Noise measures in road construction works
Invited paper
Rijkswaterstaat GPO
Monday 1 june, 2015, 18:00 - 18:20
0.7 Lisbon (47)
Abstract:
The Dutch road administration uses typical noise measures like low noise
pavements and noise barriers to mitigate highway traffic noise. Low noise
pavements are the primary noise measures used on the highway network in the
Netherlands. Single layer open porous asphalt (SLPA, grading size 16) is
used as wearing course standard. Two-layer open porous asphalt is used as
noise measure to compensate the increase of noise as result of traffic
growth and small changes in infrastructure. Application of noise barriers is
suitable in situations with high noise levels over 65 dB or to mitigate
traffic noise on new building locations.
For decision making on noise measures a kind of cost-benefit analysis is
used next to an assesment on the applicability of noise measures.
Application of low noise pavements is not appropriate on road sections where
heavy traffic load results in limited lifetime of the wearing course or in
cases where the effect of the measure is limited by external factors.
Application of noise barriers is far more complex due to regulations, policy
demands and getting consent of residents living nearby. Regulations are
requirements in road design, safety demands and demands in landscape and
urban design.
For tendering road construction works, the Dutch road administration
(Rijkswaterstaat) uses contract documents with functional requirements for
noise measures. In the paper and presentation examples of requirements for
noise measures are described. Futhermore, information is given on the
results of noise measures in projects and on the practice of verification
and validation of requirements.