Impulsivity of Noise due to Single Lightweight Vehicles Transit on Transverse Rumble Strip

Darus N.; Haron Z.; Yahya K.; Abd Halil M.H.; Norudin W.M.A.; Othman M.H.; Hezmi M.A. · 2018 · DOAJ

DOI: 10.1051/e3sconf/20183402026

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Summary

This study investigates the noise characteristics generated by single lightweight vehicles traversing transverse rumble strips (TRS), addressing the conflict between TRS safety benefits and resident noise annoyance. While TRS are effective countermeasures for reducing traffic accidents by alerting inattentive drivers, they produce significant noise that disturbs nearby communities. The research specifically aims to quantify the increase in sound levels and evaluate the impulsive nature of this noise, which is often more annoying than continuous noise but underrepresented in current guidelines. The experimental design involved testing three types of lightweight vehicles—hatchback, sedan, and multipurpose vehicle (MPV)—on two TRS profiles: middle overlapped (MO) and middle layer overlapped (MLO). Vehicles traveled at speeds of 30, 50, and 70 km/h. Noise measurements were conducted using a Type 1 sound level meter positioned 7.5 meters from the travel lane and 1.5 meters above ground level. The study utilized a controlled pass-by method to isolate tire-pavement noise. Impulsivity was evaluated using four specific criteria based on differences between various noise indices: $L_{AImax} - L_{AFmax} > 2$ dBA, $L_{AFmax} - L_{Aeq} \ge 10$ dBA, $L_{AIeqT} - L_{Aeq} \ge 2$ dBA, and $L_{AImax} - L_{ASmax} > 6$ dBA. Results indicated that TRS increased sound levels by up to 6.6 dBA, with the MLO profile generating higher noise increments than the MO profile. The MPV produced the highest noise levels, while the hatchback and sedan, having lower engine power, recorded lower increments. Notably, the average increment in equivalent continuous sound level ($L_{Aeq}$) was often low, suggesting that $L_{Aeq}$ alone is insufficient to capture the noise impact. However, analysis of peak noise indices revealed that all vehicle types exhibited significant impulsive characteristics across all speeds and TRS profiles. Specifically, most vehicles met the criteria for impulsivity, particularly regarding the difference between impulse and slow maximum sound levels. At lower speeds, TRS appeared to act as a sound damper, but at higher speeds, the impulsive nature of the noise remained pronounced. The study concludes that TRS generate significant impulsive noise that poses a substantial impact on nearby residents, regardless of vehicle type or speed. The findings highlight the limitations of using $L_{Aeq}$ as the sole metric for noise assessment, as it fails to reflect the impulsive characteristics that drive annoyance. The authors suggest that local authorities should incorporate impulsive noise criteria into environmental guidelines to better address the trade-off between road safety and noise pollution.

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• perceptual countermeasures