Changes and innovations delivered with SoundPLAN version 7.0

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1 Changes and innovations delivered with SoundPLAN version 7.0 Highlights New layout and more information in the SoundPLAN Manager New Dynamic Search calculation core with Multi-threading, higher accuracy and improved forms of noise protection walls New Indoor Factory calculations with half height walls Improvements to the Documentations and Spreadsheets page layout Noise Allotment improved and printable from the Graphics Direct Excel-Export from the Documentation Attribute Explorer in the Geo-Database with calculation and statistics functions New object type for tunnel openings Noise protection walls with more flexibility in geometry and absorption Print preview in the graphics Flexible receiver tables in the graphics More flexible license management for network licenses (license borrowing) An overview of the changes SoundPLAN Manager The SoundPLAN Manager was redesigned to reflect the new SoundPLAN company logo. There are new buttons for building acoustics outside and for noise allotment. The building acoustics module will eventually have an English user interface and description in the handbook. Presently it is only in German.

2 A new version of the German AzB is now included in the aircraft noise standards; As there are many standards from which to choose, a selection of the standard for the aircraft noise model is integrated into the standards available through the SoundPLAN Manager. The SoundPLAN Manager now displays more information about the project and selected standards. The Project selection was reworked so that locations on a network can be accessed without first generating a drive letter for the path. When selecting a packed project you will be asked if this project should be zipped.

3 The latest SoundPLAN manual is on every CD, but with new version 7.0 the manual can also be read on-line via HELP => Read manual. New versions of the manual will install at the same place, as well as the update text explaining in detail the changes coming with version 7.0. You can find this text under HELP => Read update text. Geo-Database New: Attribute Explorer For a given object type, generate a complete list of all objects with all valid attributes. Use the spreadsheet to sort/rank objects in accordance to the value of the attribute. Define formulas the same way as in the SoundPLAN Spreadsheet to set the value of certain attributes. For example, it is very easy to sort roads in accordance to the traffic volume and select all roads with less than 500 cars a day to be roads where a speed limit of 30 km/h would apply. This is all open to the fantasy of the user. New: Object for tunnel openings. Automobile and railway tunnels emit more noise than a road or railway in the free field. The amount of emission and the frequencies and the directivity all depend on the traffic volume, geometry of the tunnel and the amount of absorptive material in the tunnel opening/the section close to the opening. Pic.: A difference man depicting the increase of noise due to the tunnel. Wall properties were reworked to allow the user more flexibility defining the shape of the wall. In the past, only straight walls could be designed that were fully rooted on the ground. With the new wall definition, a wall can become a succession of elements with each stacked element having a defined size and

4 angle change compared to the previous element. This means it is possible to design noise protection walls of any shape. The calculations were also adjusted to simulate walls covering the emitting source lines. The emission calculations for road and rail have been reorganized. The new Geo-Tool to estimate multi-reflections in city environment allows calculations in inner city roads to estimate the effect of multiple reflections without the calculation time overhead. After selecting a road/rail axis, SoundPLAN will divide sections of the road/rail into segments where the conditions for multiple reflections are the same. SoundPLAN can insert coordinates along the road either by linear interpolation or with a spline. The addition for multiple reflections is calculated by automatically evaluating the distances of the next buildings from the road axis, the height and the absorption coefficients of the buildings. The addition then is added to the roads emission. Parking lots in accordance to the Parking lot study from 2007 now can be assigned a group name for evaluation in the Documentation. If properties are presented along a road, it can be time consuming to redraw the screen for big projects. ESC suppresses the slow elements during the redraw. The Library The emissions library now shows 2 spectra, the linear spectrum on the top and the filtered spectrum on the bottom. When either spectrum is edited, the other is adjusted accordingly. Documentation/Spreadsheet In the result table and the spreadsheet, the definition of the line width and color for the table header, table and footer are independent of each other. In the result table, the line width is now set in points. A point is the equivalent of 0.35 mm. In the Spreadsheet, the line width is in mm. A direct export to Excel is now available from the Documentation. Prepare tables and save them in Excel format.

5 Calculation Core The calculation procedure is improved. The new core is based on Dynamic Search (DS) rather than an angle by angle search. The new calculation core examines all sources, ranks them according to the free field contribution, and determines which sources are relevant and which are not. For sources requiring detailed computing, the geometry between source and receiver is investigated and the noise levels are calculated and replace the estimate in the dynamic list. If the check reveals some of the important sources are contributing less than anticipated, additional sources that previously did not make the list are computed, and another test made to ensure the list is sufficient. When the accuracy criterion is met, the remaining sources are estimated, further reducing the margin of error allotted to the calculation. As computers evolve, software adapts. In the past, calculation speed was increased using Distributed Computing if the PC had a multi-core CPU. The disadvantage of this is that the calculations are organized as if they are performed on multiple computers. For each core, the program needs memory to host the project data. If the project is very big and the PC only has limited memory, the problem in the future would be much more aggravated with computers containing 6 or more cores. Now multi threading is used. Project data are present only once so multiple calculations fit within the same data space. SoundPLAN will use as many threads as the computer has cores. To work on the PC parallel to the calculations, simply reduce the number of threads allocated to the calculation. Multi Threading also works on Distributed Computing Servers. Terrain edges are no longer used in SoundPLAN. They were defined by hand before and needed a lot of attention. If terrain edges are in a project, SoundPLAN 7.0 replaces them with 2 elevation lines. Because more and more data is received as elevation points, a new procedure was developed to enter and process elevation information. In the past, the screening properties of man-made objects were evaluated in the shadow zone and the illuminated zone while elevation lines were evaluated only in the shadow zone. With version 7.0, a new algorithm is used to calculate the screening effect in the illuminated zone. If the connection of the ground between the source and the receiver is intersected with an elevation line or the edge of a triangle of the DGM, it will be evaluated for its screening function. The procedure to calculate side screening and screening over and around multiple objects has been improved. It is now possible to use side screening for all calculation types and standards. The setting for side screening has been moved to the Settings of the standard.

6 If multiple objects are connected to each other, this is noted and the screening is performed around the entire, composite object. This makes it possible to connect a floating screen to a building and have no leakage at the seams. Starting with version 7.0, a DGM is required for all calculations except Noise Allotment, Hot Spot Calculations and TA-Luft86 Gauss air pollution assessment. There is now a selection box for the DGM below the selection of Situations and Geo-Files in the definition of the calculation run. If no DGM is selected, the calculation core will use all elevation information and create a DGM for the calculation run. If all elevations in the data are set to 0.0 meters, no DGM is used; the constant elevation of 0.0 is assumed. The calculation of interior noise levels in working rooms is based on the VDI The unique extensions implemented in SoundPLAN have overcome the restrictions of this guideline. Now it is possible to evaluate any room shape, local screening effects and local absorption areas and to optimize sensible noise reduction measures like absorbers and screens in rooms with work places. The complete integration of this module in the SoundPLAN program package takes advantage of the existing and easy to use input and output capabilities. Create and compare different variants in the most convenient way. The acoustical input data (emission and absorption) can be organized in the well structured libraries already containing hundred of elements in octave or even in third octave bands. The computed results can be single values at working places, sound decay curves (SAK), reverberation time and horizontal and vertical noise maps. All calculations are carried out with the fast and most advanced SoundPLAN calculation core using the full power of your computer with the multi threading technique. The integrated concept of the interior noise calculations and the superb definition of the surrounding building facades give you the ability to use the calculated indoor levels directly for your environmental noise assessment study in the

7 surrounding of your industrial site. There is no other software offering this complete linkage and ease of use - saving your time and money. Graphics A new data file type, the receiver tables, is available to take any column and structure lines from the SoundPLAN Spreadsheet and place them in the sheet. As the tables might not be in suitable locations, edit map has a function to enable the movement of the tables. Check the appropriate checkbox and then move the table to its new location. The paper size is now the relevant measurement for the sheets. Because most printers cannot print from edge to edge, define the unprintable edge of the sheet. The graphics now has a print preview. Fog effects in the 3D-Graphics simulate the depth of field.