HUD Noise Level Calculator

Formula

The formula to calculate the noise level (NL) is:

\[ NL = 70 + 10 \log_{10}(TV) + 20 \log_{10}\left(\frac{S}{70}\right) - 30 \log_{10}\left(\frac{D}{50}\right) \]

Where:

\(NL\) is the noise level in decibels (dB)
\(TV\) is the traffic volume in vehicles per hour
\(S\) is the average speed of traffic in miles per hour (mph)
\(D\) is the distance from the roadway in feet

What is HUD Noise Level?

The HUD noise level is a measure of the sound pressure level created by vehicular traffic, typically used in urban planning and environmental studies. It is expressed in decibels (dB), a logarithmic unit that quantifies the intensity of sound. This measurement helps in assessing the impact of road traffic noise on nearby residential and commercial areas and is crucial for developing noise mitigation strategies.

Example Calculation

Let's assume the following values:

Traffic Volume (TV) = 500 vehicles/hour
Average Speed (S) = 55 mph
Distance from Roadway (D) = 100 feet

Using the formula:

\[ NL = 70 + 10 \log_{10}(500) + 20 \log_{10}\left(\frac{55}{70}\right) - 30 \log_{10}\left(\frac{100}{50}\right) \approx 85.86 \text{ dB} \]

The noise level is approximately 85.86 dB.