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SoundPLANnoise
SoundPLAN History & Background
The SoundPLAN software is an acoustical planning and modeling tool with a wide range of applications (Urban Planning, Environmental Assessment, Noise Analysis, Noise Control Optimization, Field Noise Mapping, Interior , Interior to Exterior, OSHA / MSHA,….). The SoundPLAN software development started in 1986 with the original two founders (Gert Braunstein and Arne Berndt) and has grown to a 25+ person software development and acoustical engineering power house
SoundPLAN is a three dimensional graphics oriented engineering software. It hosts a digitizer and numerous digital data interface. The software produces color noise contour plots and tabulations of the input data and results. SoundPLAN includes a noise wall / barrier design optimization utilities and an industrial noise optimization module. The various Graphic displays help to visualize the benefit of noise control measures in terms of cost vs. noise level reduction.
SoundPLAN was introduced in the United States in 1992. It is an established and traceable software product and has a long history of use throughout the world. Over 2500+ copies of SoundPLAN have been sold in Asia, Western Europe and North America and there are now more than 5000+ users. SoundPLAN is an unique.
The SoundPLANnoise software is modular and comes with Basic Module, Calculation Modules, Tools & Add-Ons, Graphic Modules and Data Exchange interfaces. Below please find a module summary and description (PDF. – SoundPLANnoise Module Description)
Basic & Calculation Modules
Base Module
Road & Rail Noise Module
Industrial Noise Module
Indoor Noise Module
Aircraft Noise Module
Base Module
The SoundPLAN Base Module includes the Geo-Database, RunKernel, Result Documentation and Graphics (Basic)
Geo-Database
- Simple and easy development of project and data organization with situation names and Geo-File (Layers)
- Data input via geo-referenced bitmaps or import data from DXF, ASCII and QSI-DIN45687
- Import elevation data with intelligent filtering of dense elevation information
- Creation of digital ground models (DGM) for the elevation supply of the geometry and the calculation
- Incorporation roads, railroad embankments and berms into the DGM
- Data editing functions to modify data via automated geometric selection, building and elevation tools, e.g., create parallel objects, bridge recognition from the terrain, assign inhabitants to buildings, zoning, floor numbering, building heights,
- Property Explorer lists all object properties for a selected object type in a spreadsheet table. Object properties can be changed for several or all objects together including via formulas.
- Geometry control via front view, side view and a 3D wire frame model for direct 3D data control during input
- Geometry preflight finds problem in data entry and provide link to input property window so the user can resolve the problem
Library
- SoundPLAN provide a basic system libraries
- The libraries include data for the noise emission & sound levels, vehicular noise emission, aircraft data, sound source directivity, 24 hour road traffic patterns, train emission, sound transmission for walls, windows & roofs, noise assessment, day histogram
- For each project user creates a project libraries with all information used in the project. The user can combine data from the project and system library and create a custom global library with the typical data
- The emission library allows for the conversion of measured sound pressure level to sound power level
- Import and export feature allow the import of library information such as source emission data and directivity data
RunKernel
- The SoundPLAN Run Kernel provides the automatic processing of noise models and the creation of result files
- The editor offers the creation of runs. The runs are tagged for single runs or batch runs processing.
- The run setup is guided from basic description with input data, standards, assessments option and computation specific result generation, documentation and notes.
- The user setup can create defaults in respect of preferred standards, metrological condition, assessment, receiver heights, grid spacing and documentation.
- The data processing uses the available computing cores. It supports multi-core and multiprocessor computer systems.
- Calculation of receptor points and graphical representation of the results as sound level charts
Result Documentation & Spreadsheet
- Result documentation with the overall sound levels, the individual overall source contribution levels, the spectral contributions, the temporal contribution or the contribution per source group.
- Documentation of results with varying detail (e.g., overall level, average sound propagation correction, detail protocol for every single path)
- An integrated result spreadsheet allows for customized summary of adapted to the special requirements of noise calculation
Graphic (Basic)
- Flexible graphical plan output with title block, scale, north arrow and individual design of the displayed geometry data and geometry bitmaps together with the calculated results in 2D.
- Data organization provides comprehensive documentation option for situation and each data file, calculation run, result tables and graphic files
Road & Rail Noise Module
PDF brochure SoundPLAN Road Rail Noise Brochure
- The road noise module includes a selection of road noise standards and parking lot noise standards/guidelines which define the vehicle emission and sound propagation
- The rail road noise module includes a selection of railroad noise standards and which define vehicle emission and sound propagation
- Along the input of a road (TNM 2.5, TNM 3.1 ) or rail object ( FTA / FRA) can change the attributes e.g., for roads parameter such as traffic volume, speed, road width, road surface, control devices etc.
- Each coordinate with property changes in the road, rail input is marked and the user can jump from property change to property change
- The road width to the right and left of the centerline can be enter and will be graphically adjusted e.g., road shoulder, turning lane, …
- The noise barrier geometry can be generated directly from the centerline of the road or edge.
- The road day histogram library allows the direct allocation of hourly traffic volumes from road traffic analysis software.
- Automated import of train assignments from the Excel data sheets (only Schall-03)
- All road or railroad standards included
- New directives, such as CNOSSOS-EU, are incorporated into the current version and are free of charge with warranty and maintenance
- Roads and rails can be combined to different source groups, e.g. roads of different load carriers and later optionally evaluated and displayed in groups.
- Parking lots according to RLS-90 and Bavarian Parking Lot Study 2007
- Noise emission from tunnel opening can be modeled
- Road edges, rail tracks, tunnels and bridges can be included in the DGM calculation so that the emission bands are not buried.
- Calculation of single points, grid noise maps, cross-sectional noise maps, facade noise maps
- Traffic information and other properties can be changed in the property explorer
Industrial Noise Module
PDF Brochure SoundPLAN Industrial Noise Brochure
- Input and calculation of point, line and area sources (also vertical and on the facade), industrial buildings, parking lots, wind turbines and open-air concerts.
- All guidelines / standards are including CNOSSOS, Nord2000, ISO 9613-2, Concawe, General Prediction Method, …
- Open-air events with one or more stages are calculated according to ISO 9613-2 or Nord 2000, taking into account the relevant coherence effects
- Import of d+b ArrayCalc Stage models with complex speaker, line area orientation and directivity
- Line sources, area sources and parking lots can be defined as “following the terrain” to allow for ground conforming source definition (e.g., mining operation, trash hill, construction, …)
- Source height above ground can already be defined source emission library in combination with source emission spectrum. For example, for wind turbines where the hub height is type-dependent or a dump truck the source height is maybe 1 meter above ground.
- 24-hour idle/activity/operation pattern can be define in the histogram library. Multiple units for different application allow for sensible inputs, e.g., minutes, seconds, percent, events or dB value
- Frequency weighting includes A, B, C, D and G-weighting
- Frequency bands in thirds and octaves from 1 – 20,000 Hz
- Sound power conversion feature. Predicted the sound power level based on the average sound pressure level on a sphere, hemisphere or measurement cube.
- Penalties for evening and night time hours are automatically considered in the computation of daily average levels such as Ldn, Lden, CNEL, L max hour, Lmax during pass-by, …
- Sources can be combined into source groups, for example the sources of a company and later optionally evaluated and displayed in groups.
- The industrial building object is a special building that will be considered for reflection and shielding calculation as well as noise source. All facades, roof and in case the building is floating the floor can be used to radiate noise. In the industrial building editor, the components are conveniently entered, duplicated and provided with properties.
- Unique: Outdoor noise can be calculated in one step using the sound pressure level inside, taking into account the sound transmission values of facades, gates and windows.
- Overall or spectral based 2D and full 3D directivity library
- Interface to loudspeaker directivity data (e.g., clf common loudspeaker format) imports spectrum and full 3D directivity
- Detailed tabular documentation of results and input data
- Calculation of single points, grid noise maps, cross-sectional noise maps, façade noise maps
Indoor Noise Module
PDF Brochure SoundPLAN Indoor Noise Brochure
- Interior noise propagation modeling based upon VDI 3760 or an advanced sound particle model with diffraction.
- Model can range from manufacturing, terminals, offices to auditorium. The room layout is user defined.
- All interior surfaces larger sources, absorption surfaces, walls, intermediate ceilings, desks, cupboards, machines, baffles, etc. are effortlessly entered in the industrial building editor and provided with source and material properties.
- Noise source include point, line, area and box shaped machinery, with overall or spectral input and 24-hour operation settings
- Interior walls, ceilings, partial barriers and composite interior surface allow the development of interior space for the sound transmission between rooms and floors
- Calculation of single points, grid noise maps, cross-sectional noise maps and “Hallout”
- The results are assessment levels, sound propagation curves and horizontal and vertical noise maps.
- “Hallout” predicts the noise level at the center of each exterior surfaces (walls, doors, roof) defined as an exterior noise source. The predicted interior level is saved in the library and is used in combination with the transmission loss to estimate the exterior radiating sound intensity.
- Noise at Workplace allows the calculation and documentation of the workers daily noise exposure.
Aircraft Noise Module
PDF Brochure SoundPLAN Aircraft Noise Brochure
- The Airport Noise Module incorporates the calculation and data input according to DIN 45684, AzB 2008, ECAC 3rd and 4th Edition, CNOSSOS-EU
- Complete integration of the current German Aircraft Noise Protection Act, checked for accuracy by the German Federal Environment Agency
- Import of a complete model via QSI
- Import of aircraft databases from Eurocontrol and INM data
- Calculation of descriptors, such as Leq, maximum level, NAT exceedance frequency, threshold value acc. to NAT, wake-up probability, ANEF (Australian Noise Exposure Forecast)
- Detailed result documentation of the results including frequency and distribution function of the maximum level for a selected receiver.
- Maximum level statistics for the individual aircraft classes or the sum of aircraft classes.
- Automated graphical output of aircraft noise protection zones and passive noise protection measures.
- Quick and easy combination with any other noise type on the basis of VDI 3722-2
- Calculation of single points, grid noise maps, cross-sectional noise maps, façade noise maps
Tools & Add-ons
Wall Design Module
Distributed Computing
Noise Mapping Tool Box
Industry Noise Tools
Radar Module
Room Acoustic Module
Wall Design Module
PDF Brochure SoundPLAN Wall Design Brochure
- Dimensioning of noise barriers and noise berms on the basis of the location of a planned structure with different wall/berm heights
- Calculation for individual receptor locations or in combination with the Façade Noise Map module for all building façade receptors
- Various optimization strategies – compliance with limit values, minimization of facade lengths above limit values, finding the optimal cost-benefit ratio, costs per solved protection case (EBA), efficiency and effectiveness according to the Swiss economic viability index
- 3-dimensional database provides the noise reduction for each receptor, each wall segment and stacked wall element.
Distributed Computing
- Network calculation with all free resources of participating computer systems
- With only one license you can incorporate an unlimited number of computers into the calculation of noise models.
- Automatically temporarily integrate computers, e.g. overnight
- Completely automated sending of tasks and collection of results in the original project
- Easy set up
- Work through calculations from different projects one after the other
Noise Mapping Tool Box
Tools for the preparation of strategic noise maps – EU Environmental Noise Directive and action
planning as well as for the efficient processing of extensive projects, such as road planning with
several variants
• Tile projects – loading of data only in the area of selected tiles / areas – minimizes first of all the
calculation times, additionally, loading times, for example during data preparation or graphics
creation are also minimized.
• Annoyance analyses
• Inhabitants and area statistics in intervals or above thresholds
• Statistical evaluation according to CNOSSOS-EU, BEB – Assignment of inhabitants and dwellings
according to e.g. median or façade sections
• Commission Directive (EU) 2020/367 (assessment methods for harmful effects of environmental
noise)
• Comparison of variants on the basis of affected inhabitants or areas via level statistics
• Export of the building center of gravity with the highest level per building
• Hotspot calculation using noise indicators
• VDI 3722-2 – Overall noise assessment
• Automated generation of map sections for large investigation areas
Industry Noise Tools
PDF Brochure SoundPLAN Industry Tools Brochure
- Industrial Noise Mitigation Optimization: Analysis tool for noise control strategies. Tools helps to identify and rank the contribution of individual or group sources, identify reduction potentials and to select the most suitable reduction measure in terms of cost/benefit analysis.
- Optimization concepts to ensure the greatest possible efficiency while complying with the limit values, for example for the optimum control of the individual wind turbines of a wind farm.
- The frequency-dependent sound power levels of individual noise sources can be calculated from the measured sound pressure levels. For example, the manufacturer specifications may provide 1 m or 3’ average noise level. Based on skid or equipment dimension the user can estimate the sound power level based on a user defined measurement sphere.
- Source sound power levels using custom equation editor: sound power can be calculated using formulas from any technical parameters, such as the internal level of a pipeline and its external noise emission.
Radar Module
Tab Cont
- Radar track import based on data formats from Stanly, Fanomos and Topsonic
- Aircraft database for automatic allocation of emission data
- Convenient processing and data control of radar data during import
- Stored ANP database by Eurocontrol allows the selection of procedural height profiles and fixed point profiles.
Room Acoustic Module
PDF Brochure SoundPLAN Room Acoustic Brochure
- Requires the Indoor Noise module as pre-requisite
- Calculation of reverberation times and various room acoustic parameters, such as speech intelligibility STI, distraction distance or privacy distance according to ISO 3382-3:2012 and E VDI 2569
- Calculation of measurement paths, single points and grid noise maps
- Automatic print-ready room classification according to E VDI 2569 or an assessment according to DIN 18041
- Auralisation in the result documentation – an audio file can be played back on the basis of the Room Impulse response at a receptor
Graphic Modules
Grid Noise Module
Cross Section Noise Module
Cartography Module
Facade Noise Module
3D Graphic
3D Graphic Animation
Grid Noise Module
- Calculation of an equal spaced receiver grid at a user-defined height above ground level. The grid size is user specified.
- Grid interpolation parameter provide flexible adjustment for initial and detailed grid calculation
- Display as isophone map with contour line labelling or grid map, also with color gradient
- Output of difference maps and other arithmetic operations e.g. sum maps, maximum / minimum value maps, average or addition safety margin or ambient base level, ….
- Freely definable color scale for graphic output, for intervals or discrete colors (for contour lines) by different scale types
- Color intervals – also non-linear, e.g. for highlighting limit values of different uses
- Contour line output and unlimited additional intervals e.g., every 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 5 dB intervals.
- Output of limit lines
- Output of the sum level or individual frequencies and groups
- Presenting contour map in 3D isometric view (3D Graphic Module) with transparency factors over aerial bitmaps (Cartography Module)
Cross Section Noise Module
- Vertical plan Grid Noise Map from lowest point of a cross section to the maximum height
- Parameters and output equivalent to Grid Noise Map
- Visualizes the vertical noise propagation for noise source close to the ground or elevated.
- Shows acoustic benefits or limitation of shielding effects for buildings, noise barriers walls and berms.
- In combination with 3D Graphic the cross-sectional noise map can be shown with semi-transparent areas and non-transparent contour lines.
Cartography Module
PDF Brochure SoudnPLAN Cartography Brochure
- Google Earth, Google Maps and Open Street Map open with a mouse click in the area of the entered geometry data.
- If the project does not yet contain any geodata, simply select the desired area via the address search and deposit a georeferenced bitmap as a basis with a single click.
- Elevation import from Google Maps, Google Earth & MapQuest
- Access to WMS servers for data input and plan output. The section automatically adapts to the selected geometry section. If desired, a bitmap can also be included in the project.
- Export of geometry and contour bands of a grid noise map to kml
- Import of photo points with GPS data. Representation of the photo points with view direction in a map and clear tabular photo documentation with number, picture and description
- Any columns from the integrated spreadsheet can be presented in a graphic map as small tables with reference to the receptor
- Conflict maps and sum conflict maps for noise maps.
- With the symbol editor you can create your own symbols, for example traffic signs, which make the thematic maps even more meaningful.
- Extended object representation in 2D and 3D, for example individual line, chain and surface definitions, 3D wall with posts, different tree species for a more realistic 3D view.
- Import of measured values (ASCII) into a table and present measured data as points on contour maps. Import results from other noise models and superimpose the results as ambient noise level
- Automated map description (e.g. reference kilometers of a wall, wall heights, source number, kilometer marking).
- Map sections and overview map for the effective presentation of results of, for example, motorway and noise remediation projects, including automated generation of maps, graphics and export data for all map sections.
Facade Noise Module
- Using the building facades selected at the push of a button, receivers are automatically set according to various criteria, e.g. a point in the middle of the facade, according to the specifications of BEB or CNOSSOS-EU or with an indentation from the facade corners.
- Floor-by-floor calculation and calculation at a fixed height above terrain
- The number of receiver points above each other (floors) and the height of the first calculation point based on building parameters.
- Representation of facade levels as color marks, colored facades or colored buildings in 2D and 3D. In 3D the color changes according to the level on the respective floor.
- Display of results processed further via the integrated spreadsheet (e.g. decisive level from different variants)
- Texts in the color marks in 2D and 3D, for example the number of the receiver point as reference to the table or the level value.
- Output of difference maps and other arithmetic links such as the designation of noise level ranges
- Calculations of the economic impact caused by noise according to the Swiss WTI (“Economic feasibility and proportionality of noise abatement measures”, Series 301, Federal Agency for the Environment BAFU)
- Evaluation according to parameters for wall optimization, e.g. cost ratio of active to passive noise protection measures, efficiency, effectiveness, WTI (BAFU) and costs per solved protection case (German Federal Railway Authority)
- Freely definable color scale for graphic output
- Color intervals – also non-linear, e.g. for highlighting limit values of different uses
- Output of the sum level or groups
3D Graphic
PDF Brochure SoundPLAN 3D Graphic Brochure
- 3D view in Geo-Database for checking geometric integrity of model
- 3D Graphic presentation with hidden line and hidden surface visualization.
- Special Effects – perspective or orthogonal view, fog, transparency effect, color coding of objects with 3D colors for vertical and horizontal surfaces
- Combination of Cross Section, Grid Noise Maps and Meshed contour, difference, coverage, group or spectral maps
3D Graphic Animation
- Driving along any road or railway axis in the project, for example to check the position in the terrain.
- Enter any animation path and fly over the 3D investigation area, for example.
- Animated train pass-by via a Grid Noise Map, 2D and 3D display
- Level-time curve at each point of the calculated noise map, also as a graphic box with reference to the location in the map
- Arithmetic operations of animated noise maps with baseline noise map from other model. with several trains, for example from different directions or trains running at a certain time interval.
- 3D Graphic View and select receptor for view port
Data Exchange Utilities
ArcGis Interface
TNM Import Export Module
ArcGis Interface
PDF Brochure SoundPLAN GIS Shape Interface Brochure
- Import and export of ESRI shapefiles with any geometry properties.
- Open dbf files (property tables of Shapefiles), edit, supplement, modify using formulas, create and save columns with additional properties.
- Shapefile export of the geometry with any property data
- Shapefile export of the single point results with any desired columns (also the columns calculated in the SoundPLAN spreadsheet)
- Shapefile export of the grid points, the contour lines (as line, surface or band) and the triangle points, for the DGM data also the triangles themselves
- Import from CityGML
- Import of OSM geometry and elevation data via the geometry section [Prerequisite: Cartography]
- Import of OSM XML
TNM Import Export Module
- Import model geometry and traffic, ground, barrier parameter from TNM v2.5, TNM v3.1 into the SoundPLANnoise Geo-Database
- Preparation of SoundPLAN model for TNM v2.5 and v3.1 export
- Exporting SoundPLAN Models from Geo-Database back to TNM v2.5 and TNM v3.1 project files