Abstract
In this study, the new road traffic noise prediction method applicable to Japanese and Dutch various road surfaces was developed. Firstly, the A-weighted sound power levels of road vehicles were measured for actual roads in the Netherlands paved with various surfaces. With regard to the levels on dense asphalt concrete, the differences between Dutch and Japanese data were not significant, therefore it was found that the common sound power calculation model can be used in both Japan and the Netherlands. On the other hand, the levels for low-noise road surfaces in the Netherlands were 1 to 7 dB lower than those for dense asphalt concrete, therefore the different sound power calculation models were required to be constructed for such surfaces. Secondly, based on the above results, a sound power calculation model applicable to each road surface was developed. By integrating the model with the dynamic traffic flow calculation model, the new road traffic noise prediction method was constructed. Using the method, the road traffic noise in 32 urban areas including low-noise road surfaces in Japan and the Netherlands was calculated. As a result, the calculated levels correspond well with the measured levels (the differences between them were 1.3 dB on average).
