Modelling takes on noise management

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jun 18, 2003

A new noise management tool quickly and easily creates and maintains electronic models of the acoustic environment of a geographical area for the prediction and control of outdoor noise.

Bruel + Kjaer is launching a new noise management tool that quickly and easily creates and maintains electronic models of the acoustic environment of a geographical area for the prediction and control of outdoor noise.

The new Version 4.0 Noise Modelling Programme Predictor system is also able to clearly identify major contributors to an environment's noise, making it ideal for use by a diverse range of industries and government departments.

PC based and Windows compatible, Predictor Version 4.0 is designed to model changes in the noise environment owing to land development or changes to machinery or building use.

The system is also useful for planning or designing environments where noise management is necessary.

In Version 4.0 individual grids can now handle up to 250,000 grid points for bigger and more detailed models.

Calculations can be made faster and performance and modelling functions have been improved.

Calculation speeds are between three to 10 times faster compared with Version 3.0 of the system.

The calculations can be optimised with options for maximum source-receiver distance, minimum relevant result and maximum error margin.

In addition, all polyline types (ie barriers, roads, railways) can be created directly by importing from a DXF file.

Version 4.0 also features all the de-facto standards required to fulfil the EU Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC (except for aircraft noise) including the new NMPB French road traffic noise calculation method.

Another new method is the CRTN-LAeq recommended by DEFRA-UK for noise mapping.

When using traditional techniques to model complex environments it is often difficult to see exactly how much noise each source contributes to the overall noise picture.

Predictor overcomes this by ranking the individual noise sources to clearly show the importance of each source.

Predictor makes noise maps either on its own or in combination with GIS software such as ArcView, through data exchange in the industry standard Shape (SHP) format.

Large-scale maps with medium-range resolution or small-scale maps with high resolution can be made using Predictor alone.

Larger maps, or a combination with demography for population exposure, can be carried out either via the system's interface or by importing digital data.

Bruel + Kjaer has made significant enhancements to the user interface of the system.

Toolbars are now customisable and can be undocked to place anywhere on the display.

Graduated noise contours that are useful for presentations to the general public may also be created.

Version 4.0 also enables distances in the model to now be measured.

Predictor provides summary information regarding details of the numbers of items in the model and an improved calculation progress window with expected time to completion.

A multi-user system, Predictor allows several people to work on different parts of the same Predictor project simultaneously.

Predictor is an integrated package in which the same user interface is used to access the different types of data.

Bruel + Kjaer also offers customers a software support service with Predictor, guaranteeing quick, professional assistance wherever and whenever required.