INVESTIGATION OF TRAFFIC NOISE BARRIER EFFECTIVENESS FOR DISTANT RECEIVERS
0
Citation
0
Reference
20
Related Paper
Abstract:
In the United States a number of state transportation agencies have reported complaints of increased noise levels for residents living in the vicinity of highways after traffic noise barrier construction. Referred to as the distant receiver problem, complaining residents have generally been located at distances greater than the typical source-to-receiver distances considered for traffic noise abatement. The completion of the largest traffic noise barrier project in the state of Ohio brought a mixed response from the public, with some residents claiming that traffic noise levels had been reduced, while others contended that noise levels had increased. An extensive public opinion survey concluded that the most pervasive complaint, the perception of increased traffic noise levels due to noise barrier construction, was cited most often by residents living in the range of 180m to 540m from the roadway. Further, those residents protected by parallel barrier configurations were more likely to perceive Increased levels than those protected by single barriers. No noise measurements were conducted prior to noise barrier construction. Therefore, the investigation used both field measurements and noise models to identify the contributions of a number of mechanisms, which affected noise propagation. The study concluded that the perception of the increased traffic noise levels due to noise barrier construction was valid for some locations. It was found that the inter-relationships between barrier attenuation and ground attenuation plus the effect of reflections between parallel barriers were the most probable cause for the perception of increased noise levels for distant receivers. (A) For the covering abstract see ITRD E113232.Keywords:
Roadway noise
Annoyance
Cite
The report presents the findings of a study of eight noise barriers installed along interstate and primary roads. A total of 488 interviews were conducted in eight communities adjacent to the barriers to determine citizens' perception of the effectiveness- of these structures. For all eight sites, 57% of the people interviewed were satisfied with the noise barriers and a little more than half felt the barriers were reducing noise. Citizens were most satisfied with a beige metal barrier and least satisfied with a blue metal barrier. Aesthetically, a wood plank barrier was rated the most desirable and the concrete wall the least. Noise barriers were seen as having a far more positive than negative effect on the adjacent communities. However, noise attenuation was found to be the primary positive effect in but three of the communities surveyed, and these three were adjacent to an interstate highway. In addition to attenuating noise, barriers were said to give uniformity to the appearance of the neighborhood, increase property values, enhance the environment and safety, and increase privacy and isolation. Perceived negative effects included degradation of community aesthetics and decreases in property values. About 23% of the respondents said they could have settled for a cash award in lieu of a barrier. A significant number of respondents indicated that vegetation should be considered as both an alternative for and as an addition to noise barriers.
Cite
Citations (0)
Traffic noise is a major environmental source of pollution both in developed and in developing countries. This study was carried out in Morogoro municipality, located about 200 km west of Dar es Salaam the business capital of Tanzania. Total of 16 measuring points were selected along main roads and A-weighted continuous equivalent sound level meters was used for measurement of noise level. The average noise equivalent level at measured points varied between 51.1 to 75.1 dBA. The results established the fact that noise levels are more than the acceptable limit of 55 dBA, which is the daytime governmentally prescribed noise limit for residential-commercial areas. This study also describes the reaction of the Morogoro residents to environmental noise pollution. A total of 200 questionnaires were processed. The results of the interview questionnaire revealed that the main isolated noise source was traffic (51%) and street noise (29%). About 45% of the respondents classified the noise in their street as “high”; and that noise bother 77% of the respondent more in daytime. The main impacts of exposure to noise were reported to be headache, hearing problem, sleeplessness, difficulty to concentrate and conversation disruption. This study recommends raising community awareness on noise pollution, structural management, traffic management and enforcement of laws and regulations so as to control noise pollution. Keywords: Noise pollution, Vehicles, Annoyance, Urban public, Diurnal variation
Annoyance
Cite
Citations (3)
A social survey on community response to noise was conducted in Tianjin from March to August in 2006. In order to increase the international communion of the research outcome,two ICBEN standardized survey questions with the corresponding 5-verbal scale and 11-numerical scale were adopted in the questionnaire.After the social survey, physical measurement of 24-hour noise exposure of road traffic noise was carried out on 18 spots in the residential areas where the social survey had been conducted.As a result,dose-response relationship curves of road traffic noise were constructed and the characteristic on noise evaluation of Chinese resident was systematically analyzed.The conclusions were in the following:(1)The resident showed an apparent negative attitude to the sound environment,particularly those in work and public areas.(2)Road traffic noise was considered to be the main noise source in urban life at the present and in future,and construction noise gave the worst impression in the attitude evaluation to noise sources.(3) The resident thought the sound quality in private place was more important than those in work and public areas.(4) Noise evaluation varied with the importance of the activities disturbed by noise.
General Social Survey
Cite
Citations (10)
On the basis of a study including noise level measurements during the day and night and 1125 interviews with residents, it was found that railway noise creates less of a disturbance than street traffic noise. By far the largest majority of respondents experienced the greatest disturbance during the day. The difference in nuisance decreases as noise level rises.
Nuisance
Cite
Citations (0)
Acoustic measurement methods are necessary in order to measure noise objectively. On the other hand, the use of decibel values to determine the degree to which persons subjectively perceive noise to be disturbing is a distortion because no acoustic measurement methods can objectively reflect how persons perceive noise. In light of this, one is justified in wondering whether dB(A) measurement can possibly account for the level of discomfort that intervals of quiet or noise cause to humans. The answer can be found if one compares the effects that two sources of noise that have the same dB(A) but different intervals of quiet between the noise have on persons exposed to the noise. In this paper, two different sources are discussed--noise generated by road traffic (which is continuous noise) and noise generated by aviation traffic (which is noise interspersed with longer or shorter periods of quiet). For our study a sample group of persons was first exposed to noise caused by aircraft traffic and then to noise caused by road traffic; the dB(A) for both was the same. The test persons then filled out questionnaires that dealt with their reactions to these different sources of noise. A laboratory situation was deliberately avoided, since this can never be comparable to the actual conditions found in real-life situations and, thus, necessarily results in errors. The hypothesis of the study--that the same dB(A) can be very differently perceived by persons when the source of the noise is different--was clearly proven to be true. Not only were a greater number of persons irritated by noise from road traffic than by aircraft noise, but the perceived degree of disturbance was also more intense. The study discussed here was a pretest that used a sample of only 107 persons and could not take into consideration the long-term effect of their past experiences with noise. (Authors)
QUIET
Decibel
Aircraft noise
Ambient noise level
Cite
Citations (0)
To estimate the effects of environmental noise on inhabitants' life in an apartment area at Taejon, noise levels and traffic volume of major roads were measured. 203 housewives were surveyed by questionaires including general factors, noise related factors and three items of life effects: subjective evaluations on the general environment, annoyance, and life disturbance due to environmental noise. At the boundary adjacent to the road with more traffic volume, noise level was higher; according to the time, the amount of noise level was in the morning, in the evening, at noon, and at night in order. Most of boundary noise levels were higher than those of recommended standard environmental noise levels in a residential area. The boundary noise level showed a very significant linear relationship with traffic volume of near roads. Noise level difference in the apartments adjacent to three roads was ranged 2.4~6.7dB between in windows open and close state. The apartments adjacent to 9 lane or 6 lane-road, which were protected by noise prevention wall and 20m or more distance from the roads, showed higher noise level at middle floors and high floors than those of low floors; but the buildings adjacent to 4 lane-road, with no protection, showed higher noise level at low and middle floors than those of high floors. Among 203 housewives, 120(59.1%) participated in this study, and 86(73.2%) of them answered that the most serious environmental noise was traffic noise from near roads. Comparing traffic noise levels with those of before-migration, 67.0% participants found the environmental noise became louder. Fifty eight(49.5%) of the participants wanted noise protection wall and 15(25.9%) of them were willing to charge the fee. Less perception on the present noise comparing to those before-migration, less traffic volume, and lower noise levels in the apartments were related to higher scores of self-evaluation on the environment. Higher susceptibility on the present noise, areas with more traffic volume, higher boundary noise levels, and higher noise levels showed higher scores of annoyance on environmental noise and life disturbance. Considering above all things, it was suggested that traffic noise in this area was the major problem of environmental noise, and its' effect was so serious that inhabitants needed some preventive measures for better life quality.
Annoyance
Environmental Noise
Residential area
Cite
Citations (0)
This paper describes an assessment of noise caused by railway traffic in a large Latin American city. Measurements were taken of noise levels generated by trains passing through residential neighborhoods with and without blowing their horns. Noise maps were also calculated showing noise pollution generated by the train traffic. In addition - annoyance of the residents - affected by railway noise, was evaluated based on interviews. The measurements indicated that the noise levels generated by the passage of the train with its horn blowing are extremely high, clearly exceeding the daytime limits of equivalent sound pressure level - Leq = 55 dB(A) - established by the municipal laws No 10.625 of the city of Curitiba. The Leq = 45 dB (A) which is the limit for the night period also are exceeded during the passage of trains. The residents reported feeling affected by the noise generated by passing trains, which causes irritability, headaches, poor concentration and insomnia, and 88% of them claimed that nocturnal noise pollution is the most distressing. This study showed that the vast majority of residents surveyed, (69%) believe that the noise of the train can devalue their property.
Annoyance
Irritability
Cite
Citations (41)
Construction activities generate construction noise may cause noise annoyance among the public residents. The aim of this study is to investigate the noise annoyance level due to the sound pressure levels and the distances from the construction sites. Three public resident areas around Johor which located near to the construction sites have been selected. Two important indicators such as sound pressure levels and distances between the receiver and the noise sources were measured. 42 questionnaires were randomly distributed to the public residents who live near to the construction sites. The results showed that all respondent have different annoyance levels due to the construction noise. The sound pressure levels received by the public residents are increasing with the decreasing of the distance between the receiver and the noise sources. Thus, the relationship of noise annoyance levels is directly proportional to the sound pressure levels produced from construction sites. Meanwhile, the noise annoyance levels are decreasing with the increasing of the distances. As a conclusion, the public residents who live nearer to the construction sites suffered from a high noise annoyance level as expected.
Annoyance
Cite
Citations (6)
To investigate the disturbance to the population by traffic 462 persons in five provinces, partly in rural, partly in urban residential areas were questioned. At the same time the noise levels in the streets were measured at 49 survey points and were found to be in the region of 47 to 75 db(a). The pattern then authorised in Austria in OEAL-Code of Practice 23 and Austrian Standard S 5021 for calculating the equivalent noise levels caused by road traffic was compared with those of other countries and with results from numerous measurements and a new procedure suggested. Diagrams are provided for the design of protective installations (height and length). A list of the structures available in Austria, Federal Republic of Germany and Switzerland has been prepared, with descriptions of the construction and data on sound attenuation and absorption. The objective noise level reduction from a noise barrier and its subjective effect was investigated using two examples. The economic significance of noise protection is evaluated with statements on costs, which have or are likely to be extended. Facts regarding the differing prices of houses and flats with and without road traffic noise were included in the survey and 83 surveyors were questioned. After the methods used in the cost benefit analysis, target criteria and functions are proposed. For the target of minimizing the disturbance of residents by road traffic noise, the number of disturbed persons is established as the measurement value, and this is produced from the equivalent percentage of persons along a road likely to be disturbed by the expected traffic flow and the number of inhabitants in the individual zones of the equivalent noise level. (TRRL)
Annoyance
Cite
Citations (0)
Calculations have been performed to assess the potential effectiveness of barriers toward reducing noise exposure from the federal-aid highway system. Noise exposure, in terms of the numbers of people exposed to Ldn greater than 60, 65, 70, and 75 dB, from the primary federal aid system was computed for present traffic flow and projected traffic through the year 2000. Reductions in noise exposure were computed for several scenarios of constructing barriers along urban interstate highways. It was found that significant reduction of noise exposure would require barriers along most of the urban interstate system. The benefit (in terms of reduction of exposed population) per mile of barrier construction was found to be greatest at high noise levels (Ldn greater or equal to 75 dB). It was concluded that barriers would not provide a feasible method for abating noise on a national scale. Their main benefit is to provide relief in extremely noisy local applications.
Roadway noise
Cite
Citations (0)