Calculations

SoundPLAN has unique features for planning engineers who need to create multiple scenarios to find the best solutions. SoundPLAN easily manages various scenarios and calculates the feed information for many graphical and tabular outputs. SoundPLAN was designed as a multi-document application. The program organizes the data in an hierarchical structure using Situations and Geo-Files, and it keeps track in the Calculations of when and how data was processed. Because all calculations are hosted in a tabular format, they can be repeated any time. The program also records what calculation was run, how long the calculation took and what warning messages, etc., were given. Results are completely traceable through this unique calculation administration.

Calculations are hosted in spreadsheets the user names and stores in the project. A single project can have one or multiple calculation spreadsheets. The calculation settings for each calculation type can be globally preset in the form of templates. This means only a minimal amount of work is needed to generate a new calculation run.

Use the tabs on top of the table to access all parts of the run control: the Run File, Log Book, Graphics and Run Info. The Run File contains the run definitions with the data files, calculation type, the file number of the results, the run history and the description. The log book is available per project or as a general log and shows in detail which files are processed when and how. With Graphics you can review the data after loading and see the progress of the calculations. Run Info contains a complete list of settings available for a calculation. This information block is also available in the Documentation as part of the results. SoundPLAN makes sure you can trace the results and identify what data and settings were used to produce the results.

Double clicking on a calculation run opens the definitions menu with the General definitions, the calculation Settings, the Standards and the Description. Usually the calculation type will have some specific requirements, that are in this case opened in the Grid Map tab.

Here are all calculation types in a short overview:

Outdoor Noise	Single Point Sound	Single receiver calculations to provide result data for the Documentation and Spreadsheet
	Grid Noise Map	Noise map with a fixed grid of receivers
	Facade Noise Map	Map of Receivers along all enabled facades of all buildings for all floors
	City Noise Map	Noise Map based on a triangulated approach rather than a fixed grid system
	Crossectional Noise Map	Vertical noise map on a user defined line
	Wall Design Single Point	Calculation to create feed data for WallDesign to optimize a noise barrier
	Wall Design - Facade Noise	Calculation to create feed data for WallDesign to optimize a noise barrier for an entire area
Indoor Noise	Single Point Sound	Calculate the noise for single receivers indoors
	Sound Propagation Curve	Prepare feed data for a sound propagation curve in a building depicting the sound decay from one place to another
	Grid Noise Map	Prepare the data for a Grid Noise Map inside the building
	Hallout (In -> Out)	Calculate receivers 1 meter from the inside facade for the purpose of supplying data for the transmission through the wall
Aircraft Noise	Single Point	Single receivers for aircraft noise
	Grid Noise Map	Grid noise map for aircraft noise
	Contour Lines	Calculate the location of the contour lines more accurately than is possible from a Grid Noise Map
	Facade Noise Map	Facade Noise Map for aircraft noise
Air Pollution	MISKAM	MISKAM air pollution dispersion
	MISKAM Screening	MISKAM air pollution dispersion with reduced options
	TALuft -Single Point	Air pollution calculation according to the Gauss modes TALuft - single point calculation
	TALuft - Grid Map	Air pollution calculation according to the Gauss modes TALuft - Grid Map
Geometry	Elevation Lines	Calculates elevation lines at user selected intervals
	Digital Ground Model	Prepares a Digital Ground Model to be used in the Geo-Database

All result files are stored with a unique file name and a number as an identifier. If you select a file number that is already in use, you will be warned that this might cause results to be overwritten. The data area contains the Geo-Files and Situations you want to use in the calculation. (If you are not 100% sure what is in a file, click on the graphics tab and you will see the data).

After all parameters for the calculations are defined, click the button to start all calculations marked with a "yes" in the first column of the run table. When the button is used, only the calculation where the cursor is positioned will be executed. SoundPLAN is set to "batch" calculations without writing cryptic scripts, etc.. Calculations can be interrupted at any time and will resume where they were stopped.

Following is a screen as it would appear during a Grid Noise Calculation. Receivers are arranged on a grid which is partitioned in cells of 9 by 9 receivers. To save calculation time, the program attempts to interpolate receivers within the cells. By calculating and interpolating some receivers, the program can make reliable decisions when the interpolation is producing correct answers and when additional receivers need to be calculated. When the tab Graphics is selected, the receivers are depicted according to a user defined colored scale for any time slot calculated or show terrain elevation or the interpolation status of the receiver.

A statistics window indicates current location of the calculation, the number of receivers already done, and a projected calculation time.

All SoundPLAN maps (Facade Noise Maps, Grid Noise Maps, etc.) are based on single receiver calculations. Separate from the maps, the single, stand alone receivers are used to create feed data for the Documentation and the Spreadsheets. Following is a screenshot of a single receiver calculation. Starting at the receiver, SoundPLAN scans for the sources and then maps on the circular chart the noise input from the scanned sector . The scale rings of 10, 20... dB indicate the noise contribution from a single direction. Red rays depict reflected noise and yellow rays show the direct noise input from that direction.

Last modification:14 January 2004