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Voluntary Standards Cover the Spectrum: from Cranes to Sound Pressure

5/18/2010
In an effort to communicate the vital role that standards play in daily life, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) will publish, on an ongoing basis, a series of snapshots of the diverse standards initiatives undertaken in the global and national standards arena, many of which are performed by ANSI members and ANSI-accredited standards developers. Two of the latest selections follow:

Cranes
An updated American National Standard from ASME assures safe construction and operation of portal and pedestal cranes commonly employed in the transport industry for the loading and unloading of freight, in the construction industry for the movement of materials, and in the manufacturing industry for the assembly of heavy equipment.

ASME B30.4-2010, Portal and Pedestal Cranes, applies to the construction, installation, operation, inspection, and maintenance of electric motor or internal combustion engine-powered portal and pedestal cranes that adjust their operating radius via a boom mechanism or a trolley traversing a horizontal boom mounted on a fixed or traveling base, or any set-up variation thereof that retains the same fundamental characteristics. This standard applies only to portal and pedestal cranes utilizing a drum and wire rope for hoisting.

The requirements for tower cranes (ASME B30.3), telescopic boom cranes (ASME B30.5), and knuckleboom cranes (ASME B30.22) are not included in this standard but are available in a family of ANSI/ASME B30 standards. ANSI/ASME B30, Construction Package, is a complete collection of standards applicable to various cranes, hoists, lifting systems, and derricks.

ASME, an ANSI organizational member and accredited standards developer, is a non-profit professional organization promoting the art, science, and practice of mechanical and multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences. ASME develops codes and standards that enhance public safety, and enables learning and technical exchange opportunities benefiting the global engineering and technology community.

Sound Pressure
Sound pressure is the amount of air pressure fluctuation a noise source creates. It is perceived by the listener at various volumes, depending on the environment in which the source is located and the listener's distance from the source.

A recently released standard from ANSI organizational member and accredited standards developer the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) specifies requirements and procedures for the measurement of sound pressure levels in air. ANSI/ASA S1.13-2005 (R2010), Measurement of Sound Pressure Levels in Air, replaces a previous edition of the standard and provides requirements that apply primarily to measurements performed under normal, relatively calm meteorological conditions.

This American National Standard describes procedures for the measurement of sound pressure levels in air at a single point in space. Applicable to a wide range of measurements performed indoors and conducted outdoors under specified conditions, this fundamental standard covers sounds that may differ widely in temporal and spectral characteristics.

ASA is a voluntary organization serving the acoustics community in all branches of acoustics, both theoretical and applied. The society supports the development of acoustical standards concerned with terminology, measurement procedures, and criteria for determining the effects of noise and vibration.

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