Assessment of methods for simplified traffic noise mapping of small cities: Casework of the city of Valdivia, Chile

2016 ◽  
Vol 550 ◽  
pp. 439-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolás A. Bastián-Monarca ◽  
Enrique Suárez ◽  
Jorge P. Arenas
Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 2480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Ma Alsina-Pagès ◽  
Ferran Orga ◽  
Francesc Alías ◽  
Joan Claudi Socoró

Traffic noise is presently considered one of the main pollutants in urban and suburban areas. Several recent technological advances have allowed a step forward in the dynamic computation of road-traffic noise levels by means of a Wireless Acoustic Sensor Network (WASN) through the collection of measurements in real-operation environments. In the framework of the LIFE DYNAMAP project, two WASNs have been deployed in two pilot areas: one in the city of Milan, as an urban environment, and another around the city of Rome in a suburban location. For a correct evaluation of the noise level generated by road infrastructures, all Anomalous Noise Events (ANE) unrelated to regular road-traffic noise (e.g., sirens, horns, speech, etc.) should be removed before updating corresponding noise maps. This work presents the production and analysis of a real-operation environmental audio database collected through the 19-node WASN of a suburban area. A total of 156 h and 20 min of labeled audio data has been obtained differentiating among road-traffic noise and ANEs (classified in 16 subcategories). After delimiting their boundaries manually, the acoustic salience of the ANE samples is automatically computed as a contextual Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) together with its impact on the A-weighted equivalent level ( Δ L A e q ). The analysis of the real-operation WASN-based environmental database is evaluated with these metrics, and we conclude that the 19 locations of the network present substantial differences in the occurrences of the subcategories of ANE, with a clear predominance of the noise of sirens, trains, and thunder.


2021 ◽  
Vol 263 (3) ◽  
pp. 2984-2995
Author(s):  
Mark Koehler ◽  
Frank Baader ◽  
Peter Brandstätt

Solutions to escape crowded streets are increasingly taking up new forms of mobility. This also includes air taxis or VTOLs. In addition to passenger traffic, suggestions, such as parcel delivery by drones, are also regularly part of future visions. Air taxis pose additional safety requirements due to the transport of people and they also represent a major potential source of noise. A challenge that urban planners, pollution control officers and decision-makers have to face. Using the concrete example of an urban landing place for air taxis at the main train station in the city of Ingolstadt, possible problems, issues related to noise protection and their legal basis were examined. This presentation is a summary of the projects results. The examinations include the creation of noise mapping in order to simulate the impact to the already existing noise situation. Those were based on current flight noise regulations with necessary alterations regarding VTOLs. Because air taxi noise is expected to be more annoying than regular traffic noise, the possible application of flight noise indexes such as the "Frankfurt flight noise index FFI 2.0" shall be reviewed. Based on the results of the previous examinations, possible noise protection measures shall be developed.


Noise Mapping ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 162-171
Author(s):  
Nayara Gevú ◽  
Bianca Carvalho ◽  
Guilherme C. Fagerlande ◽  
Maria Lygia Niemeyer ◽  
Marina Medeiros Cortês ◽  
...  

Abstract This paper presents a comparison between the acoustic scenario at the Rio de Janeiro city center, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Undergoing one of the most important pandemics of the recent history, the social isolation led to a new acoustic scenario for Rio de Janeiro. The study was realized at the city center, an area of historical, economic and cultural relevance. The comparison consisted of analyzing measured data and noise maps produced for the city center area. The maps were created according to measured and collected data of the respective time periods. The acoustic scenario prior to the pandemic time was reconstructed based on previous measurements and data collection, while the pandemic one was built with data survey during the highest social isolation index on July 2020. The comparative analysis showed a considerable noise reduction, between 10 and 15 dB, for areas where the traffic noise was not intense and where the human activities were predominant on the streets. However, there was no substantial noise decrease for the areas around the major avenues. This occurred due to the traffic intensity drop to 50% during the pandemic, which meant a noise reduction between 3 and 5 dB.


2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1833) ◽  
pp. 20161058 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanie E. LaZerte ◽  
Hans Slabbekoorn ◽  
Ken A. Otter

Urban noise can interfere with avian communication through masking, but birds can reduce this interference by altering their vocalizations. Although several experimental studies indicate that birds can rapidly change their vocalizations in response to sudden increases in ambient noise, none have investigated whether this is a learned response that depends on previous exposure. Black-capped chickadees ( Poecile atricapillus ) change the frequency of their songs in response to both fluctuating traffic noise and experimental noise. We investigated whether these responses to fluctuating noise depend on familiarity with noise. We confirmed that males in noisy areas sang higher-frequency songs than those in quiet areas, but found that only males in already-noisy territories shifted songs upwards in immediate response to experimental noise. Unexpectedly, males in more quiet territories shifted songs downwards in response to experimental noise. These results suggest that chickadees may require prior experience with fluctuating noise to adjust vocalizations in such a way as to minimize masking. Thus, learning to cope may be an important part of adjusting to acoustic life in the city.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
WAZIR ALAM ◽  
Ramtharmawi Nungate

Abstract Noise pollution assessment was carried out in selected traffic junctions of Imphal city of Manipur, India. The noise pollution assessment was carried out using noise parameters and indices such as L10, L50, L90, Leq for selected traffic junctions during the different periods of the day, i.e., morning, noon, and evening hours. The study of equivalent noise level (Leq), noise parameters, and various noise indices have enabled the evaluation of the overall traffic noise environment of the city. The traffic noise indices such as traffic noise index (TNI), noise climate (NC), traffic noise pollution level (LNP), noise exposure index (NEI) along with day time (LD), night time (LN) average, and day-night (Ldn) noise levels were assessed for the selected traffic junctions. Moreover, spatial noise mapping was carried out using the geostatistical interpolation technique to evaluate the changes of traffic noise scenarios during the different time zones of the day. The Leq values in few traffic junctions exceeded the required noise standards. The study shows equivalent noise level ranging between 52.2–69.9 dB(A) during the morning (7–10 am), 52.4–69.3 dB(A) during noon (12 noon-2 pm), and 54.6–71.1 dB(A) during the evening (4–7 pm) hours, respectively.


2021 ◽  
Vol 263 (3) ◽  
pp. 3282-3293
Author(s):  
Jens Forssén ◽  
Andreas Gustafson ◽  
Meta Berghauser Pont ◽  
Marie Haeger-Eugensson ◽  
Christine Achberger ◽  
...  

For a model set of 31 different building morphologies in an urban setting, road traffic noise exposure has been calculated and analysed. For five of the building morphologies also vegetation surfaces on facades and roofs were studied. Facade exposures were analysed for both smaller (single-sided) flats and larger (floor-through) flats, considering the direct exposure from the roads as well as the non-direct exposure at noise-shielded positions like inner yards, applying a noise mapping software in combination with a prediction model for the non-direct exposure. Using noise indicators Lden and Lnight, the disease burden, in terms of DALY (Disability-Adjusted Life Years) per person, was estimated and analysed, via predictions of annoyance and sleep disturbance. The resulting effects of varying the building morphology and adding vegetation are shown and discussed, including effects of a bonus model for flats having additional facade elements with lower noise exposure.


2021 ◽  
Vol 263 (1) ◽  
pp. 5780-5791
Author(s):  
Omid Samani ◽  
Verena Zapf ◽  
M. Ercan Altinsoy

Urban green spaces are intended to provide citizens with calm environments free of annoying city noises. This requires a thorough understanding of noise emission and related exposure to sounds in green spaces. This research investigates noise perception in various spots in an urban green space. For this purpose, the study has been conducted in the grand garden of the city of Dresden. The garden covers 1.8 square kilometers of various landscapes, including water streams, park railways, fountains, bridges, roads for bicycles and pedestrians etc. Noise perception was investigated at eleven spots with emphasis on four noise types: nature noise, human noise, traffic noise, and technical noise. In parallel, audio-visual recordings were conducted for each spot to identify the connection between the perceptual measures and the psychoacoustic parameters. These spots are categorized based on the resulting perception and psychoacoustic parameters. In addition, the visual effect of each spot on final perception is investigated. Eventually, annoyance for each spot is identified based on the corresponding participants' perception and is associated with the relevant psychoacoustic parameters.


2020 ◽  
Vol 168 ◽  
pp. 107412
Author(s):  
Ines Bouzid ◽  
Ahmed Derbel ◽  
Boubaker Elleuch

Author(s):  
Emmanouil A. Papadimitriou ◽  
Grigorios P. Papageorgiou ◽  
Nikolaos Alamanis ◽  
Theodosia-Niki Diakosavva

Greece, as well as other developed countries, is facing the growing problem of road traffic noise. It stands for a severe problem in the urban areas of the country, including the city of Larissa. The root cause is the huge increase in traffic volume and the lack of adequate urban infrastructure planning. Estimation of the level of road traffic noise is usually conducted using acoustic meters. It is widely accepted that most of the cities’ population is exposed to high noise levels due to controversial traffic capacity. Moreover, high noise levels are strongly related to phycological and neurological diseases. Thus, it is of utmost importance, the road noise levels to be lower than dictated by relevant specification limits. To develop better noise-environment policies, relative research should focus on the measurement of in-situ noise levels, so as appropriate for each case corrective measures to be taken. The present paper examines the noise levels of a center road of the 5th Greek city, in terms of population, compared to worldwide adopted noise specification limits. The clear aim stands for finding the percentage of road noise that exceeds commonly accepted threshold values, namely limit values of European Union and World Health Organization. The results of this research strongly indicate that measured noise values override upper limit values in a certain extent.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document