Reducing construction noise: sound masking effect on soundscape dominated by construction noise

Abstract People move to cities to enjoy the conveniences of modern life, but the resulting population growth comes with issues such as increased noise. While public awareness of noise pollution is increasing, noise emanating from construction sites remains a source of complaint. Despite the actions taken by different parties to control construction noise, newly constructed structures continue to exacerbate the harmful consequences of noise. The acoustic environment in some areas of cities, such as London, can no longer provide the tranquility expected by residents, and the risk of daily disruptions for those living near construction sites is high. Given the various limitations and complications of current construction noise control methods, the campaign to limit construction noise must embrace other strategies. Sound masking can potentially abate noise without resorting to time-consuming procedures. In this paper, five raw construction noise datasets were collected around an existing noise-sensitive premise. Five masker sound datasets were recorded to form seven mixed sounds to create a comparative experiment on masking construction noise. A case study and additional research are presented to demonstrate the mechanism of sound masking and to investigate the factors involved in effectively masking construction noise using the sound masking concept. Based on the case study and theoretical research findings, suggestions for masker selection of specific noise datasets and conclusions regarding ideal sound simultaneous masking of construction noise are provided.