2001 WisDOT Specifications - Construction Note

For the past several years, Marquette University has been conducting a research study for WisDOT on tining patterns to reduce the objectionable tire/pavement whine. During the research study, WisDOT issued Construction Notes to implement the interim results of the research rather than tine the pavement according to Subsection 415.5.9.6.3 of the Standard Specifications. In the completed study, Marquette University has determined that a skewed, randomly spaced, transversely tined surface results in the lowest levels of pavement whine while retaining the favorable friction characteristics achieved under the current specifications. The overall noise level is not reduced by skewed randomly tined surfaces. The research study wasn’t completed in time to include the recommended tining requirements in the bidding documents for 2001 construction projects. However, Wisconsin Concrete Pavement Association (WCPA) members are aware of the findings of the research study. All WCPA member contractors are intending to use the randomly spaced tining rake, meeting the study recommendations, during the 2001 construction season. Therefore, WisDOT is implementing the research study recommendations on randomly spaced rake for the 2001 construction season with this Construction Note

Noise suppression by noise

We have analyzed the interplay between an externally added noise and the intrinsic noise of systems that relax fast towards a stationary state, and found that increasing the intensity of the external noise can reduce the total noise of the system. We have established a general criterion for the appearance of this phenomenon and discussed two examples in detail.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Life Monza: project description and actions’ updating

The introduction of Low Emission Zones, urban areas subject to road traffic restrictions in order to ensure compliance with the air pollutants limit values set by the European Directive on ambient air quality (2008/50/EC), is a common and well-established action in the administrative government of cities. The impacts on air quality improvement are widely analysed, whereas the effects and benefits concerning the noise have not been addressed in a comprehensive manner. As a consequence, the definition, the criteria for the analysis and the management methods of a Noise Low Emission Zone are not clearly expressed and shared yet. The LIFE MONZA project (Methodologies fOr Noise low emission Zones introduction And management - LIFE15 ENV/IT/000586) addresses these issues. The first objective of the project, co-funded by the European Commission, is to introduce an easy-replicable method for the identification and the management of the Noise Low Emission Zone, an urban area subject to traffic restrictions, whose impacts and benefits regarding noise issues will be analyzed and tested in the pilot area of the city of Monza, located in Northern Italy. Background conditions, structure, objectives of the project and actions’ progress will be discussed in this article

LIFE+2010 QUADMAP Project: results obtained from the analysis of data collected during the application of the new methodology to the pilot quiet areas

Since the 90s, quiet areas have commonly been considered as places to be acoustically preserved or where acoustic interventions should be implemented to reduce noise levels. With the enforcement of the Environmental Noise Directive in 2002, a formal definition of a ‘quiet area in agglomeration’ and a ‘quiet area in open country’ was established. However, many Member States complained about the absence of guidelines regarding the identification and management of quiet areas. The LIFE QUiet Areas Definition and Management in Action Plans (QUADMAP) project started in 2011 to contribute to the Directive’s incomplete requirements for quiet areas. The project’s main result has been the introduction of a flexible methodology for the selection, analysis and management of quiet areas in agglomeration in which both acoustic and nonacoustic parameters are evaluated. The current paper illustrates the analyses carried out on the data collected during the application of the selection, analysis and management phases of the developed methodology in the different pilot cases selected during the Project. Mentioned analysis are aimed at verifying the benefits of the proposed complementary selection criteria (‘relative quiet urban areas’ identification criteria and ‘homogeneous urban areas’ subdivision criteria), at defining the measurement periods most representative of the areas and the acoustic and nonacoustic parameters to be considered as the most significant.The authors would like to thank all who sustained this research, specifically the European Commission for its financial contribution to the QUADMAP project into the LIFE+2010 Programme

Statistical Power Supply Dynamic Noise Prediction in Hierarchical Power Grid and Package Networks

One of the most crucial high performance systems-on-chip design challenge is to front their power supply noise sufferance due to high frequencies, huge number of functional blocks and technology scaling down. Marking a difference from traditional post physical-design static voltage drop analysis, /a priori dynamic voltage drop/evaluation is the focus of this work. It takes into account transient currents and on-chip and package /RLC/ parasitics while exploring the power grid design solution space: Design countermeasures can be thus early defined and long post physical-design verification cycles can be shortened. As shown by an extensive set of results, a carefully extracted and modular grid library assures realistic evaluation of parasitics impact on noise and facilitates the power network construction; furthermore statistical analysis guarantees a correct current envelope evaluation and Spice simulations endorse reliable result

Low-Noise and High-Efficiency Near-IR SPADs in 110nm CIS Technology

Photon detection at longer wavelengths is much desired for LiDAR applications. Silicon photodiodes with deeper junctions and larger multiplication regions are in principle more sensitive to near-IR photons. This paper presents the complete electro-optical characterization of a P-well/ Deep N-well singlephoton avalanche diodes integrated in 110nm CMOS image sensor technology. The performance of time-of-flight image sensors is determined by the characteristics of the individual SPADs. In order to fully characterize this technology, devices with various sizes, shapes and guard ring widths have been fabricated and tested. The measured mean breakdown voltage is of 18V. The proposed structure has 0.4Hz/µm 2 dark count rate, 0.5% afterpulsing, 188ps FWHM (total) jitter and around 10% photon detection probability at 850nm wavelength. All figures have been measured at 3V excess voltage.Office of Naval Research (USA) N000141912156Junta de Andalucía P12-TIC 2338Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad RTI2018-097088-B-C3

Noise reduction of dental drill noise

Dental drills produce a characteristic noise that is uncomfortable for patients and is also known to be harmful to dentists under prolonged exposure. It is therefore desirable to protect the patient and dentist whilst allowing two-way communication, which will require a headphone - type system. Re-establishing good communication between the dentist and patient will be achieved through a combination of three noise cancellation technologies, namely, Passive Noise Control (PNC), Adaptive Filtering (AF) and Active Noise Control (ANC). This paper describes how far a test-rig has been developed to achieve sufficient noise reduction that the uncomfortable noise can no longer be heard