On Approaches to Organizing Noise Observations in Urban Areas

Abstract

Introduction: A rapid growth of cities accompanied by the increase in population density and expansion of the road network has been observed recently. When conducting road traffic noise studies, preparation for observations, analysis of the situation, and selection of observation points are of great importance. Speed, volume, and density of the traffic flow, periods of observation, and the measurement interval are taken into account when measuring. At present, there is a need to justify approaches to organizing observations of noise levels and obtaining objective data on the urban territory. Objective: To justify approaches to organizing observations of noise levels in urban residential areas. Materials and methods: Roadway noise was measured on the territory of residential areas to establish equivalent and maximum sound levels. Organization of observations consisted of making a list of control addresses and distributing them by groups of observations with the same and comparable values of indicators. Results: The work was carried out in accordance with the proposed approach to organizing observations with the list of control addresses generated, the addresses grouped, parameter values determined, and the control points selected. The essential parameters included the type of urban development, the type of green spaces, characteristics of traffic flow and road surface. Each group contained at least three control addresses. At each address, average sound levels were determined and control was carried out for their differences in each observation group. Conclusion: Approaches to organizing observations of noise levels in urban areas have been developed, which help establish real-life acoustic conditions with a reduced number of measurements.