Frequency Weightings Based on Subjectively Dominant Spectral Regions
Invited paper
University of Southampton
Tuesday 2 june, 2015, 16:00 - 16:20
0.4 Brussels (189)
Abstract:
The optimisation of frequency weightings for the assessment of environmental
and transportation noise has been an enduring research theme, with no real
consensus achieved, other than increasing acknowledgement that the widespread
adoption of the A-frequency weighting is an essentially arbitrary choice.
Based on the results of 4 illustrative case studies, we propose a simple
hypothesis that the 'best' frequency weighting in any specific context depends
on which part of the frequency spectrum is subjectively dominant. This
hypothesis helps to explain why different frequency weighting schemes appear
to work 'best' in different situations and allows the selection of frequency
weightings for use in assessment procedures to be carried out on a more
rational and possibly less partisan basis. Further work is of course
necessary to develop and extend our hypothesis to a wider range of different
circumstances.