Abstract Manager

The noise level on high-speed high-volume highways, especially in the areas of highway expansion, has been an important factor that most transportation agencies consider. Reducing the tire-pavement noise has been known as a noise abatement approach from the source. Pavements with different surface textures provide different noise reduction effects. Quiet pavements are always preferred for both transportation agencies and the travelling public. In the last decade, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has investigated, evaluated, and promoted the use of quiet pavements for its provincial highway pavement network.

MTO initiated a noise study in 2015 in Eastern Region to compare pavement noise levels on grooved concrete pavement with several concrete pavements with transverse tinning. On Board Sound Intensity (OBSI) measurements were conducted according to AASHTO TP76-12 on a total of nine (9) sections of Highways 115, 417, 401 and 410.  In 2022, MTO undertook another OBSI noise study on seven (7) test roadway sections along Highways 401, 402 and 404 located in Western and Central Regions. These studies generally used asphalt mix sections as controls, consisting of Superpave 12.5 FC2 or SMA 12.5 (Stone mastic asphalt) asphalt surface mixes. The remaining sections were concrete sections of varying ages with different surface texture treatments such as grooving, tining or a combination thereof.

This paper presents the findings from the above noted pavement noise studies conducted by MTO between 2015 and 2022. Longitudinal grooved concrete pavement and open graded asphalt pavement textures are found to provide the best tire-pavement noise mitigation at the source for the flexible and rigid pavement, respectively.