A hybrid-internet-auralization program for environmental sounds

Without any doubt, the noxa "noise" brings about economically measurable damage to the health and performance of people concerned. In 2004, more than 30% of the population in the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg felt annoyed by traffic noise and almost 20% by aircraft noise. Noise emitted from industrial plants and leisure time facilities must still be added to these noise sources. So far, the individual types of noise sources were considered separately. Requirements, calculation and measurement methods are available for the respective types of noise. The impact of the individual types of noise, however, cannot be taken into consideration separately but must be integrally assessed as a totality of noise sources. For example, noise immissions caused by traffic, industry and leisure time facilities may not be annoying as a single noise source, the totality of noise sources, however, is assessed as especially disturbing. An extensive survey of models to consider the totality of noise sources is given in. Therefore the objective of this project is to create a usable tool allowing the auralization and explanation of simultaneous and different sound immissions (e.g. traffic, railway, industry, leisure time facilities) and the impact of different adjusted noise reduction measures (noise barriers and noise control windows, silencers). To allow public use of this auralization instrument the "auralization browser" is available for non-commercial users free of charge.