EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF NOISE GENERATED BY MODULAR EXPANSION JOINT AND ITS CONTROL

Abstract

The mechanism of noise generation and noise control for modular expansion joints were investigated in experiments on a full-scale model of the joint. Noise and vibration of the joint model were measured when a car was runnig over the model. It was concluded, based on this measurement together with tests of the acoustic and dynamic characteristics of the joint model, that the noise from the top of the joint could be attributed to a sudden change in the air pressure in the gaps formed by the sealing rubber elements, and the noise from the bottom was probably caused by sound radiation from vibration of the middle beams. Effects of some proposed noise control measures were also investigated experimentally.