Noise Levels in Bowling Alleys

Bowling alleys are noisy.

From the roar of rolling balls to the clatter of falling pins to the music blasting from the sound system, bowling alleys create a lot of noise. Historically, bowling alleys were built as standalone buildings specifically because of the noise factor. Modern bowling alleys, however, use advanced technology to control the noise to create a more pleasant atmosphere.

Types of Noise

Bowling alleys create two types of noise.

Bowling alleys create two types of noise: steady-state noise and impulsive noise. Steady-state noise comes from the sound system used to play music and make announcements. Impulsive noise results from the cracking sound of the ball hitting the lane and the pins.

Misconceptions

A bar may actually be louder than a bowling alley.

Even when these types of noise are at the same volume, impulsive noise seems much louder to most people. As a result, even though the noise at a bar may actually be louder than the noise at a bowling alley, the bowling alley will seem louder.

Noise Travels

Both types of noise travel to adjacent rooms and buildings. Builders must use extensive planning to construct a bowling alley to effectively reduce noise.

Effects

Because exposure to loud noise can damage the soft tissue of your inner ear and eventually cause hearing loss, it is important to control the noise level in bowling alleys as much as possible. According to the Sight and Hearing Association, although noise registering at 80 decibels or above is too loud for normal conversation, a person can be safely exposed without hearing protection to 85 decibels for eight hours. Since the average decibel reading in a bowling alley is 82.9, only those who spend more than eight hours at a time there need to wear hearing protection.

Solutions

To control the noise levels, bowling alleys use special wall, ceiling and floor constructions. Double wall structures control the noise transmission into adjacent rooms. Hung finished ceilings, with speakers located below them, help to control the noise transmission into rooms overhead. A floating floor system helps to control the vibration created when the ball rolls down the lane and hits the pins.

References

• Focus on Acoustics: Keeping Bowling Alley Noise in the Gutter
• Family Doctor: Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Resources

• Sight and Hearing Association: Noise Thermometer
• EdHat: Noise Meter Readings