NOISE GENERATED BY SUBWAYS ABOVE GROUND AND IN STATIONS

SUBWAY NOISE DATA ACQUIRED NEAR VARIOUS OUTDOOR SUBWAYS IN SEVEN EUROPEAN CITIES AS WELL AS NOISE GENERATED BY TRAINS ENTERING AND LEAVING NINE SUBWAY STATIONS ARE DISCUSSED. OUTDOOR NOISE IS MEASURED AT DISTANCES BETWEEN 3 AND 300 FEET. THERE ARE SUBSTANTIAL VARIATIONS (OF THE ORDER OF 20-30 DB) IN LEVELS GENERATED BY TRAINS AT A GIVEN DISTANCE ON ELEVATED SECTIONS, DEPENDING ON WHETHER THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE IS STEEL, CONCRETE, OR EARTHEN. RAIL JOINTS AND POOR QUALITY WHEELS ARE SHOWN TO INCREASE NOISE LEVELS BY 8-10 DB. TRAINS ON RAILS WHICH HAVE GROUND SMOOTH GENERATE 6 DB(A) LESS NOISE THAN TRAINS ON UNGROUND RAILS. EFFECTS OF TRAIN SPEED, DISTANCE FROM A TRAIN, AND TRACK GRADE ARE ANALYZED. FINALLY, NOISE LEVELS IN SMALL STATIONS LACKING SIGNIFICANT SOUND ABSORBING SURFACES ARE FOUND TO BE 22 DB(A) HIGHER THAN LARGER ACOUSTICALLY WELL-TREATED STATIONS. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Rept No Ost-ONA-70-1, 57 PP
• Corporate Authors:

  Department of Transportation

  Office of Noise Abatement, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • BENDER, E K
  • HECKL, M
• Publication Date: 1970-1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Altitude; Concrete; Distance; Noise; Rail joints; Railroad trains; Speed; Steel; Structures; Subways; Wheels
• Uncontrolled Terms: Elevation
• Old TRIS Terms: Track grade
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Environment; Highways; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00223203
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 29 1970 12:00AM