Current literature on the performance characteristics of road surfaces is primarily focused on evenness, roughness and technical durability. However, other important surface properties require analysis, including noisiness, which is an important feature of the environmental impact of vehicular traffic around roads. This can be studied using various methods by which road noise phenomena are investigated. The method used to measure the noise performance of road surfaces herein is the Statistical Pass-By (SPB) method, as described in ISO 11819-1:1997. The impedance tube method was used for sound absorption testing, as described in ISO 13472-2:2010. These tests were performed under a variety of conditions: in situ and in laboratory. The existence of relationships between them can be helpful in selecting surfaces for noise reduction. Preliminary surface noise tests can be performed in the laboratory with samples consisting of various compounds. This is less expensive and faster than doing so on purpose-built surfaces. The paper presents study results for sound absorption coefficients of various types of low-noise surfaces in in situ conditions (on an experimental section and on operated road sections) and in the laboratory setting. The results of the tests performed on the operational sections were compared to the results of the surface impact on road noise using the SPB method. The correlations between the test results help confirm the feasibility of road surface pre-testing in the laboratory and the relation to tests performed using the SPB method under typical operating conditions.

The noise generated at the interface between the wheels of vehicles and the road surface is well recognized in the literature worldwide. Many publications describe the phenomenon of reducing this kind of impact by silent road surfaces. A specific type of this noise is the sound generated by vehicles passing over the expansion joints of bridge structures. Due to the impulsive nature of this sound, it is very onerous for people living in the close vicinity of bridge structures. The passage of vehicles over expansion joints causes the formation of vibrations that are transmitted to the structural elements of bridge structures, which may cause the formation of the material sounds (especially arduous in the case of bridges with steel elements). An attempt to reduce this impact was made by making a prototype acoustic cover of the expansion joint on the selected bridge. The paper presents the results of research on the “in situ” acoustic effectiveness of this cover. Additionally, the noise was modelled in the object surroundings before and after the cover’s application. The acoustic efficiency of the cover in the whole measured frequency range was 5.3 dBA. In the narrower frequency bands (1/3 octave bands), larger sound level reductions were observed. The maximum sound levels measured under the tested dilatation were less than 10.0 dBA lower than the maximum sound levels measured under the reference dilatation.

MCE mixtures fortified with fine rubber were the subject of research in laboratory tests in Lublin University of Technology. As a basic literature review shows, an amount of fine rubber in mixtures with cement in MCEM should be 2%, 4% and 6% of the aggregate. The mixtures were designed planned and prepared as samples for tests assessing the fulfillment of the requirements contained in the Manual [9]. Analysis of the results allows to assess the usefulness of fine rubber in MCE mixtures and is a basis for further detailed studies that are aimed at setting new quantitative requirements, going beyond the requirements included in the Manual.

Study of noise originating from selected bridge expansion joints

The deteriorating condition of the environment and the increasing emission of pollutants into the atmosphere intensify the greenhouse effect. Energy production in power plants results in emissions that affect the increase of global temperatures. According to the Research Institute for Global Climate Change in Berlin there are just over 7 years to cross the critical point, which will start chain reactions associated with irreversible changes in the climate. In order to reduce the climate changes, exhaust emissions must be reduced. One of the steps is to reduce electricity consumption. In the case of roads, electricity is most related to the technical infrastructure. First steps has been taken to reduce the demand for electricity by using lighting systems equipped in the energy saving solutions. The next step should be to use renewable energy sources. There are many solutions to generate electricity that can be used directly on roads or nearby. There are many sides in the area of the road junction that can be used for producing energy. The authors, based on a review of the literature and the first usage of energy generating devices, describe the possibilities of obtaining energy and indicate the devices with their classification.