Estimation of the quality of an urban acoustic environment based on traffic noise evaluation models

Traffic noise pollution is a widespread public health problem in both developing and developed countries. Quickly and effectively evaluating the quality of an urban acoustic environment is an important challenge for urban planning and management. To solve this problem, this study first classified the urban function area of the study area according to the functional characteristics and environmental quality requirements of the region, and then, the traffic noise propagation model was applied to predict instantaneous sound levels (LA) based on noise attenuation. Finally, a traffic noise evaluation model was proposed to evaluate the quality of the urban acoustic environment. Taking Changchun city as our study area, eighty field samples of equivalent noise levels (Leq) were measured every ten minutes at four types of roads, classified as trunk roads, secondary roads, expressways and rural roads, in different urban function areas. An urban noise map was drawn to reflect the degree of traffic noise pollution. By comparing the measured and predicted values of noise levels, the results show that the traffic noise propagation model can be used to predict instantaneous sound levels. The traffic noise evaluation results show that the quality of the acoustic environment in our study area was at a medium level, which means that long-term exposure to it can affect the normal work and life of people. The traffic noise propagation model and proposed evaluation model are feasible methods for evaluating the quality of the acoustic environment and can provide a reference for the management of noise pollution control of urban traffic.