§ 389.30. Definitions.  


Latest version.
  • The following terms whenever used in this article shall have the following respective meanings:

    Ambient noise level: The total of all noise in the environment, other than the noise from the source of interest. This term is used interchangeably with background noise.

    ANSI: The American National Standards Institute.

    Attenuation: The reduction of sound intensity by various means (e.g., air, humidity porous materials).

    Band: Any segment of the frequency spectrum.

    Construction equipment: Any vehicle or device used for the purposes of construction, or used to transport equipment, materials, supplies or debris to or from a construction site, including, but not limited to a jackhammer, hammerdrill, bulldozer, dump truck, front end loader, bobcat, crane or backhoe.

    dB(C): Composite abbreviation for decibel and C-weighted sound level.

    Impulsive noise: Sound of short duration, usually one second or less with abrupt onset and rapid decay. Impulsive noises include but are not limited to metal impacts, hammers, gunshots, explosions, and drop forge impacts.

    Leq: Equivalent continuous sound level or time-averaged sound level. A single-number value that expresses the time-varying sound level for the specified period as though it were a constant sound level with the same total sound energy as the time-varying level.

    Masking:

    (1)

    The process by which the threshold of audibility for a sound is raised by the presence of another (masking) sound.

    (2)

    The amount by which the threshold of audibility of a sound is raised by the presence of another (masking) sound.

    Noisy or unruly assembly: For the purposes of sections 389.65(a)(1) and 389.65(a)(2), the term "noisy or unruly assembly" shall mean a gathering of more than one person in a residentially zoned or used area or building between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. whose noisy or illegal conduct would be likely to cause significant discomfort or annoyance to a reasonable person of normal sensitivities present in the area considering the time of day and the residential character of the area. Noisy or unruly assemblies may include, but are not limited to, those involving excessive noise, obstruction of public ways by crowds or vehicles, consumption of alcohol by minors, provision of alcohol to minors, fighting, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, littering, and public urination or defecation.

    Octave: The interval between two (2) sounds having a frequency ratio of two (2). There are eight (8) octaves on the keyboard of a standard piano.

    One-third (1/3) octave band: A frequency band whose cutoff frequencies have a ratio of 2 to the one-third ( 1/3 ) power, which is approximately 1.26. The cutoff frequencies of 891 Hz and 1,112 Hz define the 1,000 Hz third-octave band in common use.

    Points of habitation: Any point inside a dwelling and any deck, patio, or other outdoor area that contains seating or cooking areas designed for the use of the occupants and within thirty (30) feet of the adjoining dwelling. Outdoor areas are a point of habitation only during the period between April 15 and November 15.

    Publicly owned and controlled property: Any land owned and controlled by a government or quasi-government agency including, but not limited to, the City of Minneapolis, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, Minneapolis School Board, Hennepin County, State of Minnesota, Metropolitan Sports Commission, University of Minnesota, and the United States of America.

    Pure tone: A sound for which the sound pressure is a simple sinusoidal function of the time, and characterized by its singleness of pitch.

    Residentially used area: Any building or portion thereof designed or used exclusively for human habitation, including single-family, two-family, and multiple-family dwellings without regard to their size or location within the city plus any area within five hundred (500) feet of such building or portion thereof which is so used. Residentially used area shall include any mixed use building which contains a dwelling unit as defined in section 522.40 of this Code plus any area within five hundred (500) feet of such dwelling unit. Residentially used area shall not be established by the locations of buildings which are principally hotels, motels, or rooming houses.

    Steady-state sound: Sounds whose average characteristics remain relatively constant in time. A practical example of a steady-state sound source is an air conditioning unit. (Code 1960, As Amend., § 948.090; 82-Or-163, § 1, 8-13-82; 86-Or-105, § 1, 5-9-86; 97-Or-063, § 4, 7-11-97; 98-Or-099, § 1, 10-2-98; 98-Or-144, § 1, 12-4-98; 2005-Or-007, § 1, 2-11-05; 2006-Or-005, § 1, 2-10-06; 2006-Or-033, § 1, 4-28-06; 2008-Or-094, § 4, 12-12-08)