EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NOVEL NOISE BARRIER DESIGNS

In recent years there has been growing interest in the use of noise barrier profiles that can enhance the diffraction efficiency of plane barriers. These are placed on the top of the barrier in order to reduce sound diffracted into the shadow zone. Despite numerous demonstrations that the profiles enhance performance there is as yet no universal agreement on how the improvements can be quantified and incorporated into revised current noise prediction methods or proposed methods such as Harmonoise. Without such quantification it is unlikely that such profiles will receive widespread acceptance. TRL has carried out an experimental investigation of the performance of novel shaped barriers for the Transport Research Foundation. The approach relies on quantifying diffraction efficiency in the near-field using a novel application of the maximum length sequence (MLS)-based method. The method clearly revealed a difference in the performance of the options tested and result agreed well with numerical predictions using the boundary element method (BEM).

• Corporate Authors:

  TRL

  Crowthorne House, Nine Mile Ride
  Wokingham, Berkshire  United Kingdom  RG40 3GA
• Authors:
  • WATTS, G R
  • Morgan, P A
• Publication Date: 2003-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 6 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Design; Forecasting; Noise; Noise barriers; Prevention
• ITRD Terms: 9011: Design (overall design); 132: Forecast; 2492: Noise; 2886: Noise barrier; 9149: Prevention
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00962638
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Sep 3 2003 12:00AM