Environmental Noise, Vibration and Soundscapes
We work to reduce the harms of noise. In 2023, a House or Lords’ reported called noise “a neglected pollutant.” Our research is underpinned by understanding how people perceive and experience sound and vibration. Extending to engineering better sounding places and products.
The environmental noise and vibration research group has participated in National (Defra) and EU (EU FP7 Cargovibes project) funded projects investigating the human response to noise and vibration. This work resulted with the derivation of exposure-response curves for the assessment of annoyance due to noise and vibration and a guidance document on the evaluation of railway vibration.
Linked with the human response to noise and vibration, the group conducts analysis of situational, attitudinal, and socio-demographic factors in order to provide a better understanding of community annoyance response and to develop practical tools for cost effective management of operations.
As well as field related investigations, the group also conducts perceptual laboratory tests that lead to models for the prediction of annoyance based on objective features of sound and vibration. Moreover, there is an interest in machine learning and source identification as the railway comprises different sources (e.g. freight, maintenance, high speed). These results are expected to guide new future policy on railway noise and vibration mitigation measures.
Projects
- The Future Homes (Acoustics) project on acoustics of low carbon technologies including heat pumps
- The positive soundscapes project
- Policy applications of soundscapes
- Sound around you
- Cargovibes – FP7
- Focused noise monitoring UK 2013 – Defra
- Human response to vibration in residential environments – Defra
- Research into the Improvement of the Management of Helicopter Noise – Defra
- Low frequency noise – Defra
- Construction and open cast site noise – Defra
- Sound Speed Profile Structure and Variability – WISE EU PROJECT
- Eskmeals, gun noise – QinetiQ
- Firearm noise – Police Service of Northern Ireland
- Ground Impedance Project – QinetiQ, Farnborough
- Effects of meteorology on outdoor propagation – EPSRC
- A noisy future
- Noise from pubs and clubs
For further information please contact Professor David Waddington.