Noise reducing thin layers - Promising concepts

The Danish Road Institute (DRI) and the Road and Hydraulic Engineering Institute in the Netherlands (DWW) have co-operated in the DRI-DWW noise abatement program which is a part of the Dutch Noise Innovation Program on Road Traffic (the IPG program). One of the projects in the DRI-DWW noise abatement program is dedicated to development and testing of noise reducing thin pavements. As an important part of this project it is a goal to develop promising concepts for optimized noise reducing thin layer pavements. The main goals of this report is to discuss and develop promising concepts for optimised noise reducing thin layers that can be tested in full scale on a highway in Denmark. Both the acoustical and the structural durability of these thin layers are in focus in this project. A new two lane highway, which is being constructed near Herning in 2005 and 2006, has been selected as a test road. The speed limit will be 80 or 90 kilometres per hour. It is planned to lay the wearing courses of this highway in May/June 2006. This highway is part of the national road network administrated by the Danish Road Directorate.