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Projects - Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)Reference Energy Mean Emission Level Measurements (REMEL), 1993-95
On behalf of the FHWA, Volpe Acoustics performed noise measurements of more than 6000 individual vehicle pass-bys at 40 sites in ten states for development of the REMEL database. These measurements included one-third octave-band time-history recordings and radar-determined speeds for both level and graded roadways, and for a wide variety of vehicle types, including cars, light, medium, and heavy trucks, buses, and motorcycles. The REMEL database was the foundation upon which TNM's® physical acoustic equations were built. Sponsors: FHWA, Office of Natural Environment ANSI Standard S12.8 1998: Methods for Determining the Insertion Loss of Outdoor Noise Barriers, 1998
In support of the FHWA, Volpe Acoustics' participation in the development of this ANSI American National Standard included study and analysis of existing practices, identification of technical gaps and deficiencies thereof, analytical and experimental investigations, and validation of proposed methodologies for determining the insertion loss of barrier installations. Sponsors: FHWA, Office of Engineering Research and Development Highway Noise Barriers: Performance, Maintenance, & Safety Video, 1998
Volpe Acoustics prepared this informative videotape on the various uses, configurations and effectiveness of roadside noise barriers for the FHWA. Sponsor: FHWA, Office of Natural Environment Acoustics and Your Environment: The Basics of Sound and Highway Traffic Noise Video, 1999
Volpe Acoustics prepared this informative videotape on the basics of sound for the FHWA. Sponsor: FHWA, Office of Natural Environment FHWA Highway Noise Barrier Design Handbook, Video and CD-ROM February 2000
In support of the FHWA, Volpe Acoustics has developed the updated "FHWA Highway Noise Barrier Design Handbook." This document reflects substantial improvements and changes in noise barrier design that have evolved since the original 1976 publication. This Handbook, which is accompanied by a videotape and a companion CD-ROM, addresses both acoustical and non-acoustical issues associated with highway noise barrier design. The objectives of this document and accompanying video and CD-ROM are to provide: (1) guidelines on how to design a highway noise barrier that fits with its surroundings and performs its intended acoustical and structural functions at reasonable life-cycle cost; and (2) a state-of-the-art reference of common concepts, designs, materials, and installation techniques for the professional highway engineer, the acoustical and design engineers and planners, and the non-professional community participant. Sponsors: FHWA, Office of Natural Environment FHWA Roadway Construction Noise Model (RCNM) 2006
FHWA's Roadway Construction Noise Model (RCNM) allows the estimation of three key acoustical metrics: Lmax, Leq, and L10 at receptor locations for a construction operation that can include up to 20 pieces of equipment. RCNM allows for user-defined construction equipment and user-defined noise limit criteria. The two main uses of the RCNM are to allow typical computer users to:
A variety of construction work scenarios can be created quickly, allowing the user to determine the impact of changing construction equipment and adding/removing the effects of shielding due to noise mitigation devices such as barriers. * FHWA Roadway Construction Noise Model (RCNM), 2006 FHWA Highway Construction Noise Handbook 2006
The objectives of the FHWA's Highway Construction Noise Handbook are to identify factors that may be considered related to construction noise and provide information associated with reference sources related to the following issues and factors:
It was intended that this Handbook should be used as a type of reference document containing a compendium of factors and issues that may be appropriate to consider in dealing with construction noise, including the effects of construction noise, the measurement and mitigation of construction noise, and Public involvement with construction noise. * FHWA Highway Construction Noise Handbook, CD-ROM, and Website, 2006 FHWA Traffic Noise Model: (FHWA TNM®), Ongoing
In support of the FHWA, Volpe Acoustics provided technical oversight to the development of the FHWA TNM®, which is an entirely new, state-of-the-art computer program used for predicting noise impacts in the vicinity of highways. It uses advances in personal computer hardware and software to improve upon the accuracy and ease of modeling highway noise, including the design of effective, cost-efficient highway noise barriers. The FHWA TNM contains the following components:
These components are supported by a scientifically-founded and experimentally-validated acoustic computation methodology, as well as an entirely new, and more flexible data base, as compared with that of its predecessor, STAMINA 2.0/OPTIMA. The Data Base is made up of over 6000 individual pass-by events measured at forty sites across the country. It is the primary building block around which the acoustic algorithms are structured. The most visible difference between the FHWA TNM and STAMINA 2.0/OPTIMA, is TNM's Microsoft® Windows interface. Data input is menu-driven using a digitizer, mouse, and/or keyboard. Users also have the ability to import STAMINA 2.0/OPTIMA files, as well as roadway design files saved in CAD, DXF format. Color graphics will play a central role in both case construction and visual analysis of results. More information on the FHWA TNM can be found on the official TNM web site. Sponsors: FHWA, Office of Natural Environment FHWA Traffic Noise Model TNM® Validation Study Ongoing
The Volpe Center Acoustics Facility is currently involved with a study for the validation of the Federal Highway Administration's Traffic Noise Model (TNM®). This study, which assesses the accuracy of TNM, includes highway noise measurements and TNM modeling for the purpose of data comparison. The highway noise measurements are made at several locations across the country, where each measurement site is carefully chosen for its geometry and features (noise barrier, trees, etc.). At each site, acoustical and meteorological instrumentation are arranged in a line perpendicular to the highway, and acoustical data (sound levels) and meteorological data (wind, temperature, etc.) are collected throughout the measurement day. Supplementary instrumentation includes a differential global positioning system for surveying the site and video cameras for capturing the traffic data. The TNM modeling incorporates the site survey and traffic data in order to obtain accurate TNM-predicted data. The measurement and TNM-predicted data are analyzed and compared, with the results being published to serve as a reference for TNM. Because of the magnitude of this study, it is being divided into three phases; the first phase was completed in 2002 and subsequent phases are underway. . Sponsors: FHWA, Office of Natural Environment FHWA Traffic Noise Model (FHWA TNM) Technical Support and Distribution, OngoingIn conjunction with the development and maintenance of FHWA TNM, Volpe Acoustics provides extensive technical support to the TNM user community. The TNM tech support team develops and maintains a comprehensive website dedicated to the user support of all versions of TNM. On the FHWA TNM website, TNM users can find:
The distribution of FHWA TNM software and associated literature is handled by the University of Florida's McTrans Center. More information on purchasing any version of TNM can be found the McTrans Center website. Sponsor: FHWA, Office of Natural Environment |
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