Noise annoyance indicators for various industrial noise sources: Results and comparisons

Characterizing the environmental impact of an industrial plant goes through a better understanding of the noise annoyance caused by industrial noise sources, which are numerous and various. A first step was to construct a perceptive typology of various industrial noise sources from a categorization test and based on perceived similarities. Now, laboratory tests are carried out, for each perceptive category separately, through the same experimental procedure, by testing the influence of the sound pressure level and of the noise spectral characteristics (low frequency noise, tonal noiseœ) on noise annoyance. The effect of spectral modifications due to the noise propagation on noise annoyance is also assessed. Subjects have also to judge the annoyance induced by an ambient noise exposure, built with a background noise and an industrial noise for which the emergence level is controlled. Different types of background noises are studied. Through a statistical analysis, indicators are developed for each perceptive category, based on classical indicators such as sound pressure level or loudness (for instance), or on indicators improved to suit spectral characteristics noticed. In this paper, the results of those listening tests are detailed and compared.