Cumulative annoyance due to multiple aircraft flyovers with differing peak noise levels

A laboratory experiment was conducted in which 160 subjects made annoyance judgments of half‐hour sessions of aircraft flyover sounds. Each often test sessions contained nine flyovers with various peak noise levels such that the session Leq values had a range of 20 dB. After each session, the subjects assessed their annoyance in the laboratory and also estimated their annoyance to such a noise environment occurring in their homes during the day, evening, and night. The laboratory annoyance judgments were examined in terms of their relationship with various proposed noise rating scales, from which it was concluded the energy summation scales such as Leq and Noise Exposure Forecast were superior to the peak dB(A) concept [R. Rylander, J. Sound Vib. 36(3), 399–406 (1974)] and to Noise Pollution Level [D. W. Robinson, Nat. Phys. Lab. Aero Rep. Ac. 38 (1969)]. The subjects' responses to the projected annoyance questions (time of day weighting) were compared with aircraft noise social survey results. [Work supp...