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/ BUILDING DIALOGUE / SEPTEMBER 2016
W
ith any housing project – single- or mul-
tifamily – exterior noise should always be
of concern. This exterior noise entering
the occupants interior living space is problematic.
There are many studies concerning noise and the
negative impact. One conducted in 2003 with 1,700
persons shows noise affects our long-term health
and increase medical care costs. The two sources
of “exterior noise” are noise from the surrounding
neighborhood – like sirens traffic, trains, etc. – and
possibly equally annoying is the noise stemming
from the activities of the neighbors.
With respect to outside noise, location has been a
long-time real estate mantra as the location of a prop-
erty is often as important as the building itself. Loca-
tion is also an important consideration with respect
to exterior noise levels. The table lists typical sound
levels for various outdoor environments and activi-
ties along with subjective descriptions. “A-weighted”
sound levels (dBA) are used because they represent
how people hear low to high frequencies.
Federal laws are in place to help regulate noise level
of airplanes and highway noise. The Department of
Housing and Urban Development requirements for
housing have existed for many years with a focus on
limiting the noise levels inside the living areas. The
HUD design goal is 45 dBA maximum inside the bed-
room or living room. The World Health Organization
recommends 40 dBA. It has been our experience that
most people prefer quieter (e.g., 30 to 35 dBA).
The exterior walls, windows and doors of single- or
multifamily buildings are the first line of defense
against outside noise entering the living spaces. Usu-
ally, the windows are the “weakest link” and need to
be upgraded to increase the noise insulation they pro-
vide or the amount of glazing can be reduced.
The American Society for Testing and Material is-
sues standards to determine exterior noise isolation
Edward
Logsdon, PE
Vice
President
and
Principal,
D.L. Adams
Associates
ELEMENTS
Noise Reduction
gkkworks
Balfour Residences
