Quieter Pavements

Quieter pavement is a new concept for the construction or rehabilitation of roadway surfaces intended to reduce the impacts that tire/pavement noise has on the highway environment. The goal of Caltrans Quieter Pavement Research Plan is to identify and provide the surface treatments, materials, design specifications, and construction methods that will result in an ever quieter roadway that is also safe, durable, and cost-effective.

Quality Matters

Although additional data are being collected, there does appear to be a correlation between the quality of pavement construction and noise performance.

Recent Pavement Policy Bulletins

PPB 09-02, Quieter Pavement Strategies for Noise Sensitive Areas (October 15, 2009, 621KB)

Resources

Typical Noise Levels
Fundamentals of Highway Traffic Noise with audio, notes only (PDF, 354KB)
- Sound vs. Noise (Section 6)
- Sound Frequency (Section 11)
- Sound Pressure (Sections 18, 19, 20 & 21)
- Sound Pressure Levels and Decibels (Sections 23 & 24)
- Frequency Spectra and Frequency Bands (Section 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 & 50)
- Typical Noise Levels (See also Section 51)
- Human Reaction to Noise (Section 74 & 75)

Research

QPR FHWA Approval Letter (November 16, 2006), (PDF, 53KB)
Quieter Pavement Research Plan (October 2006), (PDF, 862KB)
University of California Pavement Research Center (UCPRC)

Recent Reports

DRI-DK Technical Note 69, Use of Noise Reducing Pavements - European Experience, Prepared by the Danish Road Institute-Dan mark (DRI-DK) for Caltrans/ UCPRC/ DRI-DK Quieter Pavement Research collaborative effort. (June 2008), (PDF, 2.7MB)
DRI-DK Technical Note 69 Presentation Slides, Use of Noise Reducing Pavements - European Experience, Prepared by the Danish Road Institute-Dan mark (DRI-DK) for Caltrans/ UCPRC/ DRI-DK Quieter Pavement Research collaborative effort.(June 2008), (PDF, 2.4MB)
"Highway Traffic Noise Model Calibration for Various Roadway Surfaces" technical advisory (PDF, 1.5MB)
Further Development of the Sound Intensity Method of Measuring Tire Noise Performance of In-Situ Pavements, prepared for the California Department of Transportation, Illingworth & Rodkin, Inc., January 2006 (PDF, 962KB)
California Tests Show Pavement Selection Influences by Bruce Rymer and Paul Donavan, published in Hot Mix Asphalt Technology, November/December 2005, (PDF, 10.3MB)
Comparative Measurements of Tire/Pavement Noise in Europe and the United States by Paul R. Donavan, Illingworth & Rodkin, Inc., (PDF, 369KB)
IH-80 Davis OGAC Pavement Noise Study 7th Year Report is the longest running quiet pavement study in the nation.

Department Divisions

Division of Environmental Analysis (DEA)

Noise Training Modules
Noise and Vibration Studies
- FAQ About Traffic Noise (PDF, 470KB)
- 1998 Traffic Noise Analysis Protocol (PDF, 184KB)
- 2006 Traffic Noise Analysis Protocol (PDF, 1.7MB)
Planset for LA-138 Noise Research Project (PDF, 518KB)

Division of Design (DOD)

PDPM: Chapter 30 Highway Traffic Noise Abatement (PDF, 130KB)
Highway Design Manual: Chapter 1100-Highway Traffic Noise Abatement (PDF, 44KB)

Please forward any questions/comments/suggestions to Linus Motumah (linus_motumah@dot.ca.gov). Last updated 07/03/2012.