Quiter Pevement : Acoustic Measurement and performance

In response to noise complaints, Caltrans’s Division of Environmental Analysis began developing a quick, portable, low-cost, and precise pavement acoustic measurement process originally based on General Motors’ work measuring tire noise levels. The Caltrans’ measurement process has now become AASHTO Designation: T 360-16, Standard Method of Test for the Measurement of Tire/Pavement Noise Using the On-Board Sound Intensity (OSBI) Method. [T 360-16 was formerly TP-76.] Roadside noise levels can be significantly influenced by pavement selection and design. At non-stopand-go, cruising speeds, the primary vehicle noise generator is tire/pavement interaction. Transportation agencies have no control over tire design, but they have direct control over pavement design. This report gives a general summary of the work done in quantifying and comparing pavement acoustics and indexing the relative noise levels of different pavements and roadway surfaces. Quantifying pavement acoustics can become an important tool for addressing roadside noise levels and improving traffic noise modeling accuracy. This document is not meant to be a pavement design guide.