ANNOYANCE FROM HIGH SPEED TRAIN NOISE: A SOCIAL SURVEY

✍ Scribed by J. Lambert; P. Champelovier; I. Vernet

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 316 KB
• Volume: 193
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-460X
• DOI: 10.1006/jsvi.1996.0241

✦ Synopsis

A social survey was carried out in 1993 to assess the impact of noise experienced by residents living in the vicinity of the new TGV Atlantique line, along which noise protection (e.g., barriers, earth berms, . . ) was provided to comply with the noise guideline (daytime (8 a.m.-8 p.m.) Leq Q 65 dB(A)). Two hundred and sixty residents were interviewed by a questionnaire; full 24 hour noise measurements were taken at each site in addition to 1 hour measurements. Analysis of noise annoyance levels and noise exposure levels suggests that the noise guideline should also cover evening and morning periods. Whilst LAeq seems to be a relevant noise annoyance descriptor for the daytime period, the number of noise events or the length of time over 70 dB(A) seems to be more appropriate for the evening. In any case, these findings will have to be considered in the context of practical requirements (indices have to be easy to predict, acceptable to the public, etc.).