Some Important Factors in Community Response to Sonic Booms

This paper describes how, in the late 1950’s and the 1960’s, there was a great deal of sonic boom research both in the United States and in Europe. The two classical USA studies were conducted at Edwards Air Force Base and in Oklahoma City. Following this period of research, it was generally decided that civilian aircraft would not be permitted to fly supersonic over land. As a result, the only commercial supersonic aircraft built was the Concorde, and it was flown at supersonic speeds only over water. Sonic booms are defined in ANSI S12.9 Part 4 and ISO 1996-1 as a high-energy impulsive sound. This category of sounds also includes military explosives, bombs, large guns, mining explosives, and industrial explosive sound sources. During the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, our understanding of high-energy impulsive sound sources built on the earlier body of sonic boom research and focused on military impulsive noise sources (i.e., armor, artillery, bombs, and demolition). This research included two independent studies by the National Academy of Science, National Research Counsel Committee on Hearing Bioacoustics and Biomechanics (CHABA). Both studies focused solely on high-energy impulsive noise assessment. The research culminated with the development of procedures for assessing high-energy impulsive sound that are incorporated in ANSI S12.9 Part 4, with a similar procedure in ISO 1996-1. In order to be certain that the ANSI procedure would work both for blast noise and sonic booms, the DOD conducted a study in which the same subjects judged both blast and boom sound in the same setting, with the same control sound. This study validated use of the newer CHABA study procedure8 for sonic boom noise assessment and is discussed more below. Now there is interest in again pursuing commercial supersonic flight, and, of course, the sonic boom is an issue. It is important that any new sonic boom research build on what is already known, be cognizant of the important factors already identified, and demonstrate, what changes, if any, should be made to existing national and international Standards for assessing sonic boom noise.

• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Noise Control Engineering

  Iowa State University, 210 Marston Hall
  Ames, IA  United States  50011-2153

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Schomer, Paul D
• Conference:
  • Noise-Con 04. The 2004 National Conference on Noise Control Engineering
  • Location: Baltimore Maryland, United States
  • Date: 2004-7-12 to 2004-7-14
• Publication Date: 2004

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: CD-ROM
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: pp 551-556
• Monograph Title: Noise-Con 04. The 2004 National Conference on Noise Control Engineering

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aircraft; Aircraft noise; Military aircraft; Noise barriers; Noise control; Noise sources; Sonic boom; Sound absorption; Sound barrier
• Identifier Terms: Concorde (Supersonic transport)
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Environment; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01054331
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jul 26 2007 11:26AM