National legal regulations and location of noise barriers along the Polish highway
Kinga Szopińska, Monika Balawejder, Artur Warchoł
Abstract
The construction of the highway requires research to indicate whether the new communication route will have a negative impact on the acoustic climate of the neighbouring areas. If the permissible noise level is exceeded, forms of acoustic protection should be introduced. In the last years, the permissible noise levels have been changed which has influenced the selection of noise barriers along highways. For the purpose of this research, the two sections of the Polish A4 highway (A and B) were selected. The aim was to check the possibility of using open databases for the preliminary assessment of exposure to road traffic noise in residential areas along highways. The results confirmed that the changing legal situation led to an inappropriate selection of noise barriers. Their effectiveness in Section A was 90% while in B it amounted for 4% only.