The internationalization of Technical code for public address engineering

It has been 4 years since the National Standard-Technical code for public address system engineering GB 50526 – 2010 was issued and implemented in 2010. This code is the first national standard in the field of public address (PA) in China, also the first national-level standard about PA in the world. The implementation of this code not only establishes the independent intellectual property rights in PA for China, but also helps to regulate PA market, protect national resources and environment, protect user’s legal rights, guide the development of PA industry as well as fill the gap of PA code in the world market.

China is a big PA country. Public address projects are all over the vast country, which scale is named to be the top in the world. The PA system of Beijing Olympics 2008 is designed according to the requirement of Technical code for public address system engineering (draft). For the World Expo Shanghai 2010, PA systems of the Park and 80% stadiums are constructed by using DSPPA. And Technical code for public address system engineering is referred to by the authority for the whole PA project inspection and acceptance. The PA projects of these successful world cases prove that Technical code for public address system engineering GB 50526 – 2010 is advanced, scientific, coordinated and applicable; it shows the advanced technical level of contemporary PA system engineering as well as fulfills the user’s requirement well (from Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China’s jointly review conclusion of this code).

China is not only a big user of PA; it is also a big producer and exporter of PA products. Nowadays, China has independently developed and manufactured a lot of PA products. These products comply with Technical code for public address system engineering GB 50526 – 2010 and are applied directly to world famous engineering projects, such as the most historical hospital- Central Hospital in Singapore, Sochi Winter Olympics 2014 and the largest water park in Asia- Venice in Dubai, UAE, etc. Doubtlessly, Technical code for public address system engineering GB 50526 – 2010 will be an important reference of the standardization of international PA system engineering.

In the past years for a long time, the right to discourse on science has been monopolized by western countries. Developing countries have to attend in the western clubs if they want to make voice for their new achievements. However, most of these efforts cannot be continued and have to follow the western standards. Especially, some developed countries only consume PA products without manufacturing them, but they always propose requirements for the suppliers at the height of international standard.

Nowadays, China has become the world factory. Products labeled with “Made in China” are found everywhere in the world. Meanwhile, “Made in China” has become gradually from cheap image to hi-tech and cost-effective brands. Thus, it is reasonable for us to propose a series of Chinese standards to the world to regulate related fields. Chinese standards will surely be international!

In recent years, related departments start to launch Chinese-English translation projects for some Chinese standards. On November 12, 2013, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China issued the document JIANBIAO [2013] No.169- the Development and Revision Plan of National Engineering Construction Codes in 2014. In this document, it is regulated that the Chinese-English translation project of Technical code for public address system engineering shall be finished before the end of 2015. Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China has delegated Guangzhou DSPPA Audio Co. Ltd and Audio Engineering Society of China (AESC) to be the executors of this project. Technical code for public address system engineering will be one of the first two national standards to be translated in the field of electronic engineering.

The kick-off meeting of the internationalization of National Standard–Technical code of public address system engineering GB 50526 was held in the 798 art zone, Beijing on May 24, 2014. This meeting is hosted by Guangzhou DSPPA Audio Co. Ltd. National famous electro-acoustic experts and chief drafters of the code attended in the meeting. They are President Xue (President of Research Institute of Standards& Norms, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology), Secretary Zhong Houqiong (general secretary of Audio Engineering Society of China), Du Baoqiang (engineer of Research Institute of Standards& Norms, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology), Professor Meng Zihou (professor of Communication University of China), Professor Fan Baoyuan (professor of 3rd Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Corporation), President Wang Heng (president of DSPPA) and Zeng Weijian ( top-director of quality department, DSPPA). The top drafter Professor Zhong Gongliang was absent for investigating abroad. On the meeting, Guangzhou DSPPA Audio Co. Ltd proposes the draft of English version of Technical code of public address system engineering. A lively discussion is made during the meeting, and following-up tasks are divided and fixed up among the experts.

September 19 to 21, 2014, the compile team of this translation project held a meeting for revising the 3rd draft in Ningbo. Attendees of the meeting are Secretary Zhong Houqiong from Audio Engineering Society of China, President Wang Heng, Zhong Gongliang, Zeng Weijian and Chen Yixue from Guangzhou DSPPA Audio Co. Ltd, Professor Meng Zihou from Communication University of China, Professor Fan Baoyuan from 3rd Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Corporation, Professor Yang Jun from Institute of Acoustic, Chinese Academy of Science. During the meeting, the chief researcher of DSPPA and the lead drafter of this code, Professor Zhong Gongliang made further explanation for the project which includes: 1. The basis of establishing the C-E translation project for Technical code for public address system engineering; 2. The working process of this project since established; 3. The guiding principle of this project; 4. The problems cannot be solved while doing translation and need to be discussed during the meeting.

Now we are still working on the translation of Technical code for public address system engineering.