Exposure to noise at home, at work, while traveling, and during leisure activities is a fact of life for all Americans. At times noise can be loud enough to damage hearing, and at lower levels it can disrupt normal living, affect sleep patterns, affect our ability to concentrate at work, interfere with outdoor recreational activities, and, in some cases, interfere with communications and even cause accidents. Clearly, exposure to excessive noise can affect our quality of life. As the population of the United States and, indeed, the world increases and developing countries become more industrialized, problems of noise are likely to become more pervasive and lower the quality of life for everyone. Efforts to manage noise exposures, to design quieter buildings, products, equipment, and transportation vehicles, and to provide a regulatory environment that facilitates adequate, cost-effective, sustainable noise controls require our immediate attention. Technology for a Quieter America looks at the most commonly identified sources of noise, how they are characterized, and efforts that have been made to reduce noise emissions and experiences. The book also reviews the standards and regulations that govern noise levels and the federal, state, and local agencies that regulate noise for the benefit, safety, and wellness of society at large. In addition, it presents the cost-benefit trade-offs between efforts to mitigate noise and the improvements they achieve, information sources available to the public on the dimensions of noise problems and their mitigation, and the need to educate professionals who can deal with these issues. Noise emissions are an issue in industry, in communities, in buildings, and during leisure activities. As such, Technology for a Quieter America will appeal to a wide range of stakeholders: the engineering community; the public; government at the federal, state, and local levels; private industry; labor unions; and nonprofit organizations. Implementation of the recommendations in Technology for a Quieter America will result in reduction of the noise levels to which Americans are exposed and will improve the ability of American industry to compete in world markets paying increasing attention to the noise emissions of products.

Noise is one of the most pervasive forms of environmental pollution. It is everywhere and affects our lives at home, work and play. By definition, noise is any unwanted or excessive sound. Highway traffic noise is a major issue for transportation agencies. The objective of this study was to identify noise reduction products, materials, and technologies currently available and that may have potential as noise mitigation alternatives. The literature review and survey identified measures that are being used by U.S. transportation organizations as well as international efforts. Some key findings from the literature review show the following best practices: - Pavement Noise Reduction Products - noise or sound walls dominate this category and have been used for decades in the U.S. Findings from the literature revealed a variety of materials to choose from that are both aesthetically attractive, and effective in reducing sound from tire pavement noise. The cost of installing products will need to be evaluated on a case by case basis with the vendor or for each applicable product. - Pavement Noise Reduction Materials - The operating speed of the roadway should be factored into the roadway design for quiet pavements. European studies show that higher porous mixtures tend to clog under slower speeds. Two layer-porous mixes have been found to be effective in Europe and the US. An important attribute for consideration in two layer-porous mix design and placement is aggregate size. - Pavement Noise Reduction Technologies - use of thin-textured surfacings with a negative pavement depression are recommended for urban or low-speed roadway sections. Diamond grinding enhances noise reduction on concrete surfaces in sensitive locations. - Other Pavement Noise Reduction Measures - looking forward, transportation officials are encouraged to develop an integrated approach to roadway noise reduction. Instead of relying on a single measure, the recommended forward strategy is to develop the ability to model the effectiveness of a number of different measures to achieve greater noise reduction.

What is acoustics? What is noise? How is sound measured? How can the vehicle noise be reduced using sound package treatments? Pranab Saha answers these and more in Acoustical Materials. Acoustics is the science of sound, including its generation, propagation, and effect. Although the propulsion sources of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and electric motor-powered vehicles (EV) are different and therefore their propulsion noises are different, both types of vehicles have shared noise concerns: Tire and road noise Wind noise Vehicle noise and vibration issues have been there almost from the inception of vehicle manufacturing. The noise problem in a vehicle is very severe and is difficult to solve only by modifying the sources of noise and vibration. Sound package treatments address the noise and vibration issues along the path to reduce in-cabin noise. In Acoustical Materials, readers will grasp the science of reducing sound and vibration using sound absorbers, sound barriers, and vibration dampers. Sound provides information on the proper operation of the vehicle, but if unchecked, can detract from the consumer experience within the vehicle and create noise pollution outside the vehicle. Acoustical Materials provides essential information on the basics of sound, vehicle noise source, how these are measured, how vehicle owners perceive sound, and ultimately, how to solve noise problems in vehicles using sound package materials.