Development of noise and vibration exposure monitoring system for Malaysian Army (MA) three-tonne trucks

Abstract

Exposure to noise and vibration in the driver’s cabin of Malaysian Army (MA) three-tonne trucks can cause discomfort to the drivers and passengers, and can be classified as hazardous if exposed to more than the standard 8 h time period. This study was conducted for two different road conditions often used by MA vehicles; tarmac and dirt roads. Noise exposure was measured using a DuO sound level meter, which is capable of recording raw sound pressure in Pa. Whole-body vibration (WBV) and hand-arm vibration (HAV) were measured using a Brüel&Kjær Type 3649 vibration analyser, which is capable to record WBV and HAV raw data from the driver’s seat and steering wheel. All the raw data was analysed using the Integrated Kurtosis-Based Algorithm for Z-Notch Filter (I-kaz™). Depending on the type of signal, an exposure model was developed for each measured parameter, with I-kaz™ used for noise, I-kaz 3D for WBV and I-kaz Vibro for HAV. With reference to the limits from the respective international standards, a noise and vibration monitoring system for MA three-tonne trucks was then developed.