Long-Term Performance of Low-Noise Concrete Pavements

Traffic noise is one of the major environmental concerns within the countries of the European Union. 80 to 90% of the traffic noise pollution is generated by road traffic. The major part of the noise emitted by vehicles on roads in the mid- to high-speed range is nowadays due to tyre/road noise. It is generated by the interaction between tyre and road surface, and therefore the measurement of the typical noise emission is essential for the classification of pavements with regard to noise. Concrete pavements in Austria have been used and acoustically tested since 1990. Due to their mechanical stability concrete pavements usually have a very long structural working life. For this reason it is also important to ensure that initial reductions in noise emission do not diminish over the years. The authors will present the Austrian experience with low-noise concrete pavements from the viewpoint of acoustics, concrete technology and road administration. In addition to that, a one-year project (funded by the Austrian Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology) focusing on the long-term acoustic performance of exposed aggregate concrete road surfaces and the relations between construction technology and noise emission will be presented.