ISO 20906-2009 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 20906:2009 — Acoustics — Unattended monitoring of aircraft sound in the vicinity of airports. This international standard specifies the typical application, performance requirements, installation and unattended operation of permanently installed systems used to monitor aircraft sound around airports.

Abstract

ISO 20906:2009 defines the use of permanently installed, unattended sound‑monitoring systems for measuring aircraft sound at selected locations around an airport. It sets performance specifications for instruments, requirements for automatic installation and operation, the quantities to be determined for describing aircraft sound, reporting requirements and publication frequency, and a procedure for determining the expanded uncertainty of reported data (in accordance with ISO/IEC Guide 98‑3). The standard excludes methods for validating predicted noise contours, aircraft certification noise data and most on‑ground aircraft sound except specified runway segments.

General information

• Status: Published — International Standard (confirmed in ISO systematic review process).
• Publication date: December 2009 (Edition 1, 2009).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 17.140.30 (Acoustics).
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2009); includes Amendment ISO 20906:2009/Amd 1:2013.
• Number of pages: 36 (main publication).

Key bibliographic and lifecycle details as listed by ISO (publication December 2009; amendment published 2013; standard reviewed and confirmed in ISO reviews).

Scope

Specifies typical application and performance requirements for permanently installed unattended systems for continuous monitoring of aircraft sound at defined sites around airports; requirements for monitoring aircraft operations from an airport; definitions of the acoustic quantities to be determined; reporting content and frequency; and a procedure for determining expanded uncertainty of reported data. The standard does not provide methods to validate predicted noise contours, aircraft certification noise data, or to fully describe on‑ground aircraft sound except for defined runway segments during take‑off roll and the runway segment immediately after touchdown.

Key topics and requirements

• Typical application and siting of permanently installed, unattended aircraft noise monitoring systems.
• Performance specifications for sound measurement instruments and microphones used in unattended monitoring.
• Requirements for automatic installation, continuous operation and data capture (including data logging and event tagging for aircraft movements).
• Defined acoustic quantities to be reported (levels, metrics and contextual information) and the format/periodicity of published reports.
• Procedure for estimating expanded measurement uncertainty for reported results, referencing ISO/IEC Guide 98‑3 (GUM).
• Explicit exclusions and limitations (no method for validating predicted noise contours or aircraft certification noise data; limited treatment of on‑ground aircraft noise).

Typical use and users

Used by airport operators, environmental and acoustic consultants, local and national regulators, manufacturers and integrators of airport noise monitoring systems, researchers in environmental acoustics, and community liaison teams for noise reporting and compliance verification. It provides the technical basis for setting up, operating and reporting from permanent unattended monitoring stations around airports.

Related standards

ISO 20906 is linked to general measurement and environmental noise standards and guidance, notably ISO/IEC Guide 98‑3 (Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement, GUM) for uncertainty evaluation, and the ISO 1996 series (environmental noise description, measurement and assessment). It was developed under ISO/TC 43 (Acoustics), subcommittee SC 1.

Keywords

aircraft noise, airport noise monitoring, unattended monitoring, acoustics, sound level measurement, environmental noise, measurement uncertainty, noise reporting, ISO 20906.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 20906:2009 is an international standard specifying requirements for permanently installed, unattended systems used to monitor aircraft sound in the vicinity of airports.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers typical applications, instrument performance, unattended installation and operation, acoustic quantities to be determined, reporting requirements and a method to determine expanded uncertainty of reported data. It excludes methods for validating predicted noise contours and most on‑ground aircraft noise descriptions except certain runway segments.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Airport operators, environmental regulators, acoustic consultants, system manufacturers/integrators, and researchers concerned with aircraft noise monitoring and reporting.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The edition published in December 2009 (Edition 1) remains published and was subject to ISO systematic review; an amendment (Amd 1) was published in 2013. ISO records show the standard has been reviewed and confirmed through ISO's review cycle. Users should check national adoption or later revisions before assuming applicability to regulatory frameworks.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It sits within ISO acoustics work (ISO/TC 43) and relates to broader environmental noise standards such as the ISO 1996 series; it also references measurement uncertainty guidance (ISO/IEC Guide 98‑3).

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Aircraft noise monitoring, unattended monitoring, airport acoustics, sound pressure levels, noise reporting, measurement uncertainty.