A model investigation of the acoustical performance of courtyard houses with respect to noise from road traffic

Abstract The action of courtyard houses in reducing the noise nuisance from road traffic is examined using the techniques of computer simulation and acoustic scale modelling. This building form is found to be capable of reducing the noise level experienced within a protected space (indoor or outdoor) by a significant amount. For a courtyard house a fixed distance from a roadway the most significant parameter is found to be the height of the courtyard walls. The effect of varying courtyard width and depth on the net attenuation is slight by comparison with the effect observed on varying the height of the walls.