The effects of pavement surface characteristics on tire/pavement noise

Pavement surface characteristics are major attributes to tire/pavement interactions and are considered as cost-effective options to mitigate traffic noise. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effects of single and multiple pavement surface characteristics on tire/pavement noise levels. During the period from August 2009 to August 2011, noise levels and pavement surface characteristics are measured quarterly on impervious and open-graded asphalt pavements at 2009 NCAT test track. The linear regression analysis method and dominance analysis method are used to evaluate the effects of single and multiple pavement surface characteristics on noise levels, respectively. The results show that surface texture increases noise levels at lower frequencies (below 1600 Hz) especially on impervious asphalt pavements. Porosity decreases noise levels at every frequency (except at 2500 Hz) on open-graded asphalt pavements. These findings will help to design future low-noise asphalt pavements.