Environmental acoustics

From negative influences on the environment to the impact on human health, the problem of excessive noise levels in and around road infrastructure in the European Union in recent years represents a key issue.

Noise is one of the most widespread, environmentally harmful issues at present, and it is responsible for serious civilisation diseases. Road traffic represents more than 90% of the contribution to the total noise load. Our expertise is predominantly focused on long-term monitoring of noise in the initial design of the surface of pavement for the course of its lifetime, evaluation of acoustic scenarios in roads and their surroundings, calculating modelling, and surveying the population on noise load.

Our research and development work is thus focused on the category of traffic. Top CDV experts are nominated for the Czech Republic as members of the international work group CEN TC 227/WG5, focused on the complexity of pavement’s surface characteristics, including noise level measuring.

We conduct accredited measurement of arbitrary pavement surface noisiness according to the CPX (Close-ProXimity) method and also measure noise in non-working environments for the purpose of monitoring health according to ISO 1996. We carry out traffic noise measurement, long-term noise monitoring, measuring for noise maps, and the technical measurement of the noisiness of pavement surfaces.

We assess and propose anti-noise measures and establish the action plans in roads’ surroundings according to directive 2002/49/EC. We are able to assess whether it is possible to grant the status of old noise load to the road even for further periods. We plan out the acoustic studies for the initial steps of project documentation and building proceedings, we calculate the noise maps and population noise load in the area with visualisation and spatial analyses in GIS, and we create the surveys for dealings with hygienic stations including its debating. We ensure quality consultation and advisory services related to traffic noise load.

Our department is equipped with a first-class noise measuring technique, including the multichannel multianalyser PULSE LAN-XI from Bruel&Kjaer company with accessories, yielding required acoustic measurements. We use ArcGIS and the SoundPLAN programme for the preparation and calculation of noise maps, establishing the number of impacted inhabitants, and visualisation.

SoundPLAN is world-renowned software used for traffic and industry noise modelling, meeting relevant standards in Europe and overseas, and is designed according to valid EU recommendations.

Guarantor issues: Ing. Vítězslav Křivánek, Ph.D.

Major contracts and projects

• Tools for Analysis and Assessment of Environmental Impacts of Road Surface Noise
• Center for Effective and sustainable transport infrastructure
• Change of road surface noisiness during several-year usage
• The Action Plan of region Vysočina
• Defined measurements on the 10th building of roads II / 602
• Transport Master Plan for city of Bratislava
• Methodology for Preparation of Action Plans for Areas along Major Roads, Major Railways and around Major Airports
• Optimization of Technical Measures to Reduce Noise Nuisance in the Vicinity of Roads
• TEMPO 30 – Methodology for an Area-wide Traffic Calming
• ECRPD (Energy Conservation in Road Pavement Design, Maintenance and Utilisation)
• SPENS (Sustainable Pavements for European New Member States)

Accredited tests

• Measurement of noise road surface by CPX
• Measurement of traffic noise according to Czech Standard ISO 1996

Services

• accredited measurement of noise
• assessment of the acoustic situation around roads by means of the measurements (measurement technology Bruel & Kjaer) and mathematical modeling (software SoundPLAN)
• noise mapping
• assessment of residents’ exposure to noise burden from transport
• assessing and proposing noise reducing measures
• preparation of noise action plans for the vicinity of roads, under Directive 2002/49/ES
• consultancy and advisory services in traffic burden

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