Shadowing by finite noise barriers

Abstract

A technique is described for calculating the acoustical shadowing due to finite barriers. The method is an extension of the Biot–Tolstoy rigorous closed-form impulse solution for diffraction of point-source radiation by an infinite rigid wedge. By discrete Fourier transformation, spectral predictions are obtained which are closer to experimental results than previous schemes for infinite barriers. Furthermore, the limitations of the Kirchhoff Assumption are avoided, so that accurate predictions can be made for complicated finite barriers. Comparisons of theory and experiment are shown.