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Habitual snoring without episodes of apnea or hypoventilation and without respiratory related arousals is considered to be annoying and without any need for treatment. However, studies seem to suggest an enormous psychosocial impact of annoyance for the bed partner. Apart from subjective questionnaires there still exists no generally accepted mode of measurement that can describe snoring objectively. We therefore adapted methods developed for environmental medicine and established a new snore score using psycho-acoustic parameters. For quantification of snoring noise we conducted nocturnal measurements in 19 habitual snorers. Free-field snore sounds were acquired with two low-cost non-contact microphones and transferred to a PC (sampling frequency 11 kHz). The data were recorded, analysed and stored automatically using a MATLAB script. Following the analysis of sound characteristics and levels, the score was computed from relevant parameters containing the rating level (L(R)), maximum level, two percentile levels for frequent maxima (L(5)S; L(1)) and snoring time. The determined values substantially exceeded the prescribed limits defined by WHO noise guidelines, and mainly affected the equivalent continuous sound exposure level, rating level and the immission standard values of brief noise peaks, whose maximum was exceeded by up to 32 dB(A). The Berlin snore score illustrated the objective acoustic annoyance on a scale from 0 to 100. It allows inter-individual comparison and objectifies the need for therapy. The clinical applicability of evaluating the reduction of snoring after surgical therapy is discussed exemplarily. The presented measuring method was found to be suitable for quantifying snoring noise and can be easily integrated into existing polysomnographic applications. In the case of habitual snoring with objective evidence of psychosocially disturbing acoustic annoyance, health fund providers should assume the costs of mandatory medical therapy.

In Berlin the Soundscape Project "Nauener Platz" is carried out to rebuild a difficult public space into a space which is dominated by social freedom. A designed space related procedure is developed following the Soundscape approach, which will provide acoustical indicators and parameters describing urban and other outdoor living areas with respect to physical conditions and their relevance for life. The measurement of outdoor sound quality will take into consideration not only the sound pressure but also the characteristics of the sounds which lead to specific human reactions, both positive and negative: calmness, inspiration, annoyance, discontentment, anxiety, etc. and the pathogenic effects. Qualitative evaluations through soundwalks and open interviews have been conducted introducing the new experts. Framework and procedure will be discussed. The Soundscape Project is a module of the Project "Nauener Platz-Remodelling for Young and Old"in the framework of the research program "Experimental Housing and Urban Development (ExWoSt)" of the "Federal Ministry of Transport, Building, and Urban Affairs (BMVBS)"by the "Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR)". It is related to the fields of research (ExWoSt) concerned with "Innovation of Urban Neighbourhoods for Families and the Elderly". The project executing organization is the Regional Office Berlin-Mitte.

This paper reports on an investigation of the physical mechanism of walking noise radiated by laminate floor coverings with and without backings. In pretests of single laminate panels the influence of different backings on the structural vibration of the panels was determined and material parameters like Young's modulus and bending stiffness were obtained. From these parameters the coincidence frequency could be estimated. The main tests were performed with hard rubber balls falling on laminate floor coverings of different sizes and with different backings. Results show that the radiated sound has a single frequency maximum, which is far below the coincidence frequency. From this and from confirming sound intensity measurements it follows that the sound radiation is a locally constrained phenomenon. Additionally, vibration measurements show that the near field of bending waves dominates the vibration and bending wave propagation can be neglected. The characteristics of the near field vibration and therefore the sound radiation can be controlled by the choice of backing of the laminate floor covering.