Calculation Accuracy

We are aware that the UK calculation methods have been criticised for their age and inaccuracy, especially compared with the newer European methods.

We do not believe this is justified.  Numerous studies over the years have shown that the UK calculation methods yield excellent results and are entirely fit for purpose.  Were this not the case, they would have been superseded by now.

Although the methods originated some decades ago, and in some case the original version is still available, they have been updated a number of times.  For example ‘Calculation of Road Traffic Noise’, which originated in 1974 and was updated in 1988, was again updated in 2008 by the ‘Design Manual for Roads and Bridges’.

Similarly, ‘Calculation of Railway Noise’ has been updated with small improvements, but for High-Speed Rail, we now have the ‘Train Noise Prediction Model’ which was used in the first Channel Tunnel Rail Link and has now been updated by the environmental consultants for HS2.  NoiseMap is the only software that implements this system, although no doubt it can be emulated by others.

Finally, there have been a number of updates to the methodology of BS5228, and the additional features of ISO 9613 have also been incorporated by NoiseMap.

It is not possible to give absolute accuracies in a short item on this website because this depends on the entire circumstances of the model.  However, the output of NoiseMap (when properly verified) has been accepted by committees of the UK Parliament, the UK courts and numerous planning inquiries and planning authorities as entirely fit for purpose.