PERCEPTION AND EXPERIENCE OF TRAFFIC NOISE IN A RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT ALONG A STATE HIGHWAY

Abstract After a short theoretical introduction, this paper provides a review of a research project on perception and experience of traffic noise in a residential district along a State Highway, and of experience with sound-insulating provisions against traffic noise in the living situation. The aim was to find directives for decisions to be taken about the nature and construction of similar measures in other situations. To verify the effect and the experience of sound-insulating provisions, occupants of a residential district along State Highway no. 16 near Dordrecht (The Netherlands) were interviewed twice, once before the installation of sound-insulating provisions (stage I) and 2 years afterwards (stage II). The most important conclusion of this research is that the effect of the sound-insulating provisions from the acoustical point of view is favourable; they fulfil the goal set, i.e. a decrease of the sound nuisance of road traffic. Experiences with sound-insulating provisions of a non-acoustical nature leave much to be desired.