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Colloquial term for the concept for the prevention of major accidents in accordance with Section 8 of the Major Accidents Ordinance.

A document containing detailed information on the hazards, properties, handling, storage and disposal of chemical substances and mixtures. A safety data sheet is mandatory for marketing in accordance with the CLP…

The so-called safety distance is the recommended distance for operational areas without detailed information, which can be determined on the basis of the substances handled in accordance with guideline KAS-18,…

All operational areas covered by the Major Accidents Ordinance must have a Safety Management System (SMS) in place. This obligation is set out in Section 8 of the Major Accidents Ordinance, and Annex III of the…

A safety report must be drawn up for an operational area of the upper class in accordance with Section 9 of the StörfallV. It essentially contains information on how the operator should deal with the potential…

A measure of the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body when a mobile phone is used.

Sea Acceptance Test.

A scanning electron microscope enables the imaging of surfaces at the nanometre scale.

Before an environmental impact assessment (EIA) is carried out, a so-called scoping meeting may be held to discuss the scope of the EIA. To this end, the project proponent provides a suitable document setting out,…

The natural frequency of a rigid body, calculated from the mass per unit area of a floating screed slab and the stiffness of the impact sound insulation material, based on a single-mass oscillator model. …

Sound attenuation caused by a component or obstacle located in the propagation path between the source and the receiving point.

Vibrations in the building structure or in the room’s boundary surfaces (walls and, in particular, floor slabs) generate low-frequency airborne sound, known as ‘secondary airborne sound’, which can be heard when it…

Secondary explosion protection measures are defined as measures designed to prevent, as far as possible, potential ignition sources in components or parts of the plant where there is a risk of explosion. The…

Noise control measures designed to reduce noise along the sound propagation path. This can be achieved, for example, by using silencers, sound-insulating casings and soundproof enclosures, as well as noise barriers,…

Retention facilities in accordance with Section 2(16) of the AwSV, which serve to retain substances hazardous to water.

Self-noise refers to sound components generated by the acoustic measurement system itself.

An EDX detector fitted to a scanning electron microscope (SEM) makes it possible to determine the elemental composition.

Semiconductor manufacturing frequently involves processes that are highly sensitive to vibration. At the same time, technical building services, utility supply systems, air distribution systems and the production…

FEMtools software from DDS: calculation of the sensitivities of a modal response variable (natural frequencies, MAC, FRF, etc.) to variations in the model parameters of FE models. A very fast method. …

Calculation of the expected service life of a dynamic system until failure.

A vector dataset that always consists of at least one .shp file (geometry), one .shx file (indexing to link geometry and attribute data) and one .dbf file (attribute data). Mehr erfahren

Optimisation of the shape of existing components. 

Subjective perception of the sharpness of a sound; unit: Acum; assessment of high frequencies.

Shear wave velocity describes the speed at which shear waves propagate through the ground and is an important parameter in soil dynamics. It provides information about the stiffness of the subsoil and is frequently…

A branch of acoustics focusing on the generation and propagation of sound on ships. It also covers the emission of sound by watercraft into the surrounding water.

Vibrations whose frequency of occurrence is insufficient to cause material fatigue, and whose timing and duration are not such as to produce a significant amplification of the vibrations in the affected structure…

The signal horn is an acoustic warning device fitted to rail vehicles. It must comply with the TSI Loc&Pas requirements regarding the signal level in front of the vehicle, in accordance with DIN EN 15153-2 or DIN EN…

SIL stands for ‘Safety Integrity Level’ and is a measure of the functional safety of electrical, electronic and programmable safety-related systems. The SIL classification, which is divided into four levels (SIL 1…

A mostly passive component capable of extracting energy from incident sound while, at the same time, obstructing the flow of a medium (e.g. air, exhaust gases, etc.) through it as little as possible. Depending on…

Within the scope of a site assessment, the vibration-related boundary conditions of a planned or existing site are examined. This involves identifying and evaluating impacts from traffic, industrial plants or other…

Optimisation of component parameters such as cross-section and thickness. 

Slag (bottom ash) is the solid residue produced following the incineration of waste in a waste-to-energy plant (WTE).

Specialised measurement technology. Slit-tube probes are used for acoustic measurements in flowing media. They reduce pressure fluctuations caused by flow turbulence at the microphone, which are incorrectly…

Measures for smoke and heat extraction serve both to clear smoke from rooms and buildings to ensure the safe evacuation and rescue of people, and to preserve the structural integrity of a building by preventing…

Railway applications – Track structure – Performance requirements for rail fastening systems – Part 6: Special fastening systems for vibration reduction (pre-standard).

Soil is an essential component of our ecosystem and fulfils numerous functions that are indispensable to life on earth. It serves as a habitat for numerous organisms, stores water and nutrients, and acts as a filter…

A procedure in accordance with Annex V of the 31st BImSchV for determining the solvent consumption and emissions of a plant. Within this framework, the solvent balance is also used to demonstrate compliance with the…

A unit of measurement for loudness, which describes the subjective perception of volume. 

A parameter used to determine the sound absorption of a surface. It is required for the acceptance of an ISO 10844-compliant test track (in accordance with, amongst others, ISO 13472-2).

A measure of the proportion of the total incident sound that is absorbed. alpha = 0 means no absorption (= 100 % reflection).

Developing and locating mostly technical and functional sounds. 

Sound that is radiated (emitted) from a sound source.

The sound power level relevant to immission for wind turbines is determined on the basis of DIN EN 61400-11 and, in Germany, in accordance with the FGW guideline TR1.

Noise that affects the recipient (e.g. at the point-of-interest).

The measurements to determine sound immission of wind turbines are carried out at points-of-interest or substitute points-of-interest in accordance with the Technical Instructions on Noise Control (TA Lärm) using a…

Specialised measurement technology. The two-microphone technique makes it possible to determine the sound intensity of a noise source. Among other things, this enables the sound power of a noise source to be…

A technique for determining the position of a sound source.

A measure of the total energy of sound radiated by a sound source.

The sound power, or acoustic power, is the rate at which sound energy is emitted, reflected, transmitted or received per unit of time.

The sound power level of noise emitted by multi-source industrial installations (e.g. process fields in open-air plants). It takes into account the internal shielding within an installation and serves as input…

The sound power level of the noise emitted by a wind turbine, which typically depends on wind speed and rotor speed.

The quality of a sound.

Describes the perceptibility of a sound, which is influenced by factors such as timbre, spatiality, dynamics and distortion. 

Assessment of consumer electronics devices based on parameters such as naturalness, dynamics, bass reproduction and the spatial quality of all types of loudspeakers, carried out by a trained panel. …

Assessment of consumer electronics devices by a trained panel, based on parameters such as naturalness, dynamic range, bass reproduction and the spatial quality of all types of loudspeakers.

The proportion of the sound power radiated by a building element which results from the internal sound pressure level, the transmission loss of the element, its surface area and/or the share of sound caused by…

The proportion of the sound power generated by a noise source that is radiated to the outside.

One of the most important noise-reduction measures for minimising sound radiation from pipework. Sound-insulating pipe cladding usually consists of an insulating material and an outer sheathing. …

The term ‘soundscape’ refers to a perceptual object that arises from the acoustic experience of an environment. 

The calculated radiated sound pressure level of a sound source at a distance of 1 m. 

Elastic mounting of excitation sources, e.g. rotating machinery, pumps, fans, etc. to reduce the dynamic forces transmitted to the installation site.

Software from Vibes.Technology for identifying (structure-borne noise) sources (e.g. blocked forces). 

An assessment of the proportion of speech that is understood. 

Speech quality describes the intelligibility and naturalness of spoken language, which is affected by factors such as noise, echo and distortion.

Assessment of existing facilities, forecasting as part of the planning process (e.g. football pitch).

Test stand for the experimental determination of the dynamic stiffness of spring elements.

Parameter used to describe the frequency-dependent emission characteristics of an (exhaust) stack.

With regard to emission measurements, a standard reference method is a reference method whose use is prescribed by European or national legislation.

Test situation in accordance with DIN EN ISO 3095, where the vehicle is tested at a standstill.

Test situation in accordance with DIN EN ISO 3095 in which the vehicle starts from a standstill.

Operating status of a plant between shutdown/cold standby and full load.

Special operating procedures to avert danger. An operational emergency is an unusual, unforeseeable event that occurs suddenly, is beyond the operator’s control, and carries the risk of disproportionate damage. …

The term 'state of the art' stands for the state of development of advanced processes, installations or operating methods which shall ensure the practical suitability of a measure for limiting emissions into the…

A term from the Technical Instructions on Noise Control (TA Lärm) relating to the calculation of intermediate values in the context of mixed-use developments. Where residential areas and industrial plants are…

A method for determining the noise reduction values of road surface layers in moving traffic at a defined road cross-section.

A method for determining the noise reduction values of road surface layers in moving traffic at a defined road cross-section.

Speech Transmission Index for public address systems; a measure derived using a simplified version of the STI method.

Sensors for measuring strain. Frequently used to determine component tension during operation.

A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) must be carried out for major planning processes with significant environmental implications, such as federal transport infrastructure planning, regional planning and local…

An aeroacoustic phenomenon. A tonal sound emission excited by periodic vortex shedding.

Machines are often not designed for ‘endless’ service life, but specifically to achieve a minimum service life under typical operating conditions. The design objective should be to ensure at least the structural…

A discipline concerned with the analysis of structural vibrations. Unlike earthquake engineering, the focus here is often not on structural stability but on serviceability. 

Structural fire protection encompasses all structural measures designed to ensure fire safety. This includes the provision of access routes within buildings and fire service areas, as well as the creation of zones…

Vibration measurements on structures, often in the audible frequency range, with the aim of being able to derive the structure’s airborne noise emission. Frequently used when determining sound power in environments…

Sound that propagates through a solid.

Pipe supports can transmit structure-borne sound from the pipework to the supporting steel structure. This structure-borne sound is then radiated by the supporting structures as airborne sound and represents a…

A document that summarises basic information about a single chemical substance, without providing a hazard classification.

Substances whose water hazard properties are indisputable, but which are not to be classified in a water hazard class in accordance with Section 3(1) of the Ordinance on Installations for the Handling of Substances…

Substances hazardous to water are substances and mixtures which are capable of causing adverse changes to water quality, either on a permanent basis or to a significant extent.

Substances hazardous to water bodies are substances and mixtures which, if released, are capable of causing changes to the properties of water bodies (water quality, aquatic ecology, hydromorphology) that adversely…

Sulphur dioxide irritates the mucous membranes and can cause eye irritation and respiratory problems.

A measuring system from Müller BBM Industry Solutions GmbH for determining surface properties (MPD value, form factor, flatness, ZTM, WLP, etc.). 

Parameters used to determine the roughness of a surface; a required parameter (MPD) for the acceptance of a measurement track compliant with ISO 10844, e.g. using the ‘surface drone’ measurement system. …

Synthetic mineral fibres (SMF) are frequently used as insulation material in the construction industry. They can release respirable fibres and therefore pose a health risk. Detection is possible using SEM-EDX. …

Systematic hazard analyses are carried out to systematically assess the hazards that may arise from an operational area. Methods such as HAZOP, PAAG, LOPA, etc. are used for this purpose.