Knowledge Centre · Understanding Noise
What is LAeq?
LAeq can be thought of as the average noise level over a period of time — one of the most commonly used descriptors in environmental acoustics.
Read time
2 minutes
Relevant to
Anyone reading a noise report or condition
What LAeq stands for
LAeq stands for: A-weighted Equivalent Continuous Sound Level.
Fortunately, it is much simpler than it sounds.
LAeq can be thought of as the average noise level over a period of time.
A changing sound level, made into one number
For example, a busy road is not producing exactly the same noise level every second. A truck passes, then a quieter car, then perhaps a motorcycle. The noise level is constantly changing.
LAeq takes all of those changing sound levels and converts them into a single number that contains the same amount of sound energy over the measurement period.
If you measured traffic noise over one hour and obtained an LAeq,1hour of 68 dB(A), this means the varying traffic noise contained the same amount of energy as a constant 68 dB(A) sound over that hour.
Where LAeq is used
LAeq is one of the most commonly used noise descriptors in environmental acoustics and is used extensively for:
- Road traffic noise
- Aircraft noise
- Industrial noise
- Environmental assessments
- Event noise management
Related reading
Try the calculator
See how multiple sound levels combine logarithmically, not by ordinary addition.
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