Sound Quality in Urban Environments and its Relationship With Acoustic Parameters

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan M. Barrigón Morillas ◽  
Valentín Gómez Escobar ◽  
Guillermo Rey Gozalo ◽  
Rosendo Vílchez-Gómez ◽  
Juan Antonio Méndez Sierra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sound Quality ◽  
Sound Level ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Acoustical Parameters ◽  
Acoustic Parameters ◽  
Numerical Scale

Different urban environments were analyzed acoustically using recordings obtained with binaural techniques of recording and reproduction. Measurements were carried out in different urban locations in Spain that possess a range of acoustical characteristics. The perception of pleasantness/unpleasantness as described by the inhabitants of these urban environments was examined in terms of its relationship with two psychoacoustic parameters (loudness and sharpness) as well as the traditional measures of equivalent sound level (dB and dBA). These relationships were analyzed using both a verbal and a numerical scale. Highly significant correlations were found between the perception of an environment and the acoustical parameters characterizing that environment.

scholarly journals Acoustical Design and Noise Control in Metro Stations: Case Studies of the Ankara Metro System

2007 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 203-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zühre Sü ◽  
Mehmet Çalışkan
Keyword(s):  
Computer Simulation ◽  
Nonwoven Material ◽  
Sound Level ◽  
Reverberation Time ◽  
Acoustical Parameters ◽  
Transmission Index ◽  
Speech Transmission ◽  
Absorbing Materials ◽  
Practical Design ◽  
Metro System

The aim of this research is to demonstrate the importance of initial strategies in acoustical design of underground metro stations. The paper searches for practical design solutions by evaluating different materials for providing optimum acoustical conditions in such spaces. Acoustical designs of three metro stations on a new expansion line in Ankara including Sogutozu, Bilkent and ODTU metro stations are presented through computer simulation. Predictions of room acoustical parameters are presented for both platform and ticket office floors in terms of parameters like reverberation time (RT), speech transmission index (STI) and A-weighted sound level (SPL) distribution within spaces. Simulated reverberation times are evaluated in view of legislative requirements. The study confirms the importance of using sound absorbing materials on the ceiling and sidewalls together. The nonwoven material, used behind perforated metal suspended ceilings, has proved effective in reverberation control.

Subjective Analysis and Objective Evaluation of Vehicle Sound Quality

2013 ◽  
Vol 716 ◽  
pp. 674-679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Yan Zuo ◽  
Shuai Li Zhou ◽  
Wen Feng Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Constant Velocity ◽  
Paired Comparison ◽  
Subjective Evaluation ◽  
Objective Evaluation ◽  
Sound Quality ◽  
Comparison Method ◽  
Acoustical Parameters ◽  
Vehicle Interior ◽  
Subjective Analysis ◽  
Evaluation Test

The interior noise samples from four cars at different positions and different speeds were selected as the evaluation objects. The subjective evaluation test of sound quality preference was carried out with paired comparison method. Several objective psycho-acoustical parameters of these samples were calculated. By way of linear correlation and multi-dimensional regression analysis, an equation between the subjective evaluation of noise preference and the objective psycho-acoustical parameters was established. The results indicate that the vehicle interior sound quality preference under the good highway and the constant-velocity driving conditions is affected mainly by two psycho-acoustical parameters Loudness and Sharpness.

Experimental study of the relationship between the vibro-acoustic parameters of the grinding process and the macro-roughness of the treated surface

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 6-19
Author(s):  
Dmitrii Ardashev ◽  
◽  
Aleksander Zhukov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Cutting Tool ◽  
Sound Level ◽  
The State ◽  
Surface Shape ◽  
Grinding Wheel ◽  
Grinding Process ◽  
Acoustic Parameters ◽  
Current State ◽  
Measuring Machine ◽  
The Relationship

Introduction. To assess the current state of the technological system (TS) during grinding, it is preferable to use indirect criteria. Such approaches, in contrast to direct measurement methods, can be carried out without interrupting the production process. The main parameters used in the indirect assessment of the state of the cutting tool are the state of the workpiece (before and after processing), thermal and electrical characteristics of the cutting zone, vibroacoustic vibrations of the process, and force measurements. The work is devoted to the study of the acoustic parameters of grinding as a sufficiently informative and least resource-intensive characteristic. The relevance of the development of methods for assessing the state of the vehicle based on sound and topographic characteristics has many aspects, the main of which are applicability in grinding control, predicting the state of the cutting tool and planning the operations of the technological process. The aim of the work is to develop a mathematical model of the dependence of the vibroacoustic parameters of the external circular plunge-cut grinding process on the macro-roughness of the polished sample. The development of such a model is a necessary step in the design of a methodology for predicting the state of a tool. Accordingly, the subject of work is presented by two parameters simultaneously – the sound level arising in the process of grinding and the deviation of the surface shape of the ground images from cylindricality. The research methods used to achieve the designated aim were following: an experiment to study the sound phenomena accompanying round external plunge-cut grinding; measurement of macro-roughness of the surface of the samples, subjected to processing, using a coordinate measuring machine; correlation and regression analysis to obtain mathematical dependencies. Results and discussion. Two particular multiple linear regression models are obtained that describe the effect of the infeed rate and the operating time of the grinding wheel on the sound level during grinding and on deviations from the cylindricality of the processed samples. On the basis of particulars, a general model is developed that establishes the relationship between the sound characteristic and the macro-roughness index of the treated surface. It is shown that the sound characteristics (for example, the sound level) can be used as an indirect indicator of the current state of the vehicle, which makes it possible to assess the level of vibrations and, accordingly, to predict the quality of products.

scholarly journals A Study on Affective Dimensions to Engine Acceleration Sound Quality Using Acoustic Parameters

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soyoun Moon ◽  
Sunghwan Park ◽  
Donggun Park ◽  
Wonjoon Kim ◽  
Myung Yun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prediction Models ◽  
Affective Response ◽  
Semantic Space ◽  
Sound Quality ◽  
Acoustic Parameters ◽  
Technical Performance ◽  
Hearing Ability ◽  
Subjective Evaluations ◽  
Affective Dimensions ◽  
Test Correlation

The technical performance of recent automobiles is highly progressed and standardized across different manufacturers. This study seeks to derive a semantic space of engine acceleration sound quality for end users and identify the relation with sound characteristics. For this study, two affective attributes: ‘refined’ and ‘powerful’, and eight acoustic parameters considering revolutions per minute were used to determine the correlation coefficient for those affective attributes. In the experiment, a total of 35 automobiles were selected. Each of the 3rd gear wide open throttle sounds was recorded and evaluated by 42 adult subjects with normal hearing ability and driving license. Their subjective evaluations were analyzed using factor analysis, independent t-test, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. The prediction models for the affective dimensions show distinct differences for the revolutions per minute. From the experiment, it was confirmed that the customers’ affective response can be predicted through the acoustic parameters. In addition, it was found that the initial revolutions per minute in the accelerated condition had the greatest influence on the affective response. This study can be a useful guideline to design engine acceleration sounds that satisfy customers’ affective experience.

The effects of different ceiling structures and plan typologies on acoustical conditions of historical mosques

2021 ◽  
Vol 263 (4) ◽  
pp. 2533-2543
Author(s):  
Fatma Yelkenci Sert ◽  
Özgül Yılmaz Karaman ◽  
Özgül Yilmaz Karaman
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Modelling ◽  
Geometric Parameter ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Acoustical Parameters ◽  
Acoustic Parameters ◽  
Building Type ◽  
Muslim People ◽  
Different Types ◽  
High Level ◽  
Acoustical Data

Mosque is a building type used by Muslim people consists of speech and music rituals. Good acoustical condition in mosques is an important issue to provide desired acoustical environment for prayers and Imams during different worship rituals. Prayers need to feel individuality in praying and the sense of unity in recitation of the Quran, hymns. Worship activities need a high level of speech intelligibility and to satisfy prayers in the spiritual aspects which make people feel closed to the God. In the context of study, six historical mosques in Turkey, with different types of cover structures and plan typologies, are designated as study areas. The present study contains two methods which the first one is collecting acoustical data by measurements and the second consists of mathematical modelling software program. The purpose of study to investigate effects of different plan typology and ceiling structures on acoustical characteristics in mosques with similar volume. Also, distribution of acoustical parameters and the suitability of the values obtained through acoustic simulations and measurements to the recommended values are aimed to be investigated. As a result of the investigations, it was concluded that the objective acoustic parameters of mosques changed according to the geometric parameter properties.

How are Music and Emotion Links Studied?

2019 ◽  
pp. 139-146
Author(s):  
Patrik N. Juslin
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Spectrum ◽  
Emotional Expression ◽  
Computer Software ◽  
Sound Level ◽  
Musical Structure ◽  
Musical Score ◽  
Acoustic Parameters ◽  
Music And Emotion

This chapter considers ways to establish links between musical features and specific emotions. The first step is usually to conduct an experiment, in which listeners rate the emotional expression of different excerpts of music — either music from commercial recordings or pieces created specifically for the study. The next step is to extract musical features associated with emotion categories. This can be done in four ways: analyzing the musical score of the pieces; relying on experts, such as music theorists and musicians, asking them to rate various aspects of the musical structure; measuring acoustic parameters of the music (e.g. sound level, timing, frequency spectrum of the timbre), using dedicated computer software; and manipulating specific musical features in synthesized (computerized) performances, to evaluate how they influence a listener's judgments of emotional expression.

scholarly journals Effect of Bhramari Pranayama on the Acoustic and Aerodynamic Parameters of Voice in Normophonic Females

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Usha Manjunatha ◽  
Jayashree S. Bhat ◽  
Kumar B. Radish ◽  
Gagan Bajaj ◽  
Poovitha Shruthi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Individuals ◽  
Acoustical Parameters ◽  
Acoustic Parameters ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Subglottal Pressure ◽  
Cepstral Peak Prominence ◽  
Aerodynamic Parameters ◽  
Age Range ◽  
Laryngeal Resistance

Summary. Objective. Pranayama is known for improving various health conditions. The present study is aimed at investigating the effects of bhramari pranayama on aerodynamic and acoustic parameters of voice in healthy individuals. Study Design. This is a pretest-posttest design study. Methods. A total of 24 participants in the age range of 20 to 25 years completed the bhramari pranayama regimen for 30 sessions. Aerodynamic and acoustic assessments were done before and after pranayama sessions. Maximum phonation duration, pitch, loudness, subglottal pressure, glottal airflow, laryngeal resistance and conductance along with acoustical parameters such as average F0, jitter, and shimmer, soft phonation index, noise to harmonic ratio, cepstral peak prominence, and smoothened cepstral peak prominence were analysed. Results. The results revealed significant improvement in the maximum phonation duration, glottal airflow and pressure, average fundamental frequency, and cepstral peak prominence after practice suggesting that it has an effect on voice parameters. Conclusion. Bhramari pranayama is effective in improving the acoustic and aerodynamic parameters of voice. The same needs to be investigated in hyper- and hypofunctional voice disorders in the future studies.

Geo-tagged environmental noise measurement with smartphones: Accuracy and perspectives of crowdsourced mapping

2021 ◽  
pp. 239980832098756
Author(s):  
Andrea Pődör ◽  
Szilard Szabó
Keyword(s):  
Personal Communication ◽  
Environmental Noise ◽  
Sound Level ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Outdoor Environment ◽  
Noise Mapping ◽  
Applied Software ◽  
Relevant Effect ◽  
Mapping Process ◽  
Level Meter

Environmental noise affects life and health within urban environments through interfering with sleep, rest, study and personal communication. Noise mapping is an important issue of local authorities but due to its requirements (staff, costs and frequency), the available data are limited or outdated. Our aim was to involve people with smartphones in the mapping process and to determine the accuracy of the measurements performed with these devices in a natural environment. The main questions were whether the measured data were dependent on the type of applied software and smartphones. We tested three software (Noise Watch, Noise Meter and Sound Level Meter) and 12 different smartphones. We evaluated the measurements with hypothesis testing and correlation analysis. Although the accuracy of smartphones was below the professional equipment, measurements can be conducted easily due to their availability; thus, a reliability analysis is important. We found that comparison between professional devices and smartphones in a laboratory was misleading as it lacks the environmental factors biasing the measurements. The best method to compare the measurements carried out with smartphones and professional Noise Meters was to use large number of measuring points in a heterogenic outdoor environment where the noise ranged from the low to large values. We revealed that both the applied software and smartphones have relevant effect on the measurements, and, although it is possible to use these devices for noise mapping, one should consider not to apply different software and smartphones. Accordingly, crowdsourcing is not a reliable data collection method because: (1) measurements should be supervised, (2) smartphones’ accuracy should be tested and (3) measurement circumstances should be the same. If any of these requirements are violated, the quality of the resulting maps can be questioned.

scholarly journals Traffic Noise Annoyance in the Population of North Mexico: Case Study on the Daytime Period in the City of Matamoros

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benito Zamorano-González ◽  
Fabiola Pena-Cardenas ◽  
Yolanda Velázquez-Narváez ◽  
Víctor Parra-Sierra ◽  
José Ignacio Vargas-Martínez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Noise ◽  
Sound Level ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Type I ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Noise Annoyance ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Annual Average Daily Traffic ◽  
Northern Border ◽  
High Level

Aim: The presence of noise in urban environments is rarely considered a factor that causes damage to the environment. The primary generating source is transportation means, with vehicles being the ones that affect cities the most. Traffic noise has a particular influence on the quality of life of those who are exposed to it and can cause health alterations ranging from annoyance to cardiovascular diseases. This study aims to describe the relationship between the traffic noise level and the perceived annoyance in the inhabitants of a city on the Northern Border of Mexico. The work carried out in a city represents the vulnerability characteristics: economic, social, and migratory of its sizable portion of the inhabitants. Due to that, it is impossible to identify precisely the number of residents as the number of vehicles in circulation.Methods: The streets and avenues with an annual average daily traffic of more than 1,000 vehicles were considered for the measurement of traffic noise. The equipment used was a vehicle gauge with non-invasive speed radar; type I integrating sound level meters, with their respective gauges and tripods. A questionnaire was applied to people living within 250 m of the streets and avenues in which the noise was measured.Results: The noise measurement found a parameter of LAeq estimated for 12 h during the day, exceeding 70 dBA. The data received from the questionnaire were statistically tested by using Pearson's correlation tests. A total number of 2,350 people were participated, of whom 1,378 were women (58.6%) and 972 were men (41.4%). The age of participants is ranged from 18 to 75 years. The overall perception of traffic noise annoyance identified that 1,131 participants (48.1%) responded “Yes” as they considered the noise annoying. Participants who responded “No” as well as those who responded “Do not know” resulted in a total of 1,219 people (51.9%).Conclusion: The results show that the population is desensitized to traffic noise and does not perceive it as an annoyance. The flow of vehicles and the type of vehicles are the significant factors for the propagation and increase in the traffic noise levels. Women present a considerable appreciation of traffic noise perception instead of younger people who demonstrate a higher tolerance to high-level exposure. This reflects the lack of information of the population around the noise problem and its effects.

scholarly journals Multidimensional Psychological Evaluation of Air Conditioner Sounds and Prediction via Correlation Parameters

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshiharu Soeta ◽  
Ei Onogawa
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Regression ◽  
Paired Comparison ◽  
Sound Quality ◽  
Comparison Method ◽  
Sound Level ◽  
Subjective Response ◽  
Air Conditioner ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Air Conditioners ◽  
Correlation Parameters

Air conditioners are regarded as a major source of noise in built environments. Although noise control technology has reduced the sound produced by air conditioners to a comparatively low level, some people may still feel that certain aspects of the sound quality lead to discomfort. Indeed, both the sound level and the sound quality of an air conditioner can affect user’s acoustic comfort. The aim of this study was to determine the factors that significantly influence the subjective response to the sound of air conditioners. We assessed the A-weighted equivalent continuous sound pressure level (LAeq) and factors extracted from the autocorrelation function (ACF) and interaural cross-correlation (IACF). Subjective loudness, sharpness, and annoyance were evaluated using a paired comparison method. Multiple regression analyses were performed using a linear combination of LAeq, the ACF factors, IACF factors, and assessment of their standard deviations. The multiple regression analyses indicated that LAeq, the delay time of the first maximum peak, the width of the first decay of the ACF, and the magnitude and width of the IACF could predict subjective responses to air conditioner sounds.

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