Comparative Field Measurements of Tire Pavement Noise of Selected Texas Pavements

The effects of traffic noise are a serious concern in the United States and in the rest of the world. One significant component of traffic noise is tire-pavement interaction. If tire-pavement noise can be reduced at the source instead of through the use of traffic noise barriers set up to protect individual receivers, then potential savings can accrue. This research effort conducted field testing on 15 different pavement types found in Texas, and on six pavement types found in South Africa. A test procedure was developed with roadside microphones and microphones mounted on a test trailer to record and analyze the differences in tire-pavement noise. The test procedure was designed to develop comparisons of pavements while other variables were kept constant. The results, measured on the standard A-weighted scale, indicated for the 15 test pavements in Texas a difference of roadside noise levels of up to 7 dBA. Additionally, a roadside noise level of one pavement measured in South Africa was more than 2 dBA quieter than any Texas pavement.