A quantification model of overall dissatisfaction with indoor noise environment in residential buildings

A quantification model concerning overall dissatisfaction from multiple noise sources in residential buildings and underlying assumptions were presented. The model was constructed by two steps; a survey and an auditory experiment. The relation between dissatisfaction with the indoor noise environment and dissatisfaction with individual noises such as floor impact, airborne, drainage, and traffic noises was first found in the survey. The annoyance from individual noises was obtained as a function of the noise level from the laboratory experiment. Then, annoyance ratings were translated into the percentage of dissatisfaction based on the relation between annoyance and dissatisfaction obtained from the survey. Finally, equations were derived for predicting the degree of dissatisfaction with the overall indoor noise environment using individual noise levels, and a classification method for the noise environment with multiple noise sources were proposed. The procedure and the quantification model can be used for the assessment of the associated overall dissatisfaction of the indoor noise environment on the basis of the level of individual sources.