Macrotexture influence on vibrational mechanisms of the tyre–road noise of an asphalt rubber pavement

Abstract

The road surface is one of the most important factors that have influence on the current traffic noise. Usually, for dense surfaces, impacts of the tyre on the pavement generate vibrations which are the dominant mechanisms in the tyre–road noise. In this study, the effect of muffling these vibrations, by the incorporation of crumb rubber (CR) from wasted tyres into asphalt pavements, has been evaluated acoustically. Close proximity measurements have been carried out to register the sound emission generated in the contact zone between a reference tyre and an experimental asphalt pavement with CR. The analysis of the measurements indicates that the incorporation of CR as well as the air voids content has less influence than the macrotexture of the road surface on the acoustical behaviour of this experimental asphalt pavement.

Keywords::

• road traffic noise
• asphalt pavement
• crumb rubber
• close proximity
• vibrations mechanisms
• surface texture

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Ministry of Science and Innovation through the Grant No. DPI2008-06212 established within the framework of the National Plan for Scientific Research, Development and by Grant No. PII2I09-0084-6751 of the Administration of Science and Technology of Castilla-La Mancha. The authors would like to thank J. Palomares and M.R. López of the Laboratory of Public Works in Ciudad Real (JCCM) for their valuable assistance.

Notes

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^4. Email: [email protected].