Noise Limits for Army Materiel

MIL-STD-1474A (MI), published in March 1975, provides acoustical noise design limits for five problem areas peculiar to US Army equipment and operations: hazardous steady-state noise; non-hazardous steady-state noise; hazardous impulse noise (gunfire); exterior noise; and aural non-detectability. This paper describes the provisions of the Standard, notes some difficulties that have been encountered in applying its provisions, and predicts the eventual impact of its use on equipment design and utilization.