Prediction and control of noise from railway bridges and tracked transit elevated structures

Abstract

This paper reviews the current approaches to the prediction and control of noise radiation from railroad bridges and elevated rail transit structures. The results of noise measurements near a variety of bridge and elevated rail structures are summarized and these structures are rank ordered according to their sideline noise levels. Methods for the control of elevated structure noise are discussed and the results of actual field applications of these treatments are summarized. This article also describes a new analytical model capable of estimating the effects of structural parameters on both vibration transmission within, and noise radiation from, an elevated structure. A sample application of this model is used to evaluate several methods for noise abatement on a composite concrete deck, steel plate girder structure. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations for further research.