Investigation on multiple traffic noise near an airport and their effect on nearby residents

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of the noise radiated from airplanes, urban rail transit, high-speed railways, and urban roads on residents near an airport. The results showed that all respondents near the airport were highly annoyed with airplane noise, and some remain annoyed with the noise from the urban rail transit and high-speed railway connecting to the airport. The most detrimental aspect of transportation noise was sleeping disturbance. Transportation noise from 19:00 to 24:00 primarily caused the annoyance of surrounding residents. Airplane noise is the largest source of sound pollution in residences in the region adjacent to the elevated urban rail transit and airport. The insertion loss of vertical sound barrier with a height of 2.4 m at the points 25 m away from the track centerline is 6.9–8.6 dB, but the sound pressure level below 40 Hz is amplified owing to the structure-borne noise radiating from the barrier itself. The presence of sound barriers can reduce the high annoyance level from 24 to 8.2%.