BMIMI Endowed Professorship on Noise Impact Research: Competence Center for Traffic Noise and Health

The endowed professorship in acoustics and noise impact is the beginning of a bundling of competences in the field of acoustics between the faculties of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Mechanical Engineering and Economics, and Civil Engineering at TU Graz. In terms of education, the Master's degree programme in Engineering Acoustics is planned, which, in addition to the three faculties, is planned to be interdisciplinary in cooperation with the Graz University of Art, the Karl Franzens University (law, psychology) and the Medical University of Graz.

Due to the many existing competences in acoustics at TU Graz, the professorship can concentrate specifically in research and teaching on noise impact research, with the following focal points: 

1. Physical and psychoacoustic effect parameters for the determination of noise emission and immission;
2. Research into acoustic noise mechanisms at the source and determination of propagation, taking into account topology as well as atmosphere (meteorology, shielding, ground attenuation, etc.);
3. Acquisition (smart and reliable measurement data acquisition), transmission, processing and analysis (sensor data fusion) of measurement data for the creation of intelligent noise emission maps;
4. Technical and cost-effective assessment and evaluation of noise abatement measures as well as research and development of new approaches for noise abatement;
5. Assessment of reversible and irreversible effects of noise - impairment of communication up to physiological and psychological effects of noise (performance reduction and concentration disorders).

TU Graz provides the entire infrastructure and commits to finance the professorship permanently. For this purpose, the requested endowed professorship is already included in the development plan of TU Graz.