Recording, Processing, and Reproduction of Vibrations Produced by Impact Noise Sources in Buildings

Abstract

Several studies on the perception of impact sounds question the correlation of standardized approaches with perceived annoyance, while more recent studies have come to inconsistent conclusions. All these studies neglected the aspect of whole-body vibrations, which are known to be relevant for the perception of low-frequency sound and can be perceived especially in lightweight constructions. Basically, the contribution of vibrations to impact sound annoyance is still unknown and could be the reason for the contradictory results. To investigate this aspect, we measured vibrations on different types of floors under laboratory conditions and in situ. For this purpose, a vibration-sensing device was developed to record vibrations more cost-effectively and independently of commercial recording instruments. The vibrations of predefined impact sequences were recorded together with the sound field using a higher-order ambisonics microphone. In addition, a vibration exposure device was developed to expose the test objects to the exact vibrations that occur in the built environment. The vibration exposure device is integrated into the ambisonics reproduction system, which consists of a large number of loudspeakers in a spherical configuration. The article presents the development and performance achieved using the vibration-sensing unit and the vibration exposure device. The study is relevant for conducting future impact sound listening tests under laboratory conditions, which can be extended to include the reproduction of vibrations.