Heuristic approximations for sound fields produced by spherical waves incident on locally and non-locally reacting planar surfaces.

The classic Weyl-van der Pol (WVDP) formula is a well-known asymptotic solution for accurately predicting sound fields above a locally reacting ground surface. However, the form of the WVDP formula is inadequate for predicting sound fields in the vicinity of non-locally reacting surfaces; a correction term is often required in the formula to provide accurate numerical solutions. Even with this correction, there is a singularity in the diffraction wave term when the source is located directly above or below the receiver. This paper explores a heuristic method to remove this singularity and suggests an analytical form comparable to the WVDP formula. This improved formula offers a physically interpretable solution and allows for accurate predictions of the total sound field above locally and non-locally reacting surfaces for all geometrical configurations.