HIGHWAY NOISE CONTROL

A COMBINATION OF SEVERAL METHODS IS REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE EFFECTIVE NOISE CONTROL. NOISE REDUCTION AT THE SOURCE MAY BE ACHIEVED THROUGH LEGISLATION AND ENFORCEMENT. THE OVERALL EFFECT OF THIS APPROACH IS LIKELY TO BE DIMINISHED BY SHEER GROWTH OF ROAD TRAFFIC VOLUMES. AN EFFECTIVE NOISE CONTROL MEASURE FOR REDUCING IN-HOUSE NOISE IS GOOD BUILDING DESIGN. SUCH CONTROL MAY ALSO BE ACHIEVED BY PROPER BUILDING AND STREET LAYOUT. ONE MEANS OF NOISE CONTROL OF THE TRANSMISSION PATH IS TO INCREASE DISTANCE BETWEEN SOURCE AND RECEIVER. DETAILS ARE GIVEN OF PATH DEFLECTION BY HIGHWAY NOISE SHIELDING TECHINQUES SUCH AS ROADSIDE BARRIERS, DEPRESSED AND ELEVATED HIGHWAY SECTIONS, ROADSIDE STRUCTURES AND VEGETATION. A PRIMARY EVALUATION PROGRAM WAS CONDUCTED WHICH CONSISTED OF A SERIES OF 10 TO 15 MINUTE LONG SOUND MEASUREMENTS CONDUCTED BEFORE AND AFTER BARRIER CONSTRUCTION AT A NUMBER OF SELECTED OBSERVATION POINTS BEHIND THE BARRIERS, FOUR FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. TO BE EFFECTIVE (SOUND LEVEL REDUCTIONS OF 8 - 10 DBA), NOISE BARRIERS WOULD HAVE TO BE CONSTRUCTED TO HEIGHTS OF 20 TO 25 FEET ON LEVEL TERRAIN.

• Authors:
  • Harmelink, M D
  • Hajek, J J
• Publication Date: 1973-9

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 47-53
• Serial:
  • Traffic Engineering, Inst Traffic Engr
  • Volume: 43
  • Issue Number: 12

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Building; Deflection; Design; Highway bridges; Highway engineering; Highways; Laws; Roadside structures; Sound; Sound absorption; Streets; Vegetation
• Old TRIS Terms: Niobium
• Subject Areas: Construction; Design; Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00224505
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 27 1974 12:00AM