Selecting Noise Source and Traffic Representations that Capture Road Traffic Noise Dynamics Near Traffic Signals

Abstract

Considering trafic dynamics greatly improves noise estimation in urban area. This can be achieved by coupling a dynamic trafic model with both noise emission laws and sound propagation calculation. Determining the relevant noise source and trafic representations to estimate classical noise descriptors (L-Aeq and statistical descriptors) near trafic signals has been recently studied. This research topic is extended in this paper to more specific descriptors which are able to capture noise dynamics at the trafic signal scale, for usual urban trafic situations (upstream, in front of, and downstream a trafic signal) and different distances from the road (5.5, 10 and 15 m). It appears that 14m-line sources ensure an estimation of all descriptors with errors below 2 dB(A) if trafic dynamics is precisely described. Macroscopic and microscopic car-following models are both relevant to highlight noise dynamics triggered by the trafic signal, but some differences between those traffic representations are observed.