ASTM E3091-17

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation: E3091 −17
Standard Specification for
Systems to Measure Sound Levels
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E3091; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope C634 Terminology Relating to Building and Environmental
Acoustics
1.1 This specification is for measurement systems used in
E90 Test Method for Laboratory Measurement of Airborne
making sound pressure level measurements in buildings in
Sound Transmission Loss of Building Partitions and
accordance with ASTM standards and guides. Systems for
Elements
making sound pressure level measurements in other environ-
E492 Test Method for Laboratory Measurement of Impact
ments are not addressed in this specification. A future expan-
Sound Transmission Through Floor-Ceiling Assemblies
sion of this specification may include these environments. The
Using the Tapping Machine
systems addressed include one or more microphones and
E1111 Test Method for Measuring the InterzoneAttenuation
associatedcomponentstoprocesstheoutputofthemicrophone
of Open Office Components
measurement system conforms to a sound level meter specifi-
E1130 Test Method for Objective Measurement of Speech
cation it is sufficient to specify the category of precision and
accuracy required by the measurement system and that direc- Privacy in Open Plan Spaces Using Articulation Index
E2964 Test Method for Measurement of the Normalized
tion is given in the user manual for proper use. Where the
system is composed of components, specifications are given Insertion Loss of Doors
for microphone type and orientation, filters and windscreens. 3,4
2.2 Other Standards:
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as
ANSI S1.4-2014/Part 1/IEC 61672-1: 2013 Electroacoustics
standard. No other units of measurement are included in this - Sound level meters – Part 1: Specifications
standard.
ANSI S1.4-2014/Part 3/IEC 61672-3: 2013 Electroacoustics
– Sound level meters – Part 3: Periodic tests
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the
IEC 61094-4: 1995 Electroacoustics - Measurement Micro-
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
phones – Specifications for working standard micro-
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
phones
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. ANSI/ASA S1.11-2014/Part 1/IEC 61260-1: 2014 Electroa-
1.4 This international standard was developed in accor- coustics-Octave-bandandfractional-octave-bandfilters–
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
Part 1: Specifications
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the ANSI S1.40-2006 Specifications and Procedures for Sound
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
Calibrators
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
IEC 60942:2003 Electroacoustics –Sound calibrators
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
ANSI S1.17/Part 1-2004 Microphone Windscreens – Part 1:
Measurements and Specifications of Insertion Loss in Still
2. Referenced Documents
Air or Slightly Moving Air
2.1 ASTM Standards:
NOTE 1—ANSI S1.4-2014/Part 1 and Part 3 are nationally adopted
C423 Test Method for SoundAbsorption and SoundAbsorp-
standardsmirroringIEC61672-1:2013andIEC61672-3:2013.Therefore
tion Coefficients by the Reverberation Room Method
only the IEC 61672 standards will be referenced in the rest of this
standard. ANSI/ASA S1.11-2014/Part 1 is a nationally adopted standard
mirroring IEC 61260-1:2014. Therefore only the IEC 61260-1 will be
referenced in the rest of this standard.
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E33 on
Building and Environmental Acoustics and is the direct responsibility of Subcom-
mittee E33.05 on Research.
Current edition approved July 1, 2017. Published July 2017. DOI: 10.1520/
E3091-17. Available from American National Standards Institute (ANSI), 25 W. 43rd St.,
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or 4th Floor, New York, NY 10036, http://www.ansi.org.
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Available from International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), 3, rue de
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on Varembé, 1st Floor, P.O. Box 131, CH-1211, Geneva 20, Switzerland, http://
the ASTM website. www.iec.ch.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
E3091 − 17
3. Terminology (1) There may not be a user manual that encompasses the
entire system (see Note 3).
3.1 For definitions of terms used in this specification see
(2) Microphones may selected by the user rather than the
Terminology C634.
manufacturer.
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
(3) It may not be practical to perform normative periodic
3.2.1 diffuse field microphone, n—a microphone which pro-
performance tests on certain features or functions.
vides its most uniform frequency response for sound equally
NOTE 3—IEC 61672-3 requires the user manual to be available to a
incident from all angles, IEC 61094-4 Type D.
calibration laboratory so that it can perform periodic performance testing.
3.2.2 free-field microphone, n—a microphone which pro-
4.2 This specification addresses:
vides its most uniform frequency response when oriented with
4.2.1 Reverberation time measurements in diffuse fields as
the plane of its diaphragm perpendicular to the direction of the
in Test Method C423.
sound, IEC 61094-4 Type F.
4.2.2 Level differences in diffuse sound fields as in Test
Methods E90 and E2964.
NOTE 2—The complete designation of a working standard microphone
according to IEC 61094-4 includes “WS” and a number specifying the
4.2.3 Level differences in free-field conditions above a
diameter for a half inch free-field response microphone be “WS2F”.
reflecting plane as in Test Method E1111.
3.2.3 frequency response (of microphones), n—the ratio of
4.2.4 Absolute levels in diffuse fields as in Test Method
the electrical output of the measurement system to the sound
E492.
pressure microphone dependent on the angle of incidence.
4.2.5 Absolute levels as in Test Method E1130.
3.2.4 pressure microphone, n—a microphone which pro-
4.3 This specification does not address all situations where
vides its most uniform frequency response when oriented with
sound pressure levels are measured. These include outdoor
theplaneofitsdiaphragmparalleltothedirectionofthesound,
noise measurement, intensity measurement and measurement
IEC 61094-4 Type P.
along surfaces.
3.2.5 windscreen, n—a device fitted on to a microphone to
5. Measurement Systems
reduce the spurious sound pressures generated by turbulent air
flowing around the microphone cartridge.
5.1 The measurement system includes all the components
necessary to indicate measured sound pressure levels. The
4. Significance and Use
components may include microphones, preamplifiers, cables,
processing units, filters, computers, display units, and other
4.1 Microphones and associated measurement systems are
peripheral devices. There are two categories of measurement
usedinstandardtestmethodstomeasuresoundpressurelevels.
systems:
4.1.1 Often the measurement system is obtained from the
manufacturer as a complete system including subsystems
NOTE 4—IEC 61672-1 defines a system for measuring sound pressure
comprising one or more microphones, signal processing levels as a “sound level meters”.
circuitry, a signal analysis system and display. All of these
5.1.1 A measurement system that conforms a normative
subsystemsaredesignedtoconformtoanormativesoundlevel
sound level meter performance standard shall meet the class 1
meter specification. In such a measurement system:
specifications of IEC 61672-1 and have its performance
4.1.1.1 The instruction manual shall contain sufficient infor-
verified using a normative standard for periodic testing, that is,
mation for a user to obtain reproducible sound pressure level
IEC 61672-3.
measurements in various sound fields and,
5.1.2 The performance of a measurement system that has
4.1.1.2 The performance of the system or sub systems is
notbeendesignedtoconformtothespecificationsofnormative
straight forward to test.
standards shall be tested periodically for class 1 performance
4.1.2 There are other measurement systems that use sophis-
criteria in 5.1.3 and 5.1.4 if frequency weighting is to be used.
ticated multi-channel analyzers, filters and display systems;
Strict compliance with the procedures in IEC 61672-3 may not
however these may not be supplied with a specific microphone
be possible since the system may not meet all of the specifi-
so they cannot conform to a normative sound level meter
cations in IEC 61672-1. Periodic testing of performance to a
specification. Such a system may be more useful for acoustical
subset of IEC 61672-3 is permissible providing all criteria
testing than a simpler instrument that is fully compliant to a
listed in 5.1.3 are included and if frequency weighting is to be
normative sound level meter specification.
used then the criteria in 5.1.4 are also included.
4.1.2.1 Even systems that are fully compliant with a norma- 5.1.3 Performance criteria required for measurement of
tive sound level meter performance specification may have
sound pressure levels in building acoustics are:
non-compliant modes of operation such as reverberation time
5.1.3.1 Indication at the calibration frequency according to
measurements.
IEC 61672-3, Section 10.
4.1.2.2 For these systems or non-compliant modes of 5.1.3.2 Self-generated noise according to IEC 61672-3,
operation, it is necessary to specify both the filter class and the Section 11.
frequency response characteristics of the microphone orienta-
5.1.3.3 Electrical signal tests of frequency weightings ac-
tion of the microphone with respect to the sound source. cording to IEC 61672-3, Section 13.
4.1.2.3 The performance of a non-compliant system may be 5.1.3.4 Frequencyandtimeweightingsat1kHzaccordingto
more complex to verify because: IEC 61672-3, Section 14.
E3091 − 17
5.1.3.5 Level linearity on reference level range according to 7.4 For measurement of reverberation times—Microphones
IEC 61672-3, Section 16. may be type D (Diffuse field), type P (Pressure), or type F
(Free-field).
5.1.3.6 Level linearity including the level range control
according to IEC 61672-3, Section 17.
7.5 For measurement of differences between sound pressure
5.1.3.7 Overload indication according to IEC 61672-3, Sec-
levels in spaces designed to be diffuse:
ti
...