Development of Reference Energy Mean Emission Level Models for Traffic Noise from Cement Concrete Pavement in Mid-Sized Cities in India

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to establish the Reference Energy Mean Emission Level (REMEL) for different types of vehicles in the mixed traffic flow on cement concrete roads in the mid-sized city of Kanpur urban area. REMEL is a key factor in a traffic noise propagation model. In Kanpur, data were collected at the location of Panki under free-flow traffic conditions on a good surface with a straight alignment. A total of 4,390 data sets for nine different vehicle categories (buses, trucks, tractor-trailers, light commercial vehicles, three-wheelers, cars, motorcycles, e-rickshaws, and non-motorized vehicles) were collected as part of this study. The noise level (Leq) was measured using a Type-1 Sound Level Meter positioned at 7.5 metres from the centre of the nearest lane for each passing vehicle, while the vehicle's speed was also recorded simultaneously. The regression analysis indicated a strong relationship between Leq and vehicular speed for all vehicle categories. This study provides valuable insights about the noise emission characteristics of different vehicles in mixed traffic conditions in India.