Noise Mapping - Population Exposure

The EU Noise mapping demands that the population exposed to excessive noise levels be tallied. With SoundPLAN, this analysis can be done from within the noise mapping software, without using GIS systems to prepare or post-process the data. 

SoundPLAN produces the correct values using the built-in Spreadsheet to assess the population numbers and to tally the number exposed. The results of the exposure calculation can be mapped together with the maximum noise levels found for each building. 

The blue scale represents the noise exposure; i.e. how many people in an area are exposed to noise levels exceeding 60 dB. The right scale is the scale of the maximum noise levels found for each building as calculated from a Facade Noise map. The Facade Noise map is more suitable to calculate this exposure as it calculates the levels for each floor for all sides of the building.

The population density for each building was estimated from the total number of residents in the town by evenly distributing them amongst all available living space. The functions to calculate the square meters of all residential buildings and to distribute the residents to individual buildings can be done automatically in the SoundPLAN Spreadsheet. Alternatives would be to distribute the residents evenly along the facades or to directly enter the number of residents for each building. Population density is a one of the columns in the area table and thus can also be mapped. (see below)

The above plot mapped the number of residents per 10000 meters of area. This was used as feed information to calculate the exposure.

This is a 3D Noise Map of  part of the above area.

Last modification: 24 September 2003