THE AUSTRALIAN PERFORMANCE OF THE UK DOE TRAFFIC NOISE PREDICTION METHOD

Accurate and reliable predictions of traffic noise levels are necessary in a variety of situations such as the design of noise ameliorative measures for new roads, the evaluation of alternative road proposals, and the determination of the likely level of noise from traffic at a specific location. One traffic noise prediction method frequently adopted by Australian road authorities for these purposes is that which originated from the UK Department of the Environment (UK DOE). As a result of their involvement with a NAASRA Planning Committee Working Group concerned with traffic noise prediction evaluation, the authors have conducted an extensive, statistically-based analysis of the performance of the UK DOE method. While some earlier studies had conducted similar evaluations, these were, in the main, based on relatively limited data sets. Work reported in the present paper is based on systematically screened daily traffic noise data carefully collected at some 113 sites, of varying configuration and complexity, within three states in Australia. It was found that the UK DOE method tended to over-predict the 110 (18 hour) noise level in each of the three states. The magnitude of this over-prediction depended on whether or not a facade was present. Having quantified these over-predictions, recommendations were made for removing them by applying suitable correction factors to the UK doe predictions. The accompanying accuracies of the corrected UK DOE predictions were also determined, and these allowed quantification of the probability of a true noise level exceeding a preselected policy level once a (corrected) prediction had been made. Generally, it was concluded that once the UK DOE method was corrected for its observed over-predictions and once its accuracy was known and specified in conjunction with each prediciton, the method could be regarded as providing satisfactory predictions (a). The number of the covering abstract of the conference is TRIS No. 368448. (TRRL)

• Record URL:
  • http://arrbknowledge.com
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00050164
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Proceedings of the Eleventh Australian Road Research Board Conference, held at the University of Melbourne, August 23-27, 1982.
• Corporate Authors:

  ARRB

  Melbourne, Victoria  Australia 
• Authors:
  • SAMUELS, S E
  • Saunders, R E
• Publication Date: 1982

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 30-44
• Serial:
  • Australian Road Research
  • Volume: 11
  • Issue Number: PT6
  • Publisher: ARRB
  • ISSN: 0005-0164

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accuracy; Conferences; Data collection; Errors; Evaluation and assessment; Forecasting; Highways; Information processing; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical models; Methodology; Performance; Sound; Sound level; Statistics; Traffic; Traffic noise; Values in measurement
• Uncontrolled Terms: Correction (Mathematics); Field performance
• Geographic Terms: Australia
• ITRD Terms: 6471: Analysis (math); 8006: Australia; 8525: Conference; 8623: Data acquisition; 8655: Data processing; 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 132: Forecast; 2755: Highway; 6473: Mathematical model; 9102: Method; 6748: Sound; 6555: Statistics; 755: Traffic
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00368540
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Report/Paper Numbers: V11, Pt3
• Files: ITRD, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Jan 31 1983 12:00AM