CEDR-Noise – 1st meeting

Conference of European Directors of Roads

At the Danish RoadDirectorate on 27-28 April 2006

Objectives of first meeting• To kick-start our working group!• To become known to one another!• To discuss what we shall do!• To establish a common understanding

of our objectives!• Working language English!• Tomorrow at 12.00 to have a joint plan

for our work!!• Important to balance ambitions and

resources

Agenda:Thursday, 27 April, 13.00 to 17.00• Welcome by Per Clausen, Deputy Director, Danish Road

Directorate• Approval of the agenda• Presentation of all the delegates• Introduction and presentation of the terms of reference,

Hans Bendtsen, Denmark• Expectations to the work, short presentation by all

delegates• Discussion of terms of reference• The goals of the Noise Project Group• Presentation of the Danish National Noise Strategy,

Hans Bendtsen, Denmark

• Mr. G. Ahé, Director, Danish Road Institute, will host a dinner at 18.30.

Friday, 28 April 9.00- 12.00• Presentation of the new Nordic road noise

prediction method, Lene Michelsen, Denmark• Planning of activities• What to do by whom before next meeting• Next meeting• Closing of the meeting

• 12.00-13.00 Lunch at the Road Directorate

Countries with positive response

Present today:• Ireland• Italy• Sweden• Germany• France• Denmark• Hungary

Not present today:• Norway• Greece• Austria• Island

No thanks:• Luxemburg• Slovenia

Corresponding members:• Finland• Estonia• Spain• Belgium• United Kingdom Important missing countries:

•The Netherlands

•Switzerland

Terms of reference From invitation letter

Project group C3: ”To reduce road noise”Objective: • To make it possible for a national road

administration to chare the latest international knowledge on noise abatement.

Scope :• To perform a questionnaire • To draft a handbook outlining how noise

abatement can be integrated in the ongoing processes of maintenance and rehabilitation of the road network.

Terms of reference From CEDR Strategic Plan 2005-2007 (by mistake not distributed)

1. SummaryThe implementation of the EU 2002/49/C Directive on

noise poses new challenges to the NRAs: • Noise mapping must be carried out and noise actions

plans developed. • At the same time, there is growing public pressure in

many countries to improve living conditions and reduce noise pollution.

• Due to the current EU regulation of noise emissions from new vehicles and tyres, it is not expected that new vehicle technology will solve noise problems in the coming decades.

1. Summary continued

• As a proactive task CEDR shall look into noise abatement along the existing road network.

• The driving force behind this work shall be to investigate how noise abatement can be integrated into the ongoing procedures of road maintenance and rehabilitation.

2. Goals

The objective of this work shall be:• To develop a European handbook for NRAs

on how noise abatement can be integrated into the ongoing procedures of road maintenance and rehabilitation

• as well as to determine the state of the art in traffic noise reduction technologies, also at an experimental stage, identifying research needs and new promising noise reduction strategies.

3. Strategy

The project group for this task shall:• conduct a survey (questionnaire) at the beginning of the

work process in order to collect all good and bad experiences;

• gather information about noise abatement techniques, research, and studies paying special attention to active, eco-sustainable, and socio-behavioural interventions;

• analyse the questionnaire data and present a status report;

• classify and put into typological categories the information based on application and expected technical performances;

• identify gaps in knowledge and research needs; • develop demonstration projects and carry them out in full

scale.

4. Expected output:

– A status report of existing European knowledge;

– a handbook on improved concepts for integrating noise abatement into road maintenance and rebuilding processes;

– description of useful development and research projects;

– description of relevant demonstration projects that could be carried out in a second phase of the task.

5. Existing works and experiences

• PIARC Strategic Plan 2004-2007 – Issue 4.2.2 – Reducing Road Noise:

– Noise reduction technologies: future prospects, recommendations, developments, constraints and research needs;

– Measurement methods: state of the art, harmonization trends, recommendations for improvements and research needs.

6. Added value created by CEDR

• The NRAs contribute to the reduction of noise problems in Europe by complying with the EU 2002/49/C Directive on noise.

• Noise mapping strategies are being developed and noise action plans must be drafted.

• CEDR shall contribute to the creation of a common background for this work by exchanging experiences and disseminating studies undertaken at local levels.

7. Human resources

• It will be necessary to appoint 1 or 2 specialists on noise abatement from each NRA to work for approximately 10 person days per annum.

8. Financial resources (other than NRA manpower, printing, and translation)

• In a second phase, development/research/demonstration projects may be financed as joint ventures between some NRAs and may be carried out by the national road research institutes as cooperation projects.

9. Time schedule

• Start 2005 end 2008/09• The report containing the results of the

survey shall be ready in February 2006.• The handbook shall be printed in December

2006.• The development of demonstration projects,

the reporting and exploitation of results shall be completed by December 2007.

• Effect studies and evaluation and reporting on demonstration projects and exploitation of results shall be ready in 2008.

Supplementary ideas

• Create a pressure at the NRA united towards EU on noise emission regulations:– New vehicles (type approval)– New tyres

• Use our group for networking• Exchange of staff between countries• Common prediction methods

4 situations of planning

Existing Roads New roads

Existing homes

New homes 55 dB in the planning

No regulation

55 dB in the physical planning

55 dB usually in road projects

Themes from discussion

Our group represents the problem owners

1. Noise and planning of new roads (EIA)2. Building new houses near our roads

(urban development)3. Communication:

– Presentation of dB to the public– Communication of noise to public on

noise reducing measures

4. Prepare advices (direction EU):– Work on better tyres noise EU standards– Work on better car noise EU standards– Noise marking of tyres– Recommendations/demands to tyre

industry (EU)

5. Suggest new research themes seen from an end user perspective

6. Integration of Noise in road maintenance:

– Noise in Pavement Managements Systems

– Selecting the right solution at the right location

– Guidelines/recommendations to choose the “right” pavement and maintain ok

7. Noise Action Plan (END):– Guidelines on strategies– Traffic increase and noise increase

8. Harmonisation prediction models9. How effective is a noise barrier at a

given site10.Exchange of information on special

noise reducing measures, like top barriers, aging of low noise pavements. Absorption barrier (aging)

Ideas for questionnaire

• Limit values and guidelines for noise at:– New road constructions– Existing roads– When roads are being reconstructed

• Results of noise mapping along the national roads

• Road noise strategy• Noise action plans

EU noise directive• How is the EU directive on noise

implemented or planned to be implemented:– New guidelines– New prediction methods– New measurement methods– New noise mapping– New noise action plans– Participation by the public– Noise in green areas/nature

• Generally please provide examples

Existing roads

Noise abatement:• Plans and strategies• Noise in Pavement management

systems• Noise when pavements are renewed• Noise when minor reconstructions take

place• Good examples and cases