New ASTM Impact Noise Test

On April 3 and 4, 2017, I attended a Toronto meeting of an organization called ASTM International. I found the meeting very interesting and educational. This short blog article will bring this important organization to the awareness of my clients. I also highlight a new impact noise test.

ASTM International

ASTM International is an organization that facilities a forum for thousands of volunteers to cooperate on writing industry standards. The volunteers are equipment producers, users, consumers, academia, government, and others interested in industry standardization. ASTM International covers many industries and technical fields with documents and standards that are the basis of procurement, management, manufacturing codes, and regulations for dozens of industry sectors.

Dictionary.com defines “standard” as something considered by an authority or by general consent as a basis of comparison, an approved model.

This definition encapsulates what ASTM International does. It acts as an authority and facilitates consensus on how things in an industry should be done; it creates an approved model for comparing the features and benefits of products and processes.

Committee E33

I am a member of committee E33 – Building and Environmental Acoustics. This committee has responsibility for the maintenance of 50 existing standards and develops new standards and recommendations in the field of acoustics. E33 is just one of dozens of ASTM committees in various fields.

ASTM committees are responsible for maintaining existing standards. Each standard must be formally reviewed every five years. The committees also propose new standards.

New Acoustic Impact Noise Test

One interesting example from my meeting is the proposal to develop a new standard for impact noise measurement and rating. It is well known that the rating “Impact Insulation Class” (IIC) based on the existing standards E492 and E989 correlates poorly with human perception of the annoyance of impact noise. A new standard is being developed based on research published in the Journal of Acoustical Society of America. This new test procedure and rating of impact noise test have improved correlation with human perception of annoyance by impact noise.