7.	Planning indications

While the previous chapters predominantly provide basic planning information on noise abatement, this chapter gives examples of how to deal with conflicts in the context of noise pollution. We do not pretend to treat all conceivable planning details but rather want to illustrate the basic principles and resulting options and requirements. If you want to know more, please have a look at the detailed Bibliographical references in chapter 8, which also includes further summarizing guides.

Principles of noise abatement

The respective higher sound level values have turned out to dominate the result in the case of both energetic sound level addition and averaging due to the logarithmic sound level scale (see section 2.4.2).

Three important factors and basic instructions for noise abatement strategies arise from this:

• If several sound sources interact, the priority must be given to the sound source with the biggest impact.
• Noise abatement measures are only as effective as they are at their weakest point. Unintended noise gaps and the resulting high sound levels can render an actually efficient noise abatement concept ineffective.
• The concentration of sound sources brings about the most favourable immission conditions as the energetic doubling even of a high sound emission only results in a sound level increase of 3 dB. But human beings only perceive a level increase of 10 dB or the tenfold of the emitted sound energy as "twice as loud".