HIGHWAY NOISE: A FIELD EVALUATION OF TRAFFIC NOISE REDUCTION MEASURES

THE PROJECT ON WHICH THIS REPORT IS BASED IS THE THIRD IN A SERIES OF STUDIES CONDUCTED BY BOLT BERANEK AND NEWMAN UNDER CONTRACT TO THE NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM. EARLIER PROJECTS WERE REPORTED IN NCHRP REPORT 78, "HIGHWAY NOISE -- MEASUREMENT, SIMULATION, AND AND MIXED REACTIONS," AND NCHRP REPORT 117, "HIGHWAY NOISE -- A DESIGN GUIDE FOR HIGHWAY ENGINEERS." IN THE PRESENT PROJECT, THE OBJECTIVES WERE TO EVALUATE BY FIELD STUDIES THE NOISE-REDUCING CHARACTERISTICS OF 1. ROADSIDE BARRIERS, 2. ELEVATED HIGHWAY SECTIONS, 3. DEPRESSED HIGHWAY SECTIONS, AND 4. ROADSIDE STRUCTURES AND THEREBY TO CONFIRM OR MODIFY PREDICTION PROCEDURES THAT HAD BEEN BASED PRIMARILY ON MODEL AND THEORETICAL STUDIES. THE REPORT DESCRIBES THE SELECTION OF SITES USED IN FIELD EVALUATIONS, THE TECHNIQUES USED IN THE COLLECTION AND REDUCTION OF NOISE DATA, AND THE ANALYSES DESIGNED TO ASSESS THE PARAMETERS THAT MIGHT INFLUENCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENT NOISE-REDUCING MEASURES. THESE PARAMETERS, WHICH WERE MEASURED AT EACH SITE SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE ACOUSTIC CHARACTERISTICS, INCLUDED TRAFFIC VOLUMES, SPEEDS, TRUCK/AUTOMOBILE MIX, AND PREVAILING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS OF A TERRAIN AND AND METEOROLOGICAL NATURE. THUS, IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COMPARING OBSERVED VERSUS PREDICTED CHARACTERISTICS OF NOISE-REDUCTION MEASURES, THE FIELD DATA COLLECTION SERVED TO DEMONSTRATE FURTHER THAT THE MODIFIED DESIGN GUIDES COULD BE EMPLOYED FOR THE MOST PART WITHOUT CONCERN FOR VARIATIONS IN THESE PARAMETERS. THE REPORT CONCLUDES WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL RESEARCH INTO HIGHWAY NOISE PROBLEMS AND PRESENTS DETAILED APPENDICES WHICH INCORPORATE THE MODIFIED PROCEDURES TO BE EMPLOYED IN DESIGN EVALUATION. CONTINUATION OF THE HIGHWAY NOISE RESEARCH DEVELOPED FROM THE PRESENT AND PRECEDING STUDIES IS EXPECTED TO EXAMINE NOISE SOURCES, NOISE CONTROL MEASURES, AND THEIR ECONOMICS, AND TO DEVELOP IMPROVED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HIGHWAY NOISE LEVEL CRITERIA. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_144.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00775614
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Kugler, B A
  • Piersol, A G
• Publication Date: 1973

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 26 p.
• Serial:
  • NCHRP Report
  • Issue Number: 144
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0077-5614

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Acoustic properties; Barriers (Roads); Depressed highways; Environmental impacts; Field tests; Highway bridges; Noise; Noise barriers; Roadside; Roadside structures; Sound level; Tractor trailer combinations; Traffic noise; Traffic speed; Traffic volume; Trucks
• Uncontrolled Terms: Barriers
• Old TRIS Terms: Truck noise; Vehicle combinations
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; Motor Carriers;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00203878
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Apr 27 1974 12:00AM