Investigation of Asphalt Pavement to Improve Environmental Noise and Water Sustainability

Abstract

Controlling environmental noise and reducing excessive noise is necessary to protect human health and provide auditory comfort. People are frequently exposed to traffic noise in their daily life and traffic noise is a considerable problem on the city scale. This study investigates the sound absorption coefficient in asphalt pavements so as to reduce traffic and environmental noise. The important parameters affecting the sound absorption coefficient in asphalt pavement, such as the use of porous asphalt pavements, clogging pores, the mixture content change, the thickness change, and getting wet, were identified. It is stated that the sound absorption coefficient in the asphalt layer can be increased with the use of a porous asphalt layer, and by changing the thickness and mixture content. In addition, with the effects of global warming, water supply problems are observable in cities. In this context, the use of rainwater is of vital importance. Permeability of the asphalt layer and storage of rainwater in the lower layer are recommended. The accumulation of rainwater with the aid of drainage in porous asphalt pavements has been investigated and the use of rainwater within the scope of recycling is explored. Within the scope of the research, the construction of porous asphalt pavements is suggested in a system that can store water, reuse rainwater with a new system proposal, and reduce environmental noise by increasing sound absorption performance. Accordingly, it will be possible to reduce the environmental noise level and to use rainwater within the scope of recycling. According to varying thicknesses, porous asphalt pavements were modeled using the finite element method, and the Von Mises stress and vertical deformation results of different thicknesses were compared.