Evaluation Of Traffic Noise Research Articles

Urban noise exposure assessment based on principal component analysis of points of interest

Accurate qualitative and quantitative information on the characteristics of traffic noise exposure in densely populated urban areas is an important prerequisite for reasonable traffic noise control. The primary objective of this study is the development and application of a traffic noise exposure evaluation method based on points of interest (POIs). First, an automatic query arithmetic is used to acquire geospatial information, POIs data, building and network information from the webmap. Second, the attribute matrix of preprocessed POIs for the population is constructed. And the population distribution is obtained by principal component analysis (PCA) of POIs and Gaussian decomposition of demographic data. Then, the modified traffic noise line-source model is applied to calculate the noise distribution considering attenuation among buildings based on measured traffic flow parameters. Finally, with the help of the proposed noise evaluation indicators, and considering the noise function requirements (NFRs, which can be divided into four classes according to different area land-use types), traffic noise evaluation is realized. The proposed method is applied to a typical region with four NFR classes. It is concluded that the characteristics of traffic noise exposure are affected by traffic conditions, buildings, NFR classes and population distribution. And the crowds exposed to noise present aggregation effects, which are usually centered around specific buildings. In addition, POI types which people actives related suffer more serious noise exposure, and exposure is overestimated at low requirement regions without considering crowd distribution of the setting scenario.

Effect of roadside trees on pedestrians' psychological evaluation of traffic noise.

This study aims to investigate the interplay between roadside trees and pedestrians' assessment of traffic noise and comfort. The study examines the potential effects of visual and design elements of roadside trees on the overall soundscape comfort. The study design involves a systematic exploration of different conditions, encompassing traffic volume, distance from sound source, and tree density. For each combination, two experimental scenarios are created: (1) participants experience a binaural sound recording exclusively, and (2) participants experience the same binaural recording while concurrently immersed in a virtual reality (VR) video. Analysis of participants' noise perception, measured using a quiet-noisy scale, reveals no significant disparity between conditions. This suggests that the mere presence of roadside trees does not necessarily lead to a perceived reduction in noise loudness. However, evaluation of sound intensity exposes a notable discrepancy between low and medium tree density levels. Furthermore, the study confirms the impact of roadside tree visibility, with scenes containing trees yielding more positive evaluations compared to sound-only scenarios. Remarkably, the absence of trees in the roadside scene garners consistent evaluations across both experimental conditions. Significantly, higher roadside tree density in conjunction with the combined sound and VR video condition prompts a more favorable assessment than the sound-only scenario. While the study indicates that roadside trees might not substantially mitigate perceived physical noise levels, their influence on the psychological well-being of urban inhabitants is considerable. The findings highlight that even though these trees may not overtly diminish noise, they hold substantial potential to enhance the overall comfort and well-being of city residents. This underscores the multifaceted benefits of integrating green spaces into urban design for improving the quality of urban soundscapes and residents' experiences.

Psychoacoustic parameters in noise assessment – A research within the BMDV Network of Experts

This paper is dedicated to the applicability of psychoacoustic parameters for the evaluation of traffic noise. To characterize road traffic noises in detail and to demonstrate the perceptual impact, knowledge of the underlying dimensions that influence the evaluation of traffic sounds in everyday situations is required. In a study, stimulus-dyad comparisons were used to investigate underlying descriptive variables and attributes describing the latent perceptual dimensions of road traffic sounds. The dyads covered the feature space of road traffic sounds and systematically took into account factors such as traffic volume, traffic flow, traffic composition and road surface. The paper explains the experimental methodology, shows the derived attributes, and outlines the development of a questionnaire as a measurement tool to determine the perception of road traffic sounds in detail.

Parameter analysis and Reliability Evaluation of Road Traffic Noise Prediction Model for Highway Traffic Noise Evaluation

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the reliability of prediction models(KHTN, RLS-90, CRTN, NMPB-08) that are widely used in road traffic noise analysis. For this purpose, the accuracy and difference values of the prediction model were analyzed by comparing the measurement values performed at the total of 21 highway sites, reflecting various conditions such as road structure, road pavement type, and noise barrier installation. In addition, the correlation between commercial programs(SoundPlan, CadnaA) was compared and reviewed for each of the same prediction models. First of all, as a result of analyzing the accuracy of each prediction model, KHTN is rated as 92.8% the most accurate based on ±3 dB error range. And CRTN is rated as 74.0~76.8% the most accurate among prediction models inherent in commercial programs. And, as a result of analyzing the correlation between commercial programs for prediction models, CRTN is 100% highly correlated and NMPB has the lowest correlation by 69.6%.

Evaluation of road traffic noise exposure considering differential crowd characteristics

• A road traffic noise evaluation method for heterogeneous crowds is presented. • Heterogeneous crowd distribution, age and acoustic requirements are considered. • A noise response curve (NRC) is established. • The application verified the reasonableness and practicality of the method. The primary objective of this study is to develop an urban traffic noise exposure evaluation method for differential crowd characteristics, which takes crowd distribution, ages and acoustic requirements into consideration. First, road traffic noise data are simulated using a line-source model, and crowd distribution data are obtained by the decomposition of demographic data based on the different building attraction coefficients of the heterogeneous crowd. Then, the noise response curve (NRC) of the heterogeneous crowd is established with the normalization of subjective feelings of respondents and calibrating the response level of each age group in combination. Finally, with the help of the proposed noise evaluation indicators, and considering the noise function requirements (NFR), the traffic noise evaluation of differential crowd characteristics is realized. The method is applied to a typical scenario, and the results and analysis verified the reasonability and practicability of the method in urban traffic noise exposure evaluation.

A simulation of traffic noise emissions at a roundabout based on a cellular automaton model

The calculation and evaluation of traffic noise is an important task in urban road design. Roundabouts are a common form of urban road intersection. The complexity of traffic operations makes the calculation of traffic noise near a roundabout challenging. To explore traffic noise at roundabouts, a cellular automaton traffic flow model for a two-lane roundabout is established. Based on this model, a dynamic simulation method for traffic noise at roundabouts is proposed. The traffic operation and noise emissions at a roundabout are simulated. The vehicle speed distribution and traffic noise distribution at the roundabout are analysed, and the relationship between the traffic volume and sound power level of the cells is discussed. Finally, the proposed method is compared with existing traffic noise models, and the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method are verified. The results of this paper show that the speed distribution and noise emission distribution at the roundabout are not uniform. When the traffic volume increases to saturation, the noise emission on the ring road will not keep increasing, and the sound power level of the cells on the inner ring is approximately 2 dBA higher than that of the outer ring. The methods and results in this paper may be valuable for road traffic design and noise control.

Dynamic Evaluation of Traffic Noise through Standard and Multifractal Models

Traffic microsimulation models use the movement of individual driver-vehicle-units (DVUs) and their interactions, which allows a detailed estimation of the traffic noise using Common Noise Assessment Methods (CNOSSOS). The Dynamic Traffic Noise Assessment (DTNA) methodology is applied to real traffic situations, then compared to on-field noise levels from measurement campaigns. This makes it possible to determine the influence of certain local traffic factors on the evaluation of noise. The pattern of distribution of vehicles along the avenue is related to the logic of traffic light control. The analysis of the inter-cycles noise variability during the simulation and measurement time shows no influence from local factors on the prediction of the dynamic traffic noise assessment tool based on CNOSSOS. A multifractal approach of acoustic waves propagation and the source behaviors in the traffic area are implemented. The novelty of the approach also comes from the multifractal model’s freedom which allows the simulation, through the fractality degree, of various behaviors of the acoustic waves. The mathematical backbone of the model is developed on Cayley–Klein-type absolute geometries, implying harmonic mappings between the usual space and the Lobacevsky plane in a Poincaré metric. The isomorphism of two groups of SL(2R) type showcases joint invariant functions that allow associations of pulsations–velocities manifolds type.

AN ECONOMIC COMPARISON OF THE ORDINARY AND LOW-NOISE WEARING COURSE DURING THE LIFETIME OF ROADWAY

The article is focused on the economic evaluation of ordinary used asphalt pavement SMA 11 and low-noise wearing course SMA 8 NH (NH is an abbreviation for low-noise). This evaluation is based on the construction costs (including laying the asphalt mixture, horizontal road marking, milling works and maintenance – only special for low-noise wearing courses) and external costs during lifetime of the whole road. Needed inputs for external costs are changes of acoustic parameters of road surfaces in the Czech Republic that are verified by the CPX method. The higher the noise, the higher the external costs. Final costs depend also on the lifetime of a wearing course which is approximately 12 years for SMA 11 and 8 years for SMA 8 NH according to Czech long-term knowledge. OTSKP-SPK (which states the average prices of particular works on roads in the Czech Republic) was used for construction costs and “Methodology of traffic noise evaluation” was used for external costs.

Evaluation and Modeling of Traffic Noise in Berhampur City, India

Traffic noise in urban areas is increasing day by day, owing to addition in the number of vehicles on road in developing and developed countries. The increase of noise level reduces the wellbeing of the exposed people. Exposure to high noise results in development of ill health including annoyance, high blood pressure, headache and other physiological and psychological problems. Noise not only affects the human life but also affects animals and birds in the ecosystem. In this experimental study, the evaluation of traffic noise in Berhampur city has been done. Eleven important locations covering the whole city were considered for traffic noise evaluation. Other than the evaluation of traffic noise, the well-known traffic noise prediction models have been tested here. It has been found that, in this situation, such established models do not function well and have a low coefficient of correlation value. A new befitting model has been formulated using multiple regression analysis to predict the traffic noise level and later on, it is also tested as well as validated at different locations.

Spatial variations in pedestrian soundscape evaluation of traffic noise

Walking is necessary for experiencing urban space, but pedestrians are seriously disturbed by traffic noise. This study aimed to clarify spatial variations in soundscape evaluation in pedestrian spaces used solely for walking, including traffic noise annoyance, the dominance of various sound sources, and the perceptual dimensions of the soundscape. Three traffic noise level areas, at various distances from the road, were evaluated in a typical pedestrian space in China, using a questionnaire survey in an on-site study. The results reveal that, first, the soundscape evaluations in the high-noise area (70 dBA) and middle-noise area (60 dBA) are more similar, but present a larger difference with the low-noise area (50 dBA). The latter is more complicated, and more subjective evaluations in this area are required than for higher sound-level areas. Second, the correlation between the soundscape evaluations of the middle-noise area and the low-noise area demonstrates more similarity, but presents a larger difference with the high-noise area, meaning the effectiveness in the high-noise area may differ from lower sound level areas even with the same soundscape improvement measures. Finally, the relationship of the dominance of natural sound with other soundscape evaluations become weaker as the distance from the road increases; this means that deliberately increasing natural sound might be an effective method to improve the soundscape quality in the high-noise area. These findings can provide a reference for soundscape evaluations and landscape design in pedestrian spaces where traffic noise is a problem.

Analysis and Evaluation of Traffic Noise in Different Zones of Delhi, India

Noise pollution due to traffic has been recognized as one of the chief sources that negatively affects the quality of life in urban areas across the globe. It is important to monitor and analyze the noise level before purposing remedial measures. So, the main aim of this study is the analysis and evaluation of traffic noise in different zones of Delhi, India. Seven residential, three commercials, four industrial and two silent areas of city Delhi has been selected for this study. The Leq mentoring has been carried out for all selected locations in day and night time and the monitoring results are compared with the prescribed standard of Central Pollution Control Board. Furthermore, the average Leq, Lmin, and Lmax has also been registered for all locations. The variation of noise level clearly indicates that residential area is exposed to the highest noise level i.e. 76.62 dB followed by commercial area (59.36dB), silent area (58.58dB) and Industrial area (44.45dB). This is because of the fact that the residential area is located at the intersection of major roads having high traffic volume most of the time. The Commercial area which has been selected here is the central business district of Delhi and is of historic importance. It’s a famous tourist spot as well as having retail shops, offices and historic structures. All these contribute to high traffic noise. However, the Silent area selected for this study also has similar traffic noise as a commercial area because it has densely populated residential areas nearby. The lowest noise level is observed in the Industrial area because the area has small scale industries that are fully enclosed with high boundary walls which act as a buffer. Also, there is less traffic movement in this area as there is no residential or commercial area nearby and the only traffic is because of the factory workers and loading & unloading.

Effect of temperature on road pass-by noise of light vehicle

Traffic noise is an important evaluation index of urban environmental quality. The level of traffic noise is affected by many environmental factors. Compared with close proximity method (CPX method) in measurement for calculating temperature coefficient, using statistical pass-by method (SPB method) is more suitable for traffic noise evaluation. In order to verify the influence of temperature on road traffic noise, we use SPB method and light vehicles to track and test different types of road noise in a period of time, and record the road temperature and air temperature at the same time. The experimental results show that the vehicle pass-by noise decreases with the increase of temperature, and the noise level of porous asphalt pavement changes little with temperature compared to dense graded pavement.

Estimation of the quality of an urban acoustic environment based on traffic noise evaluation models

Traffic noise pollution is a widespread public health problem in both developing and developed countries. Quickly and effectively evaluating the quality of an urban acoustic environment is an important challenge for urban planning and management. To solve this problem, this study first classified the urban function area of the study area according to the functional characteristics and environmental quality requirements of the region, and then, the traffic noise propagation model was applied to predict instantaneous sound levels (LA) based on noise attenuation. Finally, a traffic noise evaluation model was proposed to evaluate the quality of the urban acoustic environment. Taking Changchun city as our study area, eighty field samples of equivalent noise levels (Leq) were measured every ten minutes at four types of roads, classified as trunk roads, secondary roads, expressways and rural roads, in different urban function areas. An urban noise map was drawn to reflect the degree of traffic noise pollution. By comparing the measured and predicted values of noise levels, the results show that the traffic noise propagation model can be used to predict instantaneous sound levels. The traffic noise evaluation results show that the quality of the acoustic environment in our study area was at a medium level, which means that long-term exposure to it can affect the normal work and life of people. The traffic noise propagation model and proposed evaluation model are feasible methods for evaluating the quality of the acoustic environment and can provide a reference for the management of noise pollution control of urban traffic.

Pervasive wireless sensors: A new monitoring tool for road traffic noise evaluation

Noise pollution is estimated to affect 170 million citizens in Europe, causing serious public health problems [1]. The World Health Organisation claims that at least one million healthy life years are lost per year in Europe due to road traffic noise [2]. Effective management of noise requires an understanding of its causes. This understanding is limited by traditional monitoring methods, which employ expensive equipment and are labour intensive. This paper presents the results of a comprehensive programme of correction and validation of a low-cost device referred to as an eMote for pervasive monitoring and is the first to quantify the accuracy of inexpensive noise systems that use microphones typically costing about one Euro.Pervasive wireless noise sensors (eMotes) were validated by co-location with precision sound level meters in controlled indoor, and at roadside outdoor environments. Strong linear relationships between the eMotes and the precision systems, across a noise range between 55 dBA and 94 dBA were observed and exhibited consistent bias compared to the precision measurement. Therefore, a generic, corrective relationship was derived and validated in three contrasting outdoor traffic noise environments, employing both short-term attended, and long-term unattended measurements, which were carried out during day and/or evening and/or night periods.The eMotes were shown to respond consistently to white and pink generated noise during the evaluation of the accuracy process, and the generic correction algorithm for white noise delivered better than 3 dBA accuracy in comparison to precision data at a one-minute averaging resolution. The correction algorithm improved the concordance correlation coefficient (ccc) and coefficient of determination (R2) of the eMote measurements against those of the precision instrument. Removal of short-duration, excessively loud events (e.g. sirens), which represented 2% of the total data, improved the ccc and R2 values further typically to 0.74 and 0.60 respectively, which is considered good, given the limitations of the experimental procedure. The research provides scientific evidence that whilst not acceptable for compliance monitoring to standards for noise exposure, the eMote is a valuable system to screen for excessive exposure; to understand the causes of traffic related noise in urban areas; to provide an indication of the spatial and temporal variation in noise levels and the knowledge to design appropriate solutions, in turn this will lead to more effective abatement. The continued monitoring allows the impact to be quantified giving confidence that intervention measures are worthwhile, delivering added value compared to current measurement methods.

Innovative bootstrap approach for the estimation of minimum measurement time interval in road traffic noise evaluation

Abstract It is observed that in order to characterize the environmental noise in a site, during diurnal reference time (6–22 h) or nocturnal reference time (22–6 h), relatively at preset time window, observation period, a single value of the equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level L A,eq is used. This value is determined by integrating and averaging the squared A-weighted sound pressure of fluctuating noise during the measurement time interval, in which there are representative values of acoustic event pressure levels: so it is very important accurately to select the suitable integration time. Such matter are highly relevant to the area of measuring environmental noise and this paper aims to present a statistical method, for determining the minimum measurement time interval for an accurate estimation of L Aeq . The proposed algorithm, based on CPER bootstrap method, has been experimentally verified with real data obtained from road traffic noise measurement and it showed a very good stability. The methodology is suitable for upgrading the level meter firmware in order to have the real time information on the measurand uncertainty estimation and on the minimum measurement time interval.

A framework for 3D traffic noise mapping using data from BIM and GIS integration

Traffic noise is a major health concern for people living in urban environments. Noise mapping can help evaluating the noise level for certain areas in a city. Traditionally, noise mapping is performed in 2D geographic information system (GIS). The use of 3D GIS is also emerging in noise mapping in recent years. However, the current noise-mapping platforms can only conduct noise evaluation for the outdoor environment and the indoor environment separately. In addition, related information about absorption coefficient and transmission loss (TL) in noise calculation is not properly retrieved and is often replaced with a single value. In this research, building information modelling (BIM) and 3D GIS are integrated in order to combine traffic noise evaluation in both outdoor environments and indoor environments in a single platform. In our developed BIM–GIS integration platform, the built environment is represented in a 3D GIS model that contains information at a high level of detail from BIM. With the integration with BIM, the 3D GIS model now has access to detailed indoor features such as interior walls and interior rooms. Noise evaluation could therefore be performed at a room level in the developed platform. Essential parameters such as absorption coefficient and TL can be extracted directly from BIM for noise calculation. The 3D GIS model is connected with detailed BIM so that any changes in the indoor and outdoor features can be reflected to each other. The Italian C.N.R model is modified and applied in the platform to conduct noise calculation. This paper presents the details for the development of the noise-mapping BIM–GIS platform based on ArcGIS. Two use cases were analysed to show the role of such platform in the decision-making process of both urban planning and interior design.

Differences Between Road Traffic and Leisure Noise in Urban Areas. Developing a Model for Automatic Identification

Leisure and road traffic are two of the major contributors to environmental noise in urban agglomerations. This environmental problem is particularly important in some cities, where there is a massive circulation of traffic vehicles and numerous outdoor social activities with a leisure noise mainly composed by human-related sounds. Due to the apparent differences between human-related sounds and road traffic sounds, the descriptors used to approach a proper evaluation of leisure noise may not be the same as the ones used for road traffic noise evaluation. This paper is aimed at analyzing the road traffic and leisure noise characteristics and the most important parameters to study and evaluate both noise sources. Therefore, as usually both noise sources are mixed, a model has been developed and tested which, when provided an environmental noise measurement, will be able to identify what kind of noise (leisure or road traffic noise) is dominant in a given environment. This model, done by using Support Vector Machines (SVMs) and Regression Analysis algorithms, allows focusing the abatement actions towards the noise source identified as dominant, and thus, addressing a better management and a proper control of the environmental noise in urban environments.

モータ騒音影響を考慮した鉄道車両の環境影響評価

Objective. In order to evaluate the damage to inhabitants along the line resulting from conventional railway noise, it is necessary to evaluate influence by the noise quantitatively to consider the pattern of the noise in addition to the noise level. In this paper, damage by the railway motor noise is quantified taking driving pattern into consideration as well as noise level based on traffic noise evaluation method of LIME2.Results and Discussion. As a result of comparison of damage caused from noise by railway carriages equipped PMSM and IM through the life cycle, it is confirmed that 3dBA of equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level based on actual measurement is corresponded to 56% reduction of health damage. In addition, as a result of integrated evaluation of plural environmental effects, the influence of damage by noise is 91% and 94% of total in the case of PMSM installed carriage and IM, respectively.Conclusions. In this paper, an evaluation model to quantify damage by railway noise is developed by reflecting the driving pattern of carriages based on LIME2. Using this model it is proved that the influence caused from noise is relatively high, therefore it is meaningful to involve the effect of noise to the total environmental analysis. In addition, in order to reduce the environmental impact, for the large influence in the operational stage, it is effective to control fuel consumption and the discharge of the environmentally load material in the operation stage.

Evaluation of Traffic Noise and Vibration

Evaluation of Traffic Noise and Vibration

Initial steps for the determination of environmental noise quality—The perception-related evaluation of traffic noise

Directives call for actions against noise pollution and noise annoyance. But, how do we eliminate harmful effects including annoyance due to the exposure of environmental noise without understanding the perception and evaluation of environmental noise? How do we preserve environmental noise quality where it is good (Directive 2002/49/EC) without identifying descriptors for noise quality? Various soundscape approaches based on different methodologies have been developed in the past. But, the measurement procedures must be realizable without much effort in order to achieve acceptance from legislation. Therefore, procedures have to be developed that capture the complexity of human hearing, on the one hand, and are feasible with respect to economy and time, on the other hand. The European project Quiet City (6FP PL516420) is dealing with, among other aspects, vehicle pass-by noise as a typical environmental noise source and its evaluation. Results of the analysis based on subjective assessments and psychoacoustic analyses carried out with respect to the development of an annoyance index will be presented and discussed. Such an index will provide valuable information for effective improvement of noise quality. The final aim is to develop a descriptor valid for complete traffic noise scenarios predicting environmental noise quality adequately.