scope:

This standard describes preferred methods for measurement of impulse noise and presentation of the data. This standard does not provide methods for interpreting the potential effects of impulse noise on hearing, community response, or structures.

This standard applies to the measurement of impulse noises, including (1) discrete sources, such as quarry and other mining explosions, artillery fire, bombing and other similar military activities, sonic boom, pistol and rifle fire, and tripping of industrial circuit breakers; and (2) multiple-event sounds, such as pile driver, riveting, machine-gun firing, and helicopter blade slap. This standard is not intended to apply to sounds from other sources which have specific measurement standards based on the general standarized methods for measurement of quasi-steady noise, or to impulse noises from receivers or speakers that are close-coupled to the ear.

Two different kinds of measurements are considered: (I) measurements of parameters, such as peak sound pressure level or duration, that directly characterize the variation of instantaneous sound pressure with time, and (2) measurements of time-integrated quantities such as (frequency-weighted) sound exposure level