FHWA Recommended Best Practices for the Use of the Traffic Noise Model
HMMH led NCHRP Project 25-34, which led to the publication of Report 791: Supplemental Guidance on the Application of FHWA’s Traffic Noise Model.
The goal of this 30-month research effort was to provide guidance on best modeling practices in scenarios for which there is currently limited or no technical guidance. In addition to recommending best practices, the research team assessed both the sensitivity of the model to the proposed methodologies and the accuracy of the results obtained using the practices.
The topic areas for which supplemental guidance was developed include structure-reflected noise, bridge expansion joints, signalized interchanges, intersections, area sources, median barriers, roundabouts, multi-lane highways, rows of buildings, topography, wind direction, temperature inversion, ground zones, tree zones, parallel barriers and tunnel openings.
