Sound Intensity & Loudness
Overview
Sound intensity is how loud something is as a measurement (measured in decibels).
Loudness is a subjective term and unique for each person.
Sound itself is a tricky piece in the built environment because even though we have sound intensity to measure levels of sound… Sound is very relative, and has many factors to consider such as distance, age of the listener, and number of sources. Therefore, it's one of those things that will vary from person to person and why sound can be so tricky on a project.
Sound Intensity
By definition, 0 is no sound, with 1 being essentially the threshold of human hearing. On the upper levels, 130 to 140 decibels is the threshold of pain. Decibel levels past 160 aren’t typically experienced in the natural environment.
Below you will find a chart encompassing typical values for different decibels (dB).
Sound Chart
| 180 | 130+ Immediate Damage to Hearing | (180) Estimated Krakatoa Volcanic Explosion |
| 170 | ||
| 160 | (160) Jet Airplane | |
| 150 | ||
| 140 | (140) Pain Threshold | |
| 130 | 120-130: Damage after 7.5 minutes | |
| 120 | (120) Rock Concert (wear earplugs\!) | |
| 110 | 100-120: Damage after 2 hours | |
| 100 | (100) Subway Train | |
| 90 | (90) Lawn Mowers (High end) | |
| 80 | 85+ Threshold of Safety; OSHA Regulated above this level | |
| 70 | (70) Normal Office Noise | |
| 60 | 50-60 Comfort Range for a Person | (60) Normal Conversation |
| 50 | (50) Kitchen Level Noise | |
| 40 | ||
| 30 | 0-30 (Max) for sleeping and study areas | (20-30) Light Whisper |
| 20 | ||
| 10 | (10) Normal Breathing | |
| 0 | (1) Threshold Of Hearing | |
| (0) No Sound |