Method for noise control by traffic management : Impact of speed reducing equipments
Résumé
Road traffic is always considered in urban area as one of the most important factor of annoyance. In order to propose to local authorities new means to take into account this problem, several solutions can be considered, one of them is the construction of road equipments that allow reducing speed in a substantial way in order to sufficiently abate the road traffic noise. However, all these road equipments also modify the driving conditions and thus, the vehicle kinematics. In the framework of the European Integrated project SILENCE, all these aspects have been analyzed through the example of three different solutions : implementation of Automatic Traffic Controlleers (ATC), of calming "Green waves" and construction of "chicanes". ATC and "chicanes" have experimentally been studied whereas the "Green waves" have theoretically been modelled only. These solutions mainly implemented for safety purposes, permit to obtain for particular conditions, a small noise abatement which can complement other solutions such as low noise road pavement. When building such speed reducing equipments, the challenge is their optimization in order to minimize the deceleration and acceleration processes which tend to increase the vehicle noise and, to keep the traffic flow as fluid as possible. When it is possible, substantial abatements can be obtained (4dB(A) in certain part of a "Green wave"). When it is not possible the abatement becomes lower (around 2 dB(A) or less).