Vertical profile of traffic noise in high-rise residential environment

Abstract

High-rise dwellers in land-scarce Singapore are often subjected to different noise sources in close proximity. The major noise source that impact quality of living was found to be the large systemic noise source - Road Traffic. Due to the high density living in Singapore, high-rise residential buildings are located close to roads and highways. It is essential to consider noise propagation characteristics of road traffic noise sources during planning and design stages for new residential precinct and estates. A scientific and reliable approach for characterizing noise propagation from various categories of roads is vital in the implementation of projects. Software modeling and simulations were carried out to study the noise propagation characteristics of five different categories of roads in Singapore. Five sixteen-storey residential buildings were investigated with traffic noise measurement conducted on each level of the buildings. The predicted results were validated with field measured traffic noise data. This study observes that traffic noise increases between 3.5 dBA and 4.1 dBA at a height range of 10.0m to 15.5m above the ground with the increase in building height where the buildings are located at a distance ranging between 15m and 31m from the nearside road curb.