Pavement Rehabilitation and Traffic Noise Reduction along an Arterial Street

This paper describes how a portion of a major arterial roadway through the City of San Rafael, California was recently rehabilitated with a pavement overlay. Because of the concerns of local residences whose backyards adjoin the street, the San Rafael Department of Public Works was particularly interested in reducing the traffic noise along this roadway without using additional sound walls. In an attempt to reduce the tire/pavement noise generated by traffic, the City decided to use a rubberized asphalt overlay for the rehabilitation project. To quantify the improvement, before and after noise tests were done, which included the measurement of tire/pavement noise sound intensity that was made very near the tire/road interface. Short term noise measurements were also made in the yards of residences backing to the street. The measurements before and after indicated an average reduction in tire/pavement noise source level of 6 dB. This translated into a 5 dB average reduction of traffic noise in the backyards of the residences. After completion of the project, 24-hour, long-term noise measurements were made in the backyard of a third residence adjoining the street. Compared to similar data obtained in 2000 at this same residence, the hourly reductions ranged from 2 to 6 dB, producing a reduction of 3 dB and the results of this study are documented in this paper.

• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Noise Control Engineering

  Iowa State University, 210 Marston Hall
  Ames, IA  United States  50011-2153

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Donavan, Paul R
• Conference:
  • Noise-Con 04. The 2004 National Conference on Noise Control Engineering
  • Location: Baltimore Maryland, United States
  • Date: 2004-7-12 to 2004-7-14
• Publication Date: 2004

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: CD-ROM
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 263-274
• Monograph Title: Noise-Con 04. The 2004 National Conference on Noise Control Engineering

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Before and after studies; Bituminous overlays; Noise barriers; Noise control; Noise sources; Overlays (Pavements); Rehabilitation (Maintenance); Rolling contact; Sound; Sound absorption; Sound level; Sound transmission; Tire/pavement noise; Traffic noise
• Geographic Terms: San Rafael (California)
• Subject Areas: Design; Energy; Environment; Highways; Pavements; I15: Environment; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I23: Properties of Road Surfaces;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01054138
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jul 16 2007 2:57PM