Acoustic Radiation from Pavement Joint Grooves between Concrete Slabs

Abstract

Sound generation and radiation from grooves in the joints between concrete slabs were modeled using relationships previously established for tire groove resonances and groove air pumping. Resonant behavior was clearly established from both in-lab and on-road onboard sound pressure level data. The strength of the noise source was found to be proportional to 20 times the logarithm of the groove cross-sectional area. This relationship, along with the accounting of residual texture background noise, was found to replicate that measured in laboratory testing. The model was then calibrated with the laboratory results and extended in speed range with a theoretical calculation of the sound radiation from the end of the joint groove. The predicted level produced by an isolated joint of specified dimension was then used to model the average sound intensity level for a pavement with a user-specified distance between joints, vehicle speed, and pavement texture-generated noise level. For smaller groove cross-sectional areas (~0.25 in.2), the contribution of joint grooves was on the order of 1 dB for quieter pavement textures. For larger cross-sectional areas, such as a groove width of 1/2 in. and depth of 1 in., the contribution increased to almost 3 dB.