The Impact of Thin Asphalt Layers as a Road Traffic Noise Intervention in an Urban Environment

Ablenya Grangeiro De Barros,Cedric Vuye,Jarl K Kampen

doi:10.3390/su132212561

Ablenya Grangeiro De Barros, Cedric Vuye + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212561

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Abstract

Low-noise thin asphalt layers (TALs) are a feasible solution to mitigate road traffic noise in urban environments. Nevertheless, the impacts of this type of noise intervention are reported mostly regarding noise levels, while non-acoustic aspects influencing the population perception are still little-known. This study investigates the implementation of TALs in two streets of Antwerp, Belgium. The effectiveness of the intervention was measured via noise modelling and acoustic measurements of road traffic noise. A reduction of 2.8 dB in noise exposure was observed in Lden and Lnight, while SPB measurements showed decreases up to 5.2 dB on the roadside. The subjective impacts of the TALs were evaluated via self-administered surveys and compared to results from control streets. The annoyance indicators were positively impacted by the TALs implementation, resulting in annoyance levels similar or lower than in the control streets. The TALs did not impact the reported physical complaints, sleep quality, and comfort level to perform activities.

Highlights

IntroductionThe build-up of somatic disease arises from physiological responses triggered by exposure to high levels of (road traffic) noise
This study aimed to quantify the effectiveness of low-noise thin surface layers (TALs) as an intervention on road traffic noise and its impacts on the residents’ perception
The change in absorption coefficient due to the porous characteristic of the TAL was not fully taken into account in the noise modelling, as the road correction terms of CNOSSOS-EU adopted in this study rely on CPX measurements

Summary

Introduction

The build-up of somatic disease arises from physiological responses triggered by exposure to high levels of (road traffic) noise. These somewhat unconscious behavioral reactions to noise exposure can be subjectively measured by the “noise annoyance”. This indicator is assessed at the population level via social surveys and is more reported by the exposed population to describe (road traffic) noise exposure than the manifestation of somatic disease; see [4] for an elaborate review on this topic. Annoyance could be considered an early warning signal for health risks, playing a key role in setting noise exposure limits and creating action plans for noise exposure mitigation [5]

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