Prediction of the Effects of Pavement Permeability on the Traffic Noise Generated by Tire and Road Surface Interactions

Abstract

Porous pavement materials such as asphalt rubber concrete (ARC) have attracted attentions from the researchers and practitioners in road science in the recent years due to their durability and environmental advantages. The porous pavements also show advantages in traffic noise reduction. This research concentrates on an investigation of the effects of the permeability of porous and other pavement materials on the response of the noise generated by the interaction between tire and the pavement surface. Experimental tests are carried out in the field to acquire tire/road noise data for difference pavement materials with implementation of the Close-Proximity CPX method. Lab experiments are performed for examining the permeability of the pavement materials. Empirical relationship between the noise level and permeability of the pavement materials is established. Comparison for the responses of the pavement materials with different permeability is also presented. The research results provide guidance for optimal design of the microstructure of porous pavements to be used for reducing traffic noise.