measured at 97 kilometers per hour on a dense, graded, asphalt-concrete roadway, |
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5-20 |
One-third octave band pass-by noise levels for the same car and tires operating on different pavements at 97 kilometers per hour, |
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5-21 |
Example of a double-layer porous asphalt pavement used in the Netherlands, |
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6-1 |
Permissible sound power levels (dB(A)) for lawn mowers, based on width of cut, |
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7-1 |
Contour map showing noise levels around Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., |
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7-2 |
Relationship between percentage of population highly annoyed and DNL level, in decibels, |
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7-3 |
(left) Noise depreciation indices (percentage of property value loss per decibel); (right) willingness-to-pay values (Euros/household/dB/year) based on a number of North American, European, Japanese, and Australian studies of aircraft noise, |
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7-4 |
Cost of barriers per square meter in Maryland for all projects (upper) and for precast concrete (lower), |
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7-5 |
Cost of barriers per square meter in Virginia for all projects, |
9-1 |
U.S. noise control programs in university departments, |
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E-1 |
Screen display of discrete frequency analysis for Type 2270 monitor, |
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E-2 |
Type 2270 meter in use, |
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E-3 |
Type 3639 monitoring station, |
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G-1 |
Comparison of hearing protection device NRRs by device type: manufacturers’ laboratory data versus real-world “field” data, |