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Noise and Vibration Control Guidelines

This document discusses noise and vibration control guidelines for mechanical and electrical systems in NIH buildings. It provides background on ambient noise levels from mechanical systems and nearby traffic sources. Acceptable ambient noise should not interfere with speech or phone calls but some background sound can help mask distracting noises. Each noise has a characteristic frequency spectrum that is important to consider, as some noises are more difficult to attenuate at lower frequencies. Background sound levels are evaluated using noise criteria curves that account for human sensitivity to different frequencies and the spectrum of speech. Field measurements use octave-band sound level meters to determine the noise criteria value.

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46 views1 page

Noise and Vibration Control Guidelines

This document discusses noise and vibration control guidelines for mechanical and electrical systems in NIH buildings. It provides background on ambient noise levels from mechanical systems and nearby traffic sources. Acceptable ambient noise should not interfere with speech or phone calls but some background sound can help mask distracting noises. Each noise has a characteristic frequency spectrum that is important to consider, as some noises are more difficult to attenuate at lower frequencies. Background sound levels are evaluated using noise criteria curves that account for human sensitivity to different frequencies and the spectrum of speech. Field measurements use octave-band sound level meters to determine the noise criteria value.

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kautuk
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D.

8 Noise and Vibration

D.8.1 Introduction

These design guidelines are intended to provide general


information about noise and vibration control to project engineers
charged with designing mechanical and electrical systems for the
NIH. They cover situations that arise in the design process and
significant items to check at design reviews. As a supplement to
other sources of technical information such as the Sound and
Vibration Control section of the ASHRAE Systems and
Applications Handbook and the advice of an acoustical consultant,
they are intended to help the engineers to achieve appropriate sound
and vibration levels required by the program functions.

D.8.2 Background Noise

All rooms in all buildings, except special acoustical laboratories,


are exposed to some level of audible and measurable ambient
sound. It may be due to nearby street traffic, but more often it is
governed by the building's own mechanical system. Ambient
sound should be, and usually is, anonymous in character. This is
an accepted acoustical condition to which we are almost always
exposed. The ambient sound should never be so loud as to interfere
with speech or telephone use in a space. Yet frequently the presence
of modest levels of ambient sound is needed to mask distracting
extraneous sounds.

Each such noise is characterized by a certain spectrum indicating


the sound pressure level at various frequencies. Very often, the
spectrum of a noise is as important as its absolute level. Although
speech and airplane takeoff may be perceived as being about the
same loudness, it is much more difficult to attenuate the lower-
frequency noise. The level of such background sounds is
commonly related to a series of noise criteria (NC) or room criteria
(RC) curves. These spectra have been developed to account for the
approximate sensitivity of the human ear to high-frequency noise
over low-frequency noise and also to the typical spectrum of human
speech. The NC/RC value for a given spectrum is then determined
by its highest point in relation to the NC curves. To determine the
NC/RC value in the field, sound pressure levels should be measured
with an octave-band sound-level meter.

7/28/00
Mechanical D-15

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