Noise modelling and prediction with SoundPLAN
Measuring tells you what the noise is now. Modelling tells you what it will be — before the plant is built, before the barrier is bought, and before you commit to a mitigation package that may not work. We model in SoundPLAN, calibrated against real measurement, so the decision is made on evidence rather than on a supplier's assurance.
What modelling answers
- What the noise level will be at the nearest houses once the plant runs
- Which sources actually drive the result, ranked, so money goes to the ones that matter
- How high and how long a barrier has to be — and whether it is worth building at all
- Façade levels floor by floor for a tower, so the glazing specification is right first time
- Whether a proposed layout can meet the limit before the layout is fixed
- What happens if the plant expands, or the road is widened, or the line is extended
How we model
- Terrain, buildings, ground absorption and meteorological conditions built from real site data
- Source data from our own measurements, from manufacturer sound power data, or from ISO 8297 for complex multi-source plant
- Propagation to ISO 9613-2; road, rail and industrial sources handled with the appropriate method
- Models validated against measurement wherever measurement is possible — an unvalidated model is an opinion
- Output as contour maps, receptor tables and comparative scenarios you can put in front of a regulator or a board
Where it is used
- The noise chapter of an EIA, in the format Thai authorities expect
- Industrial estates and factory expansions
- Roads, rail and mass transit alignments
- Residential and mixed-use developments near an existing noise source
- Barrier and enclosure design, with predicted insertion loss compared against cost
We model, we do not sell the software
Geonoise uses SoundPLAN in its studies. If you are looking to licence SoundPLAN for your own team, that is handled by our sister company, placid.asia.
Standards & method
ISO 9613-2 · ISO 1996 · ISO 8297 · CNOSSOS-EU · relevant Thai notifications
FAQ
Is a model accepted as evidence in an EIA?
Yes. Prediction is the normal basis of an impact assessment; the question is whether the model is built and validated properly, and whether the assumptions are stated.
How accurate is it?
Accuracy depends on the quality of the source data and the site model. We state the assumptions and the uncertainty rather than presenting a single number as certainty.
Can you model something that does not exist yet?
That is the main reason to model. Manufacturer sound power data, or measurements of an equivalent plant, stand in for the source.
Do you validate the model against measurement?
Whenever there is something to measure. For an existing site we measure first and calibrate the model to it; for a greenfield site we validate the propagation assumptions instead.