Noise Complaints Research Articles

Response of people to noise—an analysis of a local government's experience

Montgomery County, an affluent, suburban, and rural county neighboring Washington, DC, has received numerous noise complaints before and after the Noise Control Ordinance became effective (October 1976). A program was initiated to develop an approach to categorize and analyze citizen complaints so that a broad rational statement as to the effectiveness of the ordinance could be made. This paper presents only a part of the results of the program that was developed to analyze the effectiveness of the ordinance and deals only with noise problems that were serious enough to lead to “official” complaints by the citizens. All complaints were tabulated into categories that include the type and location of complaints, the action taken, and the long-term effects of the action. Complaints are plotted as a function of various parameters to show the factors influencing complaints. The analysis will be updated and refined periodically.

An analysis of spontaneous noise complaints

Fourteen hundred protocols of noise complaints to public authorities have been content analyzed by three trained psychologists. The analysis shows that people mostly complain about traffic noise (37.5% of total) and sounds caused by trade or business (33.5%). With regard to traffic noise, the moving road traffic (particularly trucks) and air traffic are the main sources of annoyance; and with regard to trade or business noises, production sounds and air conditioning sounds play the greatest part. The most annoying sounds are intermittent and occur daily, and the main effect of the sounds complained of is sleep disturbance. The results further indicate that psychological factors often determine the amount of annoyance, and this is in line with the concept of “noise” as a psychological, rather than an acoustical, term.

Study of Community Noise Complaints Caused by Electric Power Plant Operations

Study of Community Noise Complaints Caused by Electric Power Plant Operations

Guidelines for a training course in noise survey techniques : Shadley, J.et al Jan 1974, pp 22 Abstr in Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports (Report No AD-776631)

Abstract : The course is designed to train noise survey technicians during a 3-5 day period to make reliable measurements of 75% of the noise problems encountered in the community. The more complex noise problems remaining will continue to be handled by experienced specialists. These technicians will be trained to assist state and local governments in enforcement of their noise ordinances and in investigations of noise complaints. (Author)

Fog signal baffle design

As part of its automation program, the U. S. Coast Guard has been replacing multifrequency air-driven sound signals with electric air oscillators. The pure-tone character of this signal has been a cause of noise complaints by residents near the installation. For example, an unbaffled ELG 300/02 dual emitter is capable of producing levels of the order of 80 dBA 1/2 mile to the rear of the signal. Thus, to be effective, a baffle design must provide at least 30–40 dB of attenuation in its dark sector. A program was conducted to develop high attenuation baffles for ELG 300-Hz emitters using the principles of diffraction source interference, acoustically soft baffle edges, and end-fired array lenses. The program utilized 1/8-scale models to test the effectiveness of experimental configurations. The most effective baffle designs were then verified by full-scale field tests. [This research was supported by the Coast Guard under Contract DOT-CG-30200-A.]

A critical look at an airport noise control ordinance.

Proposed noise regulations appear to be very complex and to place a heavy financial burden on airport operators when implemented by law. Enforcement of these regulations does appear feasible, and they will accomplish a reduction in airport noise complaints. Without the stimulus of legal enforcement of such regulations, adequate noise reduction programs would be greatly delayed or not undertaken.

THE HANDLING OF NEIGHBORHOOD NOISE COMPLAINTS.

Abstract This paper endeavors to emphasize that all noise complaints do not represent health hazards although complainers readily term noise as such. Two codes are presented which allow noise to exist in certain limits and experience has shown that people are willing to accept and live with these limits without complaining. They are recommended for adoption by local governments. Enforcement of any violations remains with local government. Noise measurements and interpretations of the codes can be made by governmental agencies or private consultants. Simple methods of noise reduction are outlined.

Airport Noise Complaints

Airport Noise Complaints

Transformer Audio Noise Problems on an Eectric Power System

Since the end of the war, increased load demands, together with the location of housing developments in the vicinity of the power station, tend to make the electric power company more susceptible to noise complaints than ever before. Power companies which had not been concerned with the noise problem in the past now have become involved. The various factors of noise are covered and explained insofar as they apply to a transformer, one of the most common sources of noise. It is hoped that the review and discussion of the problems which exist may be of value to those interested in transformer noise, particularly to the transformer manufacturers and those responsible for transformer noise standards. The experience andelews of others, which have been reported elsewhere, are discussed, and a list of references is given for those who care to go into the problem in more detail.