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Tunnel Noise
Tunnel Noise
Wolfgang Probsta)
(Received: 5 April 2009; Revised: 19 November 2009; Accepted: 20 November 2009)
Road or railway tunnels are taken into account in noise prediction programs
with the traffic flow ending at the tunnel mouth. The sound radiated from inside
the tunnel through the tunnel mouth into the environment is calculated using an
additional point or area source at the position of the tunnel opening. Some
investigations have been published where the source strength of the radiating
tunnel mouth has been calculated from analytically derived propagation
relations inside the tunnel. In the meantime sound propagation inside rooms can
be modelled more precisely even for complex environments, where the basic
algorithms have been selected and improved based on measurements in more
than 150 rooms and halls. These techniques have been standardized and in the
meantime after about 8 years of experience with the application of these
strategies they form an experimentally well established and computer based
method that can be used to solve many of these special problems. The procedure
is used as a part of an integral approach to calculate the noise radiated from
tunnel openings. It can be used for different and even complex configurations
and may help to integrate this very special noise source in environmental
modelling for noise calculation. © 2010 Institute of Noise Control Engineering.
tunnel
receiver
receiver
Fig. 2—The direct sound from inside the tunnel
Fig. 1—The part of the track ds that radiates to- diffracted at the tunnel edge.
wards the receiver without diffraction.
3 THE SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL INSIDE
averaged mean levels the source inside the tunnel is a THE TUNNEL AND IN THE OPENING
line source. As it is shown later only based on these AND THE RADIATION INTO THE
conditions the sound field in a tunnel of infinite length ENVIRONMENT
is diffuse—this is not the case if the sound distribution In the following the strength of emission at the
inside the tunnel produced by a moving car or train tunnel opening is derived from basic acoustic
shall be predicted. But the agreement of results principles. The results are validated and extended using
obtained with ray tracing techniques and by a method a software program that was developed to calculate
based on diffuse sound field in the infinite tunnel sound pressure levels in rooms with any distribution of
proves the validity of these assumptions. absorption inside14. Another software for sound propa-
gation outside15 is used to calculate the sound power
2 PROBLEM DEFINITION radiated through the tunnel opening to the environment
Roads and railways are guided through tunnels to taking into account reflections inside up to high orders.
prevent sensitive living environments from noise This allows the directional dependence of the radiation
exposure or to cross under hilly terrain to avoid costly to be determined. The applied principles are indepen-
mountain roads. If the noise of such roads shall be dent from these software packages—in the following
predicted the sound radiated by the road inside the the underlying principles and references are given.
tunnel is generally neglected and this subpart of the 3.1 The Sound Radiated from Inside the
road inside the tunnel is simply deleted from the model
Tunnel to the Opening Cross
(if modern graphic oriented software is applied).
Section—Analytic Solution
But the sound radiated from the tunnel mouth into
the environment may produce a level increase that can The upper part of Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal section
not be neglected. For a given receiver position near the of a tunnel for roads or railways with the acoustically
tunnel opening three different contributions have to be relevant elements. The traffic flow is extended along
taken into account. the tunnel duct and it is assumed that the length of this
The first part is radiated from the part ds of the track tunnel is large relative to the dimension of the cross
inside the tunnel that can be seen from the receiver and section. The sound pressure level at the receivers shown
propagates without diffraction, as illustrated in Fig. 1. in the middle cross section shall be determined. This is
It can be taken into account if this part ds would be performed using a simple thought experiment. As it is
included in the calculation. But this is only a solution
for fixed receiver locations—when noise maps are
calculated ds will be different for each grid point.
The second part is the sound that is radiated from the
track inside the tunnel and is diffracted over a tunnel
edge towards the receiver, as shown in Fig. 2. It can be
determined by subdividing the track in small parts and
by applying a usual diffraction calculation.
The third contribution is caused by sound that is receiver
-10
tunnel tunnel
road or railway
-15
-25
-30
-35
Fig. 4—Replacing the tunnel of infinite length by 1 2 3 4 5 10 20 50 100
a “slice” cut out by two ideally reflecting Distance Source - Receiver (m)
d
absorption inside endpiece
receivers
line source
Fig. 6—Left side cross section at opening, right side longitudinal section of tunnel.
⬘ − 10 log10共U/X0兲 − 10 log10共␣兲 + 6 dB
Linside = LW noise prediction in work rooms, but the applied
algorithms and procedures are nevertheless applicable
共4兲
for any type of room that is approximately box shaped.
Taking into account the analogy explained above, Eqn. Both tunnel cross sections 10 m ⫻ 6 m and 20 m
(4) describes the sound pressure level inside a tunnel of ⫻ 6 m have been included in this investigation. The
infinite length. The sound pressure level in the cross software CadnaR was applied to calculate the sound
section of the tunnel opening is 3 dB less because sound propagation in two rectangular rooms 500 m ⫻ 10 m
rays pass through this cross section only from one side. ⫻ 6 m and 500 m ⫻ 20 m ⫻ 6 m. Using symmetry
The radiating tunnel opening can be replaced by an area relations, it was sufficient to calculate the sound pressure
source covering the opening like a cap with an emission level at 6 receivers (Fig. 6) distributed in one part of the
L⬙W numerically equal to the sound pressure level, if the cross section a small distance d away from the opening
rays pass at right angle through the opening. that was modelled by a wall with absorption coefficient 1.
⬙ = LW
LW ⬘ − 10 log10共U/X0兲 − 10 log10共␣兲 + 3 dB The traffic line is modelled by a line source 0.5 m
above ground (Fig. 6 left side).
共5兲 The mean sound pressure level in the opening was
If a portion k 共k = Uabsorbing / U兲 of the perimeter is fitted calculated with the tunnel extension varying from 50 m
and ␣ref is the absorption coefficient of the reflecting and up to 500 m with a mean absorption coefficient 0.1 of the
␣abs the absorption coefficient of the absorbing part, the surfaces inside. The calculation is performed by
mean absorption coefficient to be applied in Eqn. (4) or (5) – separating the line source inside into small
is parts and replacing each part by a point source
– calculating the direct sound and reflections up
␣ = k · ␣abs + 共1 − k兲 · ␣ref 共6兲
to the order 20 for each part and summing up
This is only applied for absorption that is relevant for these contributions for all 6 receivers
the complete tunnel—fittings of a restricted length of averaging energetically these 6 levels.
the tunnel behind the opening are taken into account The resulting sound pressure level—normalized
with a correction derived later. with the length related sound power level L⬘W of the
source inside the tunnel—is shown in Fig. 7. This level
3.2 The Sound Radiated from Inside the is mainly determined by reflected sound.
Tunnel to the Opening Cross The diagram shows that the level in the opening
Section—Numeric Solution increases with the length of the tunnel up to about
In a second step a calculation was performed based 300 m—this length represents roughly the infinite long
on VDI-Guideline 376012 or ISO 11690-316 using a tunnel. With a larger mean absorption coefficient than
software program that accounts for locally varying 0.1—the assumed value in this case—even with a shorter
distributions of absorption14. tunnel the conditions for infinite length are given.
The general procedure is based on the calculation of With a next step the two walls and the ceiling were
sound propagation as proposed by Jovicic17 with statis- assumed to be absorbent at a varying length from
tically distributed scattering of sound according to 0 to 100 m behind the tunnel opening—these calcula-
Kuttruff18. The method was found to minimize the tions were performed with absorption coefficients of 0.1
deviation of calculated from measured levels in rooms, up to 0.3 for the other surfaces of the tunnel with infinite
where sound propagation in about 150 industrial halls length. The results are shown in Figs. 8 and 9 for the two
has been investigated10. It has been developed for the different cross sections 10 m ⫻ 6 m and 20 m ⫻ 6 m.
-3.5 culated with ray tracing (12, 15) and with Eqn.
(5)—(diffuse field theory).
Lp - L'W in dB
-4
10 m ⫻ 6 m 20 m ⫻ 6 m
-5.5
50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
mean
Length of tunnel (m) absorption mirror image equ. (5) mirror image equ. (5)
0.10 2.1 2.1 4.0 4.2
Fig. 7—The mean sound pressure level in the 0.15 3.9 3.8 5.8 5.9
opening in dependence of tunnel exten- 0.20 5.3 5.1 7.1 7.2
sion, normalized by the length related 0.25 6.4 6.0 8.2 8.1
sound power level of the source. 0.30 7.7 6.8 9.6 8.9
12
0.3 values obtained with completely different methods are
10
0.25 shown for different mean absorption of the surfaces
0.2 inside and for the two cross sections.
8
0.15
The table suggests that diffuse field theory is an
0.1 Parameter: mean absorption coefficient of walls inside
acceptable description of the sound field in a long
6
tunnel (treated end piece excluded) tunnel with a line source of the same length inside.
4 Therefore Eqn. (5) can generally be used to calculate
cross section 10 m x 6 m
the sound pressure level in a tunnel of infinite length.
2
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Length of absorption inside behind tunnel opening (m) 4 DIRECTIVITY OF THE SOURCE
“TUNNEL—OPENING”
Fig. 8—Difference of length related sound power
level of the source and sound pressure In the next step the rays inside and outside the tunnel
level in the opening with cross section have been calculated to get all the effects caused by
partial absorbent fittings inside and by diffraction at the
10 m ⫻ 6 m.
edges at the opening. This was performed by modelling
14 the tunnel like a chimney vertical to the ground,
0.3
13 because this configuration allows to include the real
LW'(source) - LW''(opening) in dB
0.25
12
0.2
3-D-rays even for all reflections at the 4 surfaces inside
11 the tunnel. The model of the tunnel—vertical to the
10 0.15
ground—was extended 500 m and the receivers are
9 located in angle steps of 10° in two planes vertical to one
0.1
8 another. This procedure is necessary because the applied
Parameter: mean absorption coefficient of walls inside
7 tunnel (treated end piece excluded) calculation method ISO 9613-2 does not allow to include
6 the ground in a real mirror image calculation if the tunnel
5
cross section 20 m x 6 m
is modelled horizontally.
4
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150
Inside the tunnel the line source is replaced by 500
Length of absorption inside behind tunnel opening (m) point sources with spacing 1 m and lined in 0.5 m
distance from the wall simulating the ground.
Fig. 9—Difference of length related sound power First the mean sound pressure level is calculated on
level of the source and sound pressure a receiver grid in the opening cross section and at the
level in the opening with cross section receiver points located outside on circles in different
20 m ⫻ 6 m. angular orientation to the axis. Then the tunnel with its
directivity correction dB
3
2
1
0
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7
0 15 30 45 60 75 90
angle horizontal (degree)
6
cross section before. 4
3
2 6
1 4
0 2
-1
-2 0
-3 -2
-4 -4
-5
-6
-6
-7 -8
0 15 30 45 60 75 90 0 15 30 45 60 75 90
angle vertical (degree) angle horizontal (degree)
Fig. 11—Directivity vertical with tunnel 10 m Fig. 14—Directivity horizontal with tunnel 10 m
⫻ 6 m without additional absorption ⫻ 6 m, 100 m absorption (absorption
(absorption coefficient 0.1). coefficient 0.8).
directivity correction dB
6
2
1 4
0 2
-1 0
-2 -2
-3 -4
-4 -6
-5 -8
-6 -10
0 15 30 45 60 75 90
0 15 30 45 60 75 90
angle vertical (degree)
angle horizontal (degree)
Fig. 15—Directivity vertical with tunnel 20 m Fig. 18—Directivity horizontal with tunnel 20 m
⫻ 6 m without additional absorption ⫻ 6 m, 100 m absorption (absorption
(absorption coefficient 0.1). coefficient 0.8).
This calculation of directivities was also performed The presented relations should be detailed enough to
separately for individual frequency bands—Figs. 19 determine the radiation from tunnel openings and to
and 20 show the results for cross section 10 m ⫻ 6 m, include this source in the modelling for noise calcula-
where the calculation of Fig. 20 is based on an absorbing tions. If special cases have to be evaluated, the method-
treatment 100 m behind the opening with absorption ology presented can directly be applied using the actual
coefficient 0.8. The effect of the frequency dependent system parameters.
diffraction around the edge can be seen with angles near
90°. It shall be mentioned that the lower frequency bands 5 TUNNEL OPENINGS IN NOISE
31.5 Hz and 60 Hz are only included to show roughly the PREDICTION CALCULATIONS—A
influence of frequency on the screening of the mirror PROPOSAL
sources—the accuracy of the absolute values in these
bands may be fairly poor because the wavelengths are Roads and railways are characterized by an emission
large. value that may be different for different time
intervals—e. g. Lday and Lnight. According to national or
y = -0.1283x + 3.255 other calculation guidelines these emission values are
4
produced by the software applied from the acoustically
directivity correction dB
2
relevant parameters like traffic flows, speeds and road
0
-2
surfaces.
-4
The tunnel is characterized by its cross section a
-6 ⫻ b—if rectangular—or by the circumference U of the
-8 open cross section and by the energetic sum of the
-10 emission values of all tracks or traffic lines inside.
0 15 30 45 60 75 90
angle horizontal (degree)
With rectangular cross section
U = 2 · 共a + b兲 共7兲
Fig. 16—Directivity horizontal with tunnel 20 m
⫻ 6 m without additional absorption with half circle circumference with radius r
(absorption coefficient 0.1).
U = 共2 + 兲r 共8兲
10
y = -0.1619x + 6.9478 If N traffic lines or tracks with emission values LE,n are
8
directivity correction dB
-2 250 Hz
500 Hz
-4 1000 Hz
2000 Hz
-6 4000 Hz
8000 Hz
-8
-10
-12
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
angle (degree)
correction values Cemission from Table 1 the emission value Correction C1 can be determined for any cross
Lemission is transformed to the length related sound power section with the following expression derived from
level L⬘WA. Eqn. (5):
⬘ = Lemission + Cemission
LW 共10兲 ⬘ − LW
C1 = LW ⬙ = 10 log10共U/X0兲 + 10 log10共␣兲 − 3 dB
The emission from a tunnel opening is simulated by a 共12兲
vertical area source with shape and size of the opening.
where L⬘W is the level of the length related sound
This area source closes the duct like a cap.
power of all traffic lines in the duct according to Eqn.
If the walls and surfaces inside the tunnel are charac-
(10), L⬙W is the level of the area related sound power of
terized by the same absorption everywhere—no
the vertical area source simulating the opening, X0 is
additional absorption is applied near the opening—the
the reference length 1 共m兲, U is the length of the inner
area related sound power level of this vertical area
perimeter of the duct in meters and ␣ is the mean
source at the opening is
absorption coefficient of the surfaces inside the
⬙ = LW
LW ⬘ − C1 共11兲 duct—default value 0.1.
If walls and ceiling inside the tunnel are covered
L⬘W is the length related sound power level of all traffic with absorption material at a given length behind the
lines in the tunnel according to Eqn. (9) and C1 is a opening, the emission is reduced by a correction C2,
correction that can be taken from Fig. 22 or calculated that can be taken from Fig. 23. These values have been
with Eqn. (12). In Fig. 22 two typical cross sections of derived from the calculations with results shown in
the tunnel are taken into account. Figs. 8 and 9.
10 horizontal
8
6
directivity correction DI'
4 31,5 Hz
63 Hz
2
125 Hz
0 250 Hz
500 Hz
-2
1000 Hz
-4 2000 Hz
-6 4000 Hz
-8
-10
-12
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
angle (degree)
Directivity correction dB
6
Walls of tunnelmouth covered with absorption
4
2
0
-2
Two roads in separate ducts
-4 Walls of tunnelmouth reflecting
-6
-8
-10
0 15 30 45 60 75 90
Angle to axis (degree)
Fig. 21—Railway tunnel with one duct and road Fig. 24—Directivity correction D of the source
tunnel with two ducts. “tunnel opening”.
The two curves in Fig. 23 are again related to the two D = 0.115 · + 3.08 dB 共14兲
typical cross sections of the tunnel. If absorption is
If tunnel walls and ceiling are covered with absorption
applied, Eqn. (13) is used instead of Eqn. (11).
material behind the tunnel opening this correction is
D = 0.165 · + 6.95 dB 共15兲
⬙ = LW
LW ⬘ − C1 − C2 共13兲
is the angle between the axis of the tunnel and the
line from the center of the tunnel opening to the
Further the directivity of the radiation has to be taken receiver position. 共0 艋 艋 90° 兲. Equation (15) has been
into account. Two types of directivity are derived from developed using 100 m length of the absorbing section of
Figs. 11–18. the tunnel behind the opening and a value C2 of 9 dB.
If the tunnel is not treated with absorption, the direc- If less than 100 m length behind the tunnel opening is
tivity correction is treated with absorption and C2 is determined using Fig.
23 and applied in Eqn. (13), the following expression—an
10 interpolation of Eqns. (14) and (15)—should be used.
8 D = − 0.115 · − 5.55 · 103 · C2 · + 0.43 · C2 + 3.08
20 m x 6 m
共16兲
6
C1 in dB