Book Review of Noise Control: From Concept to Application (2nd Edition) by Colin H. Hansen and Kristy L. Hansen
Review by Professor David Herrin
Bies and Hansen released the 1st edition of Engineering Noise Control: Theory and Practice in 1988. That book is now in its 6th edition and is currently authored by the original authors with Kristy Hansen and Carl Howard. It has doubled in size and is far more comprehensive than the original edition. Criticisms of the first few editions have been addressed, and the book has been consistently updated to incorporate recent research. The current edition is arguably the best single-volume reference for noise control engineers. Though it does include some basic calculus in the derivations, mathematics is mostly algebraic, and formulae can be directly used for common noise control applications. Indeed, the authors have also created an accompanying Engineering Noise Control software that incorporates most of the equations in the book. This text has consistently been the first noise control reference book that I turn to. Nonetheless, this book is perhaps not the best textbook for a noise control course. First, it is probably too comprehensive for students. Secondly, the book does not include example problems.
In 2005, Colin Hansen rectified this by paring the book down and adding numerous example problems. The resulting textbook entitled Noise Control: From Concept to Application was suitable for an engineering noise control course or a sequence of courses. The second edition of the book arrived in 2022 and is coauthored by Kristy Hansen.
The book consists of 8 chapters, which are listed below.
Chapter 1 – Fundamentals
Chapter 2 – Loudness, Descriptors of Noise, Noise Criteria and Instrumentation
Chapter 3 – Sound Sources and Sound Power Determination from Measurement
Chapter 4 – Sound Propagation Outdoors
Chapter 5 – Sound-Absorbing Materials
Chapter 6 – Sound in Rooms
Chapter 7 – Partitions, Enclosures, and Barriers
Chapter 8 – Muffling Devices
No obvious topics are missing. The only topic that I include in my noise control course that is not covered is basic signal processing, However, that topic is perhaps better addressed in another course.
The most striking feature of the book is the large number of example problems. For example, Chapter 1 includes 49 example problems with solutions. There are 15 additional problems that can be assigned to students at the end of the chapter. Chapter 2 features 18 example problems with worked solutions and 16 additional homework problems. I am not aware of any other noise control textbook that has a comparable number of problems. Some problems are derivations, and graduate students will greatly appreciate the content. Accordingly, this book is more mathematical than Engineering Noise Control: Theory and Practice. Consequently, I think that most working noise control engineers will prefer that book.
However, Noise Control: From Concept to Application is certainly more suitable for the classroom. The explanations are clear. Though pared down from Engineering Noise Control: Theory and Practice, the book is more detailed and comprehensive than similar texts. Most importantly, students and instructors will appreciate the worked examples. I am very satisfied with the book and plan to use it for my graduate level engineering noise control class in upcoming semesters. I also think it is the most user friendly of all similar books and can certainly be used by noise control engineers looking to better learn the fundamentals. This is a fantastic book.