Prediction of pile driving induced underwater noise

Volume
1
Start Page
372
End Page
378
Citation
19th International Congress on Sound and Vibration 2012 (ICSV 2012)
Contribution to Conference
19th International Congress on Sound and Vibration 2012, ICSV 2012  
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-84876212109
On the way to a more sustainable worldwide energy supply, the building of offshore wind energy plants takes on a key role. As the number of constructed turbines soars, the topic of anthropogenic noise and its impact on the environment, especially on marine mammals, is becoming crucial. Since the exposure to the occurring high sound pressure levels poses a severe threat to these animals, a number of noise control concepts, such as bubble curtains or cofferdams, have been developed, but their efficiency and applicability in the case of each individual pile driving site remains uncertain. The contribution gives an overview of the general difficulties arising in the modeling process of pile driving and its impact on the surrounding sea. Additionally, results of basic models for the pile driving and the prediction of sound pressure levels at long distances are presented. Furthermore, an outlook to a planned, tripartite model and accompanying measurement campaigns is given.