Hygiena 2016, 61(4):146-151

Correction for Sound Wave Reflection from House Facades with Protected Outdoor Environs of Buildings

Jan Šlechta¹, Tomáš Hellmuth²

¹ České vysoké učení technické v Praze, Univerzitní centrum energeticky efektivních budov, Buštěhrad, Česká republika

² Zdravotní ústav se sídlem v Ostravě, Národní referenční laboratoř pro komunální hluk, Ústí nad Orlicí, Česká republika

The paper presents research performed in order to classify the correction for sound wave reflection from house facades with protected outdoor environs of buildings. Quantification of this correction is necessary because of the Directive 2002/49/EC which demands to subtract the reflected component of the sound pressure level from the measured sound pressure level A. The norm ČSN ISO 1996-2 deals with the problem and classifies three situations which can occur during measurements. An important document in the Czech environment is the Methodical Manual for the Assessment of Noise in the Protected Outdoor Environs of Buildings which assigns to all situations not defined in ČSN ISO 1996-2 a correction of +2.0 dB.
The research tool used for the quantification of a correction for the sound reflection from the façade is the boundary element method which is valid for homogeneous conditions of sound propagation. The boundary element method was used to analyse several case studies with a variable distance from the reflecting surface. Consequently, a curve was fitted through the obtained data set whose position was found with the least squares method. The obtained curve defines a formula for any given situation which can be used for the calculation of the correction for sound reflection.

Keywords: noise assessment methodology, noise indicators

Received: April 2016; Accepted: October 4, 2016; Published: December 1, 2016  Show citation