Multi-scale mechanical and acoustic characterization of low noise pavements.

Using data on in situ performance of low noise pavements, three well performing mixtures were selected: SDA 4, SDA 6, and SDA 8. These mixtures and the corresponding mastic (filler + bitumen + additive) were tested for their mechanical and acoustic performance in non-aged and aged states using a multi-scale approach (mm to km). Thereafter, an optimization protocol was applied to these mastics (mm-scale) and promising combinations were implemented at the mixture scale (cm-scale).

Environmental trade-offs for using low-noise pavements: Life cycle assessment with noise considerations.

Noise mitigation is the main advantage of semi-dense asphalt (SDA) pavements compared to traditional pavements such as stone-mastic asphalt (SMA), but noise is not quantitatively considered in traditional life cycle assessment (LCA). This article performs a comprehensive LCA for SMA and SDA including noise considerations. State-of-the-art sound emission and acoustical ageing models were used to determine the road traffic noise.