Quieter Pavements
Quieter pavement is a new concept for the construction or rehabilitation of roadway surfaces intended to reduce the impacts that tire/pavement noise has on the highway environment. The goal of Caltrans Quieter Pavement Research Plan is to identify and provide the surface treatments, materials, design specifications, and construction methods that will result in an ever-quieter roadway that is also safe, durable, and cost-effective.
Quality Matters
Although additional data are being collected, there does appear to be a correlation between the quality of pavement construction and noise performance.
Recent Pavement Policy Bulletins
Resources
- Typical Noise Levels
- Fundamentals of Highway Traffic Noise with audio and notes
- Sound vs. Noise (Section 6)
- Sound Frequency (Section 11)
- Sound Pressure (Sections 18, 19, 20 & 21)
- Sound Pressure Levels and Decibels (Sections 23 & 24)
- Frequency Spectra and Frequency Bands (Section 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 & 50)
- Typical Noise Levels (See also Section 51)
- Human Reaction to Noise (Section 74 & 75)
Research
- QPR FHWA Approval Letter - November 16, 2006 (PDF)
- Quieter Pavement Research Plan - May 2011 (PDF)
- University of California Pavement Research Center (UCPRC)
Recent Reports
- Quieter Pavements: Acoustic Measurement and Performance - February 2018 (PDF)
- DRI-DK Technical Note 69, Use of Noise Reducing Pavements - European Experience, Prepared by the Danish Road Institute-Dan mark (DRI-DK) for Caltrans/ UCPRC/ DRI-DK Quieter Pavement Research collaborative effort - June 2008 (PDF)
- DRI-DK Technical Note 69 Presentation Slides, Use of Noise Reducing Pavements - European Experience, Prepared by the Danish Road Institute-Dan mark (DRI-DK) for Caltrans/ UCPRC/ DRI-DK Quieter Pavement Research collaborative effort - June 2008 (PDF)
- Further Development of the Sound Intensity Method of Measuring Tire Noise Performance of In-Situ Pavements, prepared for the California Department of Transportation, Illingworth & Rodkin, Inc. - January 2006 (PDF)
- Comparative Measurements of Tire/Pavement Noise in Europe and the United States by Paul R. Donavan, Illingworth & Rodkin, Inc. (PDF)
- I-80 Davis OGAC Pavement Noise Study 12th Year Report is the longest running quiet pavement study in the nation. (PDF)