NOTE: Some general definitions have been made more specific for the purposes of this chapter.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
AMBIENT NOISE
All-encompassing sound at a given place, usually a composite of sounds from many sources near and far.
ANSI
American National Standards Institute.
BACKGROUND NOISE
Total of all sources of interference in a system used for the production, detection, measurement, or recording of a signal, independent of the presence of the signal.
BAND PRESSURE LEVEL
Sound-pressure level for sound contained within a restricted frequency band. Unit, decibel (dB).
CONSTRUCTION
Work and all related activities being done to erect, build, demolish, or modify structures and/or to grade or contour terrain for buildings, public and private roads, housing, and other structures. The time duration of construction will be limited to that defined by the permit.
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT
Equipment used during construction including but not limited to heavy trucks, pay loaders, tractors, power shovels, air compressors, cranes, graders, jackhammers, hammers, nail guns, conveyors, concrete and cement mixers, generators, welders.
DAY HOURS
The hours between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
DBA
Unit of A-weighted sound level. The weighted sound-pressure level by the use of the A metering characteristic and weighting specified in ANSI Specifications for Sound Level Meter.
DECIBEL
Unit of level when the base of the logarithm is the 10th root of 10, and the quantities concerned are proportional to power. Unit symbol, db.
DOMESTIC POWER EQUIPMENT
Equipment that are driven by either electric or air driven motors or internal combustion engines, used for household applications. Includes but not limited to lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, lawn and garden tractors and related accessories, tillers, chain saws, drills, saws, impact wrenches, portable generators, portable pumps, trimmers, power washers, snow blowers, leaf and related blowers, mulchers, chippers, vacuums, and related equipment.
EVENING HOURS
The hours between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
FAST RESPONSE
The nominal exponential averaging time of 1/8 second as measured with a sound level meter that complies with ANSI standards.
FREQUENCY
For a function periodic in time, the reciprocal of the period. Unit, hertz (Hz).
HARMONIC
Sinusoidal quantity that has a frequency which is an integral multiple of the frequency of the periodic quantity to which it is related.
HEAVY EQUIPMENT
Self-propelled, self-powered or pull-type equipment and machinery, including engines, weighing 5,000 pounds or more, primarily employed for construction, industrial, maritime, mining and forestry uses, as such terms are commonly used and understood as a usage of trade. The term "heavy equipment" shall not include: motor vehicles requiring registration and certificates of title, or farm machinery, equipment and implements sold or leased pursuant to dealer agreements with suppliers. Heavy-duty vehicles, specially designed for executing construction tasks, most frequently, ones involving earthwork operations. They are also known as, "construction equipment," "construction plant," "earth movers," "engineering vehicles," or simply "equipment." They usually comprise five equipment systems: implement, traction, structure, power train, control and information.
HVAC
Heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning equipment that includes but is not limited to air handlers, condensing units, chillers, air conditioners, fans and related air-moving devices, pressure regulating and relief valves, and compressors.
IMPACT/IMPULSE SOUND
A sudden burst of sound or noise with an extremely rapid rise time of nanoseconds and sharp "Q" factor along with a rapid decay time. Normally occurring as a single event or with sufficient time separation between events to be perceived as discrete events by the human ear.
L90
The L90 is the "fast response" noise level that is exceeded 90% of the time when measured over a specific time period of 15 minutes.
LA
A-weighted sound level in dBA per ANSI standards.
Leq
The equivalent continuous A-weighted sound level measured over a finite time, e.g., 15 minutes, with an ANSI Type I integrating-averaging sound level meter. The steady state, fluctuating and intermittent components of a noise signal are averaged over a well-defined time and the result is an equivalent average sound level that contains the same energy as the total signal.
264 Leq Equation.tif
Where:
Leq
=
equivalent continuous sound level (A-weighted), dBA
PA(t)
=
A-weighted sound pressure,
t1
=
starting time of averaging,
t2
=
finishing time of averaging,
T1-2
=
t2 - t1 = the total integration time.
Lmax
The maximum A-weighted sound level that occurs on the crest of a changing average noise level as measured with the "fast response" of an ANSI Type I sound level meter for a specific time duration.
Lpeak
The amplitude of the real time waveform converted to decibels. No averaging is used and the instantaneous high of the acoustical signal is measured.
LEVEL
In acoustics, logarithm of the ratio of a quantity to a reference quantity of the same kind. The base of the logarithm, the reference quantity, and the kind of level shall be specified.
LINE SPECTRUM
Spectrum whose components occur at a number of discrete frequencies.
MAXIMUM SOUND LEVEL
Greatest fast (125-ms) A-weighted sound level, within a stated time interval.
NIGHT HOURS
The hours between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
NOISE
A. 
Undesired sound. By extension, noise is any unwarranted disturbance within a useful frequency band, such as undesired electric waves in a transmission channel or device.
B. 
Erratic, intermittent, or statistically random oscillation.
NOISE LEVEL
For airborne sound, unless specified to the contrary, it is the A-weighted sound level.
NOISE LEVEL LIMIT
The maximum value permitted by Table 264-10[1] for the A-weighted noise level that occurs on a receiving property due to noise being generated at a source location. The value of the noise level limit is a function of the time of day and the zoning characteristic of the receiving property. Measurands include: 1) 15 minute Leq, 2) "fast response" LA, 3) "fast response" LMAX, and 4) "fast response" L90 as appropriate in this chapter.
NORMALLY OCCURRING AMBIENT NOISE
Ambient noise with background noise that is due to naturally occurring sounds and noises that include but not limited to insects, rustling leaves, wind effects on the environment, and lawfully occurring transportation noise regulated by state and federal statutes. This term will exclude other noises that may be covered by this chapter that increase the ambient noise more than might reasonably be expected.
OCTAVE
The interval between two sounds having a frequency ratio of two. There are eight octaves on the keyboard of a standard piano.
OCTAVE BAND
A segment of the frequency spectrum separated by an octave.
OCTAVE BAND LEVEL
The integrated sound-pressure level of only those sine-wave components in a specified octave band.
PEAK SOUND PRESSURE
Greatest absolute instantaneous sound pressure within a specified time interval. Unit, pascal (Pa).
PURE TONE
Line spectrum consisting of a signal at a single frequency.
RANDOM NOISE
Oscillation for which instantaneous magnitude is not specified for any given instant of time. The instantaneous magnitudes of a random noise are specified only by the probability distribution functions giving the fraction of total time that the magnitude, or some sequence of magnitudes, lies within a specified range.
RECEIVING PROPERTY
The receiver location where excessive noise is occurring due to noise being generated at a source location. The receiver location will include the nearest point on the property line, any point on the property line, or any point on the property at all heights above ground level.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLES
Off-road motor and engine driven vehicles not licensed by the State of Pennsylvania. Includes but not limited to dirt motorcycles, snowmobiles, and ATVs.
SIGNAL
A. 
Disturbance used to convey information.
B. 
Information to be conveyed over a communication system.
SOUND
A. 
Oscillation in pressure, stress, particle displacement, particle velocity, etc., in a medium with internal forces (e.g., elastic or viscous), or the superposition of such propagated oscillations.
B. 
Auditory sensation evoked by the oscillation described above.
SOUND LEVEL
The weighted sound-pressure level obtained by the use of a sound level meter and frequency weighting network, such as A, B, or C as specified in ANSI specifications for sound level meters (ANSI SI.4-1971, or the latest approved revision). If the frequency weighting employed is not indicated, the A-weighting is implied.
SOUND LEVEL; A-WEIGHTED SOUND-PRESSURE LEVEL
Ten times the logarithm to the base 10 of the ratio of A-weighted squared sound pressure to the squared reference sound pressure of 20 uPa, the squared sound pressure being obtained with fast (F) (125-ms) exponentially weighted time averaging. Unit, decibel (dB) for ANSI, decibel (dBA) for this chapter; symbol LA.
SOUND LEVEL METER
An instrument comprised of a microphone, amplifier, output meter, and frequency weighting networks that is used for the measurement of noise and sound levels.
SOUND PRESSURE AMPLITUDE
Absolute instantaneous pressure in any given cycle of sound wave at some specified time. Unit, pascal (Pa).
SOUND PRESSURE; EFFECTIVE SOUND PRESSURE
Root-mean-square instantaneous sound pressure at a point, during a given time interval. Unit, pascal (Pa).
SOUND-PRESSURE LEVEL
A. 
Ten times the logarithm to the base 10 of the ratio of the time-mean-square pressure of a sound, in a stated frequency band, to the square of the reference sound pressure in gases of 20 uPa. Unit, decibel (dB); abbreviation, SPL; symbol, Lp.
B. 
For sound media other than gases, unless otherwise specified, reference sound pressure is one micropascal (1 uPa).
SOUND TRANSMISSION CLASS (STC)
A single-number rating of airborne sound insulation of a building partition, derived by fitting a reference rating curve to the sound transmission loss values measured for the 16 contiguous 1/3 octave frequency bands with nominal midband frequencies of 125 Hz to 4,000 Hz inclusive, by a standard method. The reference rating curve is fitted to the 16 measured transmission loss values such that the sum of deficiencies (transmission losses less than the reference rating curve), does not exceed 32 dB, and no single deficiency is greater than eight dB. Sound transmission class is the numerical value of the ordinate (y axis) of the reference contour at 500 Hz. Unit, decibel (dB); abbreviation, STC. For sound transmission class 50 dB, for example, the reference rating curve consists of a straight line from 34 dB at 125 Hz to 49 dB at 400 Hz; a straight line from 49 dB at 400 Hz to 54 dB at 1,250 Hz; and a straight line constant at 54 dB from 1,250 Hz to 4,000 Hz.
SOURCE LOCATION
The location of the source producing excess noise at a receiver location. Includes both stationary and moving noise sources. Also includes recreational vehicles and model airplanes used on public and private property.
SPECTRUM
A. 
Description, for a function of time, of the resolution of a signal into components, each of different frequency and (usually) different amplitude and phase.
B. 
"Spectrum" is also used to signify a continuous range of components, usually wide in extent, within which waves have some specified common characteristic; e.g., "audio frequency spectrum."
WINDSCREEN
A porous device used to cover the microphone of a sound level meter to suppress the effect of air movement over the microphone that causes false sound/noise. The total attenuation (insertion loss) of the device will be limited to one dBA or less.
ZONING DISTRICT
A specifically delineated area in the Municipality of Monroeville, described in Chapter 359, Zoning, of the Code of the Municipality of Monroeville, as amended, and shown on the Official Zoning Map.[2]
[1]
Editor's Note: Table 264-10 is located under § 264-10.
[2]
Editor's Note: Said map is on file in the Municipal offices.