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About Questim

QUietness and Economics STimulate Infrastructure Management

Road traffic noise is regarded as a major concern for the quality of the environment and the health of people living close to roads. Although façade insulation and noise barriers can reduce indoor levels, low noise road surfaces have the potential to reduce outside noise levels without the costs and visual hindrance of barriers.

Road authorities in Europe, organized within CEDR, have combined financial resources to explore the durability and cost/benefit relations of these noise reducing surfaces and noise barriers and to develop schemes for implementing low noise surfaces in Pavement Management Systems. A consortium consisting of Aalto University from Finland, TRL from the United Kingdom and Müller-BBM from Germany, coordinated by M+ P from the Netherlands was awarded a research contract on the basis of their QUESTIM proposal.

QUESTIM objectives
It is the objective of this study to generate information on the aspects inhibiting wider application of low noise surfaces and innovative barrier designs in order to give these technologies a better implementation in the processes of planning, managing, building and maintaining roads. More specific:

1. It will supply NRAs with specific information and PMS-type instruments to integrate low noise surfaces and barriers in their task of managing the quality of their road network over longer periods and to manage the noise action plans emanating from the European Noise Directive.

2. It will support NRA’s in preventing the use of sub-optimal developments with respect to noise and sustainability.

3. It will enable NRAs to assess the benefits and the costs of their noise control strategies and to take account of source and propagation related measures when considering network maintenance. This information also has the potential to be taken into account in wider assessments associated with environment and safety.

The project final reports will become available mid 2014 and will be presented at the TRA in April 2014 in Paris.

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by Dr. Radut