A method of assessing the acceptability of noise levels in air-conditioned offices:

This study examined the acceptable noise level in an office environment by interviewing 422 occupants about the aural environment being perceived in 61 air-conditioned offices in Hong Kong. The survey samples covered different types of building and prevalent mechanical air supply system. In particular, the measured equivalent continuous noise level Leq in the offices was chosen as an indicator and correlated with the subjective responses from occupants on a visual analogue assessment scale and a dichotomous assessment scale. The results showed that this acceptability was significantly influenced by the office noise level and it would be correlated with a logistic regression model. A satisfaction criterion of the noise level could be evaluated from the frequency distribution of the occupants’ response at certain Leq. In addition, the proposed satisfaction criterion of aural comfort in current design practice was confirmed by the survey samples: an indoor environment with an equivalent continuous noise leve...