Noise reduction analysis for a dispensary at a Naval Air Station

Abstract

In order to determine the noise reduction requirements of exterior construction for a proposed dispensary building at a Naval Air Station, measurements were made of peak noise levels and spectra of various aircraft operations flying near and over the site. The results of these measurements were significantly different from levels calculated using the CNR methodology. The differences appear to be related to the manner in which training missions are flown at military bases. Reliance on CNR data alone for noise reduction analysis at military bases can be misleading. To aid the architect in design and layout of the building, a series of guidelines was proposed. These guidelines related background noise criteria, speech communication distances within different spaces, and degree of acoustical privacy desired. Four allowable levels of intrusive noise were established, relating to these evaluations. The resulting allowable intrusive noise and the measured exterior noise exposure were then used to determine the noise reduction requirements of the exterior construction. The architect's visual and technical responses to this analysis are presented.