Abstract This paper describes a propagation model for calculating neighbourhood-noise from open-air industrial plants such as oil refineries and petrochemical plants. It was developed from a preliminary model derived from a comprehensive survey of the literature on noise propagation. The aim was to develop a model which used parameters and procedures available to engineers engaged in plant design. An experimental programme of measurements was carried out around three industrial plants over a period of about one year and this was used to modify the original model. The final model is based on six meteorological categories and contains separate attenuation values for spherical spreading, atmospheric absorption, ground effects, meteorological category, source/receiver height, and barrier effects. They are given as a function of frequency and distance, either as graphs or as polynomial equations for computer calculations. A statistical assessment has been made to establish the confidence limits of the predictions in dB(A) and in octave bands from 63 Hz to 4 kHz. They are compared with the confidence limits of predictions by two other propagation models frequently used in Europe (OCMA and VDI) and are found to be significantly better.
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