National Academies Press: OpenBook

Measuring Tire-Pavement Noise at the Source (2009)

Chapter: Chapter 1 - Introduction

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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 1 - Introduction." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Measuring Tire-Pavement Noise at the Source. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14212.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 1 - Introduction." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Measuring Tire-Pavement Noise at the Source. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14212.
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2Tire-pavement noise has become an increasingly important consideration for highway agencies. However, there are no widely accepted procedures for measuring solely tire-pavement noise under in-service conditions. As a result, this research was undertaken to evaluate potential noise-measuring procedures and identify or develop appropriate procedures applicable to light and heavy vehicles and all paved surfaces. Such proce- dures will provide highway agencies with an appropriate means for (1) measuring and rating tire-pavement noise levels on existing pavements, (2) evaluating new pavements incorporat- ing noise-mitigating features, and (3) identifying design and construction features associated with different noise levels. The objectives of this research were to (1) develop rational procedures for measuring tire-pavement noise at the source and (2) demonstrate the applicability of the procedures through testing of in-service pavements. To achieve these objectives, (1) a literature search was conducted to gain under- standing of what approaches have been used in the past to quantify tire-pavement noise source levels, (2) evaluation test- ing was conducted to assess candidate methods and select the most promising one, (3) the effect of test parameters of the selected method were examined to develop parameter limits, and (4) field tests were performed on in-service pavements to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed measurement method for different pavement types. This report presents the results of the research, the information obtained, implications for developing a rational test procedure, and the proposed test method. Background Recently, there has been increased interest on the part of highway agencies to consider the use of quieter pavements to mitigate traffic noise. This interest has been driven largely by the cost and, at times, lack of public acceptance of the tradi- tional sound wall approach to mitigating traffic noise (1) and an apparent increase in the demands of the public for highway traffic noise reduction. In addition, there has been an increas- ing public awareness that pavement selection can affect the resultant traffic noise levels. An increased interest in measuring tire-pavement noise at the source has occurred parallel to the recent interest in quiet pavements. With this type of testing, acoustic measurements are made close to the tire-pavement interface with instrumen- tation that translates with the test tire. Thus, the tire-pavement noise of a large number of pavements can be measured in a rel- atively short period of time with very few restrictions on the test site. The source-level measurements require less time and fewer resources to complete relative to wayside measurements and facilitate a more direct comparison of tire-pavement noise generation from one site to another. However, there are no widely accepted procedures in the United States for tire- pavement noise source levels under in-service conditions. When this research began, tire-pavement noise source- level measurements in the United States primarily used two approaches, the Close Proximity (CPX) method as docu- mented in the draft ISO 11819-2 standard document (2), and the On Board Sound Intensity (OBSI) method based on tech- niques developed at General Motors Corporation (3). In the early 2000s, both of these methods were used to catalogue and compare different pavements for their noise performance (4, 5, 6). Other methods using different approaches of sound pressure level measurement (7) and near field acoustical holog- raphy (8) were also reported in the literature. As a result of the uncertainty inherent in the measurement procedures of tire- pavement noise source levels, development of standardized procedures was identified as a research need by the AASHTO Standing Committee on Research in March of 2004; the Com- mittee allocated funds to develop such procedures under NCHRP Project 1-44. This need was also reiterated at the first Tire-Pavement Noise Strategic Planning Workshop conducted by the Federal Highway Administration and the Institute for Safe, Quiet, and Durable Highways held at Purdue University in September of 2004 (9). The research conducted in this proj- C H A P T E R 1 Introduction

ect was subsequently initiated with the objective of developing a rational procedure for measuring tire-pavement noise at the source that could be implemented by highway agencies. Research Objectives and Scope The objectives of this research were to (1) develop rational procedures for measuring tire-pavement noise at the source and (2) demonstrate the applicability of the procedures through testing of in-service pavements. This work was divided into two Phases. Phase I of this project involved reviewing the rele- vant literature worldwide as documented in conference pro- ceedings, technical papers, and other sources; evaluating the several candidate techniques identified from the literature; and then selecting a single approach for measuring tire-pavement noise at the source for further development. In Phase II, the effect of test parameters was examined and field tests were per- formed on in-service pavements to compare source level, con- trolled vehicle passby, and statistical passby data collection. The results were used to develop a recommended test proce- dure for the measurement of tire-pavement noise at the source. Research Approach The research was performed in two phases comprising six tasks. Phase I included the following four tasks (1 through 4): 1. Identify Potential Tire-Pavement Noise Measurement Meth- ods. In this task, information on methods for measuring tire-pavement noise at the source was collected, reviewed, and synthesized. The findings of this literature search are summarized in Chapter 2 and documented in more detail in Appendix A. 2. Develop Recommendation for Tire-Pavement Test Method. The test methods identified in Task 1 were evaluated in regard to their potential for providing a rational test pro- cedure for measuring tire-pavement noise at the source. Based on this evaluation, two candidate techniques were identified for further investigation: CPX and OBSI. In order to develop a single recommended method, several subtasks were performed. First, the two candidate tech- niques were evaluated in experiments conducted at and around the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) test track facility in Opelika, Alabama. CPX, OBSI, and controlled wayside passby noise levels were measured on a variety of pavement types using the same tires. Next, the results of the CPX and OBSI testing were analyzed and ranked on the basis of their ability to corre- late with the wayside passby levels. In addition, consider- ation was given to the expense/practicality and training/ expertise required for each method. Under the final sub- task, the OBSI method was recommended as the basis of the procedure to be demonstrated and refined in Phase II based on the ranking of the techniques and their ability to meet the other identified criteria developed in Task 1. 3. Develop Work Plan to Demonstrate Recommended Method. In this task, a work plan for Phase II of the project was developed. 4. Documentation and Interim Report. In this task, an interim report of the research performed in Tasks 1 through 3 was prepared. The report included the results of survey work of Task 1, the experimental work and recommendations of Task 2, and the updated and detailed work plan for Phase II developed in Task 3. Phase II included the following two tasks (5 and 6): 5. Field Measurements, Analysis, and Findings. This task included three subtasks. The first subtask was the evalua- tion of repeatability issues and parameter dependencies of the OBSI method using a preliminary test procedure. This evaluation was accomplished through testing conducted at Minnesota’s DOT MnROAD Low Volume Road facility in Albertville, Minnesota, and at the General Motors Desert Proving Ground (DPG) in Mesa, Arizona. The second sub- task was the assessment of the applicability of the OBSI procedure through the testing of in-service pavements. This work consisted of conducting controlled vehicle passby, statistical passby, and tire-pavement noise OBSI measurements on 12 in-service pavement sections in Iowa and California. These tests included the simultaneous mea- surement of (1) OBSI on two specific candidate test tires, (2) controlled passbys on test vehicles equipped with those tires, and (3) statistical passbys of both light and heavy- duty vehicles. The third subtask involved the development of a draft OBSI procedure based on the results obtained through the test parameter investigation and the results of the in-service pavement testing. 6. Prepare Final Report. In this task, a report documenting the research, findings, and recommendations resulting from this research was prepared. 3

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TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 630: Measuring Tire-Pavement Noise at the Source examines a suggested procedure for measuring tire-pavement noise at the source using the on-board sound intensity (OBSI) method.

The following appendixes to the report are available online.

Appendix A: Review of Literature

Appendix B: Test Evaluation of Candidate Methods and Recommendation for Test Procedure Development

Appendix C: Results of Test Parameter Evaluation

Appendix D: Demonstration Testing of OBSI Procedure

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