Study to analyze the effects of vehicles and pavement surface types on noise

The effects of vehicles and pavement surface types on noise have been investigated at the Korea Highway Corporation’s Test Road along the southbound side of the Jungbu Inland Expressway, South Korea. The study was conducted in 2005 and 2006 through field measurements at nine surface sections of asphalt concrete and Portland cement concrete pavements using eleven vehicles. For the road noise analysis, the sound power levels (PWLs) of combined noise (e.g., tire/pavement interaction noise and power-train noise together) and tire/pavement interaction noise using various vehicles were calculated based on the novel close proximity (NCPX) and pass-by methods. Then, the characteristics of the PWLs were evaluated according to surface type, vehicle type, and vehicle speed. The results show that the PWLs of vehicles are diversely affected by vehicle speed and the condition of the road surface.     

Reduction of equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure levels by porous elastic road surfaces

A porous elastic road surface (PERS) is superior to drainage asphalt pavement for reducing highway traffic noise. In earlier research and development, for example using a test track, the difference in sound power level (Lw) of cars has been regarded as the noise reduction effect since it was not possible to measure the change in equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level (Leq) for a series of vehicles on such a limited length of surface. As the result of a comparatively major test construction on a highway, have measured the noise reduction effect of PERS as the difference in Leq. First, we measured the motor vehicle Lw and Leq on each section. However, we found that the neighbouring paved sections also influenced Leq. Next, we calculated Leq according to a highway traffic noise model, using the values of Lw measured in the different paved sections. Since the calculated Leq corresponded approximately with the measured Leq, we could verify the validity of the measured Lw. We again calculated Leq, assuming that each pavement is infinitely long. We assumed the improvement of noise reduction effect of PERS was indicated through the calculated Leq. Consequently, we have found that the noise reduction effect of drainage asphalt pavement was 5-6 dB, whereas that of PERS was 7-9 dB.     

Development of a highway traffic noise prediction model that considers various road surface types

A highway traffic noise prediction model has been developed for environmental assessment in South Korea. The model is based on an outdoor sound propagation method and is fully compliant with ISO 9613 and the sound power level (PWL) estimation for a road segment, as suggested in the ASJ Model-1998 that is based on PWLs. Due to that model’s selection of two pavement types, such as asphalt or concrete pavement, an unacceptable traffic noise prediction is made in cases where the road surface is different from that on which the model is based. In order to address this problem, several road surface types are categorized, and the PWL of each surface type is determined and modeled by measuring the noise levels obtained from newly developed methods. An evaluation of the traffic noise prediction model using field measurements finds good agreement between predicted and measured noise levels.     

A road traffic noise pattern simulation model that includes distributions of vehicle sound power levels

Annoyance, sleep disturbance and other health effects of road traffic noise exposure may be related to both level and number of noise events caused by traffic, not just to energy equivalent measures of exposure. Dynamic traffic noise prediction models that include instantaneous vehicle noise emissions can be used to estimate either of these measures. However, current state-of-the-art vehicle noise emission models typically consider a single emission law for each vehicle category, whereas measurements show that the variation in noise emission between vehicles within the same category can be considerable. It is essential that the influence of vehicles that are producing significantly more (or less) noise than the average vehicle are taken into account in modeling in order to correctly predict the levels and frequency of occurrence of road traffic noise events, and in particular to calculate indicators that characterize these noise events. Here, an approach for predicting instantaneous sound levels caused by road traffic is presented, which takes into account measured distributions of sound power levels produced by individual vehicles. For the setting of a receiver adjacent to a dual-lane road carrying free flow traffic, the effect of this approach on estimated percentile levels and sound event indicators is investigated.     

The annual average sound level of road traffic noise estimated from the speed-flow diagram

The speed-flow diagram correlates traffic speed and traffic flow on a road. The presented method enables estimation of the annual average sound level of the road traffic noise when the characteristics of the diagram are available: traffic flow capacity, free traffic speed, and traffic capacity speed (Fig. 1). Bunches of vehicles decrease the traffic speed and traffic noise.     

多通道FxAP算法的电动汽车路噪控制

汽车噪声控制是主动噪声控制领域中经典的问题.伴随着电动化的普及,路噪控制将取代内燃机噪声控制,逐渐成为汽车噪声控制的主要领域.针对传统车内路噪控制系统适应性差、算法收敛速度慢、降噪量不足的问题,该文使用了多通道滤波-x仿射投影(FxAP)算法加快收敛速度,从而实现对噪声的快速追踪并控制.通过搭建了车内多通道头靠噪声控制...     

Road traffic noise prediction based on speed-flow diagram

The method enables calculation of the annual average sound level of the road traffic noise, when the characteristics of the speed-flow diagram are available: the average speed of freely cruising vehicles, capacity of the traffic flow, traffic speed at the traffic flow capacity, and the slope of the decreasing traffic speed versus traffic flow. Under any conditions, traffic congestion reduces the annual average sound level. The final conclusion is that strong traffic congestion cannot be ignored in noise prediction.     

A statistical theory for road traffic noise based on the composition of component response waves and its experimental confirmation

None of the existing standards, which express the needs of engineers, consider correlation properties of traffic noise. But the correlation properties of traffic noise often seem to have a fundamental importance in certain engineering fields of noise control, such as the design of barriers for sound insulation and the detection of voices in noisy out-of-doors situations. In this paper, firstly, the correlation properties in the time domain and the frequency characteristics of the sound intensity at an observation point are discussed in the general case: i.e., for arbitrary values of quantities such as the propagation characteristics of the traffic sound energy, the numbers of lanes of road and of types of vehicles, the mixture ratios of vehicle types, the average number and respective acoustic power distributions of vehicles travelling with specific velocities on each lane of the road, the lengths of the straight sections of the road and the distance from the observation point. Next, the equivalence problem of replacing the several lanes of the road by a representative single lane is also discussed in detail, as an application of the statistical method. Finally, the values obtained from the theoretical expressions for several kinds of correlation functions of lower and higher orders are compared with experimental values, as obtained by use of the digital simulation technique.     

Validation of a complex urban noise model close to a road

The adequacy of a model for the sound level close to a road is investigated by comparing resulting predictions for the sound level over a building façade with measurements. The road model involves the road geometry (the number and positions of traffic lanes), the traffic structure (vehicle flow rates and their average speeds in each lane) and equivalent omnidirectional point sources representing the vehicles. It is found that the assumed road traffic noise source model is adequate only for predicting levels over the higher part of the façade. However the investigation has allowed definition of what improvements are needed in the road source modelling to enable adequate predictions over the whole of the building façade.     

Determination of the sound power levels emitted by various vehicles using a novel testing method

This paper presents a new and efficient method to determine sound power levels (PWLs). PWLs, generally used for modeling outdoor sound simulations, are obtained from sounds that are emitted by various types of vehicles and cause road traffic noise. Other models, such as HARMONOISE and the ASJ Model, are also based on PWLs. However, a more efficient method is required for determining PWLs from sound pressure levels (SPLs) that typically are measured by field testing and evaluating the influence of different vehicles and road surfaces. The statistical pass-by (SPB) of ISO 11819-1 is used for SPL measurements; however, numerous SPBs must be carried out to reduce measurement uncertainty as well as to satisfy requirements related to meteorological conditions and background noise. In order to alleviate this problem and to make the determination of PWLS more efficient, a testing approach is presented that uses both the novel close proximity (NCPX) method and the pass-by method to determine PWLs.     

Developing a Durable Quiet Road Surface

Road traffic noise can have a significant impact on the quality of life for residents close to major road networks. One of the most effective measures for reducing the noise from road traffic, particularly on high-speed roads, is to ensure the use of a low noise road surface. Research on pavement construction and the measurement of its acoustic properties has shown that significant noise reductions can be achieved through the use of certain road surface types. However certain low noise road surfaces do not exhibit the desired durability associated with more traditional pavements, leading to costly and disruptive maintenance regimes.
This article looks at the mechanisms involved in tyre/road noise generation and how these interact with various road surface properties including a brief overview of some common surface types. It then goes on to explain how these concepts informed the development of an asphalt surfacing material with enhanced durability and good acoustic performance without compromising safety. Progress in testing the resulting Premium Asphalt Surfacing System (PASS) is outlined, including the completion of a successful network trial.     

Development and calibration of acoustic video camera system for moving vehicles

In this paper, a new acoustic video camera system is developed and its calibration method is established. This system is built based on binocular vision and acoustical holography technology. With binocular vision method, the spatial distance between the microphone array and the moving vehicles is obtained, and the sound reconstruction plane can be established closely to the moving vehicle surface automatically. Then the sound video is regenerated closely to the moving vehicles accurately by acoustic holography method. With this system, the moving and stationary sound sources are treated differently and automatically, which makes the sound visualization of moving vehicles much quicker, more intuitively, and accurately. To verify this system, experiments for a stationary speaker and a non-stationary speaker are carried out. Further verification experiments for outdoor moving vehicle are also conducted. Successful video visualization results not only confirm the validity of the system but also suggest that this system can be a potential useful tool in vehicle's noise identification because it allows the users to find out the noise sources by the videos easily. We believe the newly developed system will be of great potential in moving vehicles' noise identification and control.     

Towards a model for electric vehicle noise emission in the European prediction method CNOSSOS-EU

The CNOSSOS-EU method is recommended in Europe for environmental noise prediction. In regards to road traffic, it includes vehicle noise emission models implicitly referring to internal combustion vehicles. The development of electrically driven vehicles calls for the future consideration of these vehicles in prediction models. On the basis of experimental data, the study reported in this paper proposes a noise emission model for extending CNOSSOS-EU to light electric vehicles. Correction terms to be applied to the propulsion noise component are determined. Investigations on a sample of tyres with good rolling resistance performance, which is a main tyre selection criterion on these vehicles, indicated that no correction is required for the rolling noise component. Differences between the noise emission from conventional vehicles and electric vehicles are discussed for several road surfaces. Owing to the limited vehicle sample as well as transitional statements, this new model for electric vehicles running at constant speed over 20 km/h should be considered as a first step towards the definition of this vehicle technology in CNOSSOS-EU.     

Influence of vehicle noise emission directivity on sound level distribution in a canyon street. Part I: Simulation program test

Simulation programs may be useful tools for controlling an environmental noise. The computer simulation program PROP11 that enables predictions of the time-average sound level within an urban system is used here. A roadway as a noise source is represented by a sum of the sound exposures due to individual vehicle pass-bys. Different representations of equivalent point sources for various classes of vehicles are allowed including directivity characteristics other than omnidirectional. Propagation throughout an urban system contains multi-reflections from the walls and single and double diffraction at their edges. In this paper, the PROP11 program is used to predict the sound level between opposing façades of buildings in a canyon street. A multi-lane road is assumed to contain two classes of vehicles (light and heavy) ones. The equivalent source representing vehicles is defined by the source power spectrum, its position above the ground and directivity characteristics. The consequences of introducing equivalent source directivity are analyzed.     

Statistical classification of road pavements using near field vehicle rolling noise measurements

Low noise surfaces have been increasingly considered as a viable and cost-effective alternative to acoustical barriers. However, road planners and administrators frequently lack information on the correlation between the type of road surface and the resulting noise emission profile. To address this problem, a method to identify and classify different types of road pavements was developed, whereby near field road noise is analyzed using statistical learning methods. The vehicle rolling sound signal near the tires and close to the road surface was acquired by two microphones in a special arrangement which implements the Close-Proximity method. A set of features, characterizing the properties of the road pavement, was extracted from the corresponding sound profiles. A feature selection method was used to automatically select those that are most relevant in predicting the type of pavement, while reducing the computational cost. A set of different types of road pavement segments were tested and the performance of the classifier was evaluated. Results of pavement classification performed during a road journey are presented on a map, together with geographical data. This procedure leads to a considerable improvement in the quality of road pavement noise data, thereby increasing the accuracy of road traffic noise prediction models.     

Statistical tyre/road noise modeling in Hong Kong on friction course

Based on the close proximity (CPX) method specified in ISO/DIS 11819-2, we recorded and analyzed the instantaneous tyre/road sound pressure levels with 9 road sections that are constructed with the same pavement surfacing materials, that is, friction course. A total of 1320 segments were made in urban areas with a pair of SRTT (Standard Road Test Tyre). We tried to relate the tyre/road noise with the instantaneous acceleration, speed, air temperature, road temperature, road gradient, road surface age to develop a multi-variants model. It was subsequently found that a simple tyre/road noise model linking driving speed and acceleration is the best model. The model provides an easy way to estimate the instantaneous tyre/road noise level. As the tyre/road noise is becoming more dominant component of the road traffic noise, our proposed model has the potential to improve the current practice in estimating the road traffic noise.     

Developing a Hong Kong based speed correction factor by CPX method

A systematic procedure for developing speed correction factor to adjust measured tyre/road noise is proposed in this paper. The draft ISO/CD 11819-2 on the Close-Proximity method to measure tyre/road noise stipulates that speed correction is needed to convert the tyre/road noise level at the sampling speeds to that at the reference speeds. However, the ISO standard does not mention the exact methodology for developing the speed correction factor development, although it recommends local authorities to develop their own. In this study, the tyre/road noise and speed data over 59 runs on a high speed porous asphalt surface is recorded by our CPX trailer in Hong Kong. The instantaneous noise and speed data are then analysed using this proposed procedure and the set of speed correction factor developed is found to be more stable and repeatable.     

Quantitative measurement of pass-by noise radiated by vehicles running at high speeds

It has been a challenge in the past to accurately locate and quantify the pass-by noise source radiated by the running vehicles. A system composed of a microphone array is developed in our current work to do this work. An acoustic-holography method for moving sound sources is designed to handle the Doppler effect effectively in the time domain. The effective sound pressure distribution is reconstructed on the surface of a running vehicle. The method has achieved a high calculation efficiency and is able to quantitatively measure the sound pressure at the sound source and identify the location of the main sound source. The method is also validated by the simulation experiments and the measurement tests with known moving speakers. Finally, the engine noise, tire noise, exhaust noise and wind noise of the vehicle running at different speeds are successfully identified by this method.     

Characterization of the road surfaces in real time

The main factor in the propagation of traffic noise is the road surface, where the vehicles generate noise due to the contact between tire and pavement, in addition to the noise produced by the engine.     

The modelling of the dynamic behaviour of tyre tread blocks

The interaction between tyre and road constitutes the dominant noise source for road vehicles at speeds above 50 km/h. The understanding and control of tyre/road noise generation mechanisms is still one of the main challenges in the field of acoustics, covering a wide area of topics, such as the structure-borne sound properties of tyres, the non-linear contact between tyre and road and the sound radiation from vibrating tyres. The work presented here only covers a small part of this complex field, the modelling of the tread blocks in order to incorporate the dynamic behaviour into a simulation model for a rolling tyre on a rough road. A finite element model is made for individual blocks in order to investigate their first eigenfrequencies and mode shapes. This information is used to build an equivalent model consisting of a simple mass and springs. The equivalent model has the advantage of being handier when coupling to a model of the tyre structure. The impedance coupling method is used. The results of the driving point mobility in the radial and tangential directions to the surface of the block are compared with measurements on tyres. The results show good agreement for the radial direction, while for the tangential direction, the agreement is poor. This is mainly due to the fact that the model for the tyre structure does not include in-plane motion. The results also show that, for the frequency range up to 3 kHz, the influence of the blocks depends strongly on their geometry. The geometry of the tread blocks determines the contact geometry as a kind of macro roughness. It also determines the eigenfrequencies, which for typical tread blocks are expected to be situated, at least, in the range above 2000 Hz.