Durability and variability of the acoustical performance of rubberized road surfaces

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Parameters affecting noise emitted by ships moving in port areas

Only recently has noise been considered in the assessment of the sustainability of port infrastructures, after decades of unawareness. INTERREG Maritime projects unveiled problems that have been neglected so far, such as the lack of proper regulation and noise exposure assessments for citizens. While it is true that a port area includes a huge variety of possible noise sources, very few of them have been characterized from an acoustical point of view. INTERREG projects have boosted research in the field, and previous studies have dealt with noise produced by moving ships in ports. The present work starts from a previous measurement campaign used to obtain broadband and 1/3-octave-band noise emissions of moving ships, and it aims to explain their uncertainties. More than a month’s worth of continuous acoustic measurements and video recordings were deeply analyzed in order to obtain an input database that is as precise as possible. A multiple regression analysis was performed in order to understand the influence that parameters such as minimum distance, speed, and draught have on ships’ noise emissions, which were calculated using pass-by measurements, with a special focus on ferries. The minimum distance of each ship’s passage from the microphone was measured using a video recording with an innovative methodology, providing results with 3 m of uncertainty. Knowing which parameter is more influential would help in planning proper measurements for monitoring or for drafting correct guidelines. Draught was determined to be uninfluential in ferries’ noise emissions, while the minimum distance and speed relations were estimated and accounted for in the calculation of a refined sound power level. From a spectrum point of view, the frequencies from 500 Hz to 2.5 kHz were determined to be those that contributed the most to the noise produced by the transit of a ship, and they vary with speed. With the studied corrections, different ferry models resulted in similar noise emissions. The standard deviation of noise emitted was reduced by 0.5 dB (A), and the average was also improved by positioning the ships’ flow at the correct average minimum distance. Furthermore, the right placement of a source is also important in the acoustic mapping phase for a correct evaluation of the propagation of noise at a distance. The use of more precise input data is important for improving the output of acoustic propagation models during the assessment of port noise in the surrounding areas

Pass-by characterization of noise emitted by different categories of seagoing ships in ports

In the light of sustainability, satisfactory living conditions is an important factor for people's positive feedback in their own living environment. Acoustic comfort and noise exposure should then be carefully monitored in all human settlements. Furthermore, it is already well-known that high or prolonged noise levels may lead to unwanted health effects. Unfortunately, while in the last decades scientists and public authorities have investigated the noise produced by roads, trains, and airports, not enough efforts have been spent in studying what happens around the coastal and port areas. Following the attention brought to the subject by recent European projects on noise in port areas, the present paper characterizes the sound power level and 1/3 octave band sound power spectrum of seagoing ships while moving at low speeds. Five different categories have been distinguished: Roll-on/roll-off (RORO), container ship, oil tanker, chemical tanker, and ferry. The analysis is based on a continuous noise measurement lasting more than three months, performed in the industrial canal of the port of Livorno (Italy). The resulting noise emissions are new and useful data that could be inserted in acoustic propagation models to properly assess the noise in the areas affected by port activities. Thus, the present work can act as a supporting tool in planning ship traffic in ports towards better sustainability

Stabilization of a p-u sensor mounted on a vehicle for measuring the acoustic impedance of road surfaces

The knowledge of the acoustic impedance of a material allows for the calculation of its acoustic absorption. Impedance can also be linked to structural and physical proprieties of materials. However, while the impedance of pavement samples in laboratory conditions can usually be measured with high accuracy using devices such as the impedance tube, complete in-situ evaluation results are less accurate than the laboratory results and is so time consuming that a full scale implementation of in-situ evaluations is practically impossible. Such a system could provide information on the homogeneity and the correct laying of an installation, which is proven to be directly linked to its acoustic emission properties. The present work studies the development of a measurement instrument which can be fastened through holding elements to a moving laboratory (i.e., a vehicle). This device overcomes the issues that afflict traditional in-situ measurements, such as the impossibility to perform a continuous spatial characterization of a given pavement in order to yield a direct evaluation of the surface’s quality. The instrumentation has been uncoupled from the vehicle’s frame with a system including a Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) controller, studied to maintain the system at a fixed distance from the ground and to reduce damping. The stabilization of this device and the measurement system itself are evaluated and compared to the traditional one

Source characterization guidelines for noise mapping of port areas

Maritime transport for both passengers and freight is continuously increasing and, consequently, the global attention toward its sustainability is growing. Ships offer advantages in terms of environmental impact compared to other transportation systems but the increasing traffic volume is expected to increase pollutants. Noise produced in port areas has been neglected for too long, until the INTERREG Maritime programme Italy-France 2014\u20132020 has brought to light how citizen complaints are emerging for some of the main ports in the Mediterranean. However, port noise prevention and management is difficult as knowledge on specific sources is very limited in the literature. Furthermore, on field measurements are difficult to be performed given the complexity of the port area, where multiple types of sound emitters mix and confuse each other. Noise maps represent the first important step in order to align ports to the requirements set by the Environmental Noise Directive to the transportation infrastructures. Once computed, they are an excellent tool supporting port management towards the reduction of citizens\u2019 noise exposure while ensuring traffic growth. The present paper reports a guideline for the characterization of noise sources needed as inputs for the noise maps, as developed in the framework of the INTERREG Maritime programme Italy-France 2014\u20132020. On the basis of the current state of the art, a procedure has been elaborated for different categories of noise sources acting in port, ranging from stationary to moving ships, from mooring operations to loading/unloading operations, from industrial activities to road and railway traffic

Airborne Sound Power Levels and Spectra of Noise Sources in Port Areas

Airborne port noise has historically suffered from a lack of regulatory assessment compared to other transport infrastructures. This has led to several complaints from citizens living in the urban areas surrounding ports, which is a very common situation, especially in countries facing the Mediterranean sea. Only in relatively recent years has an effort been made to improve this situation, which has resulted in a call for and financing of numerous international cooperation research projects, within the framework of programs such as EU FP7, H2020, ENPI-CBC MED, LIFE, and INTERREG. These projects dealt with issues and aspects of port noise, which is an intrinsically tangled problem, since several authorities and companies operate within the borders of ports, and several different noise sources are present at the same time. In addition, ship classification societies have recently recognized the problem and nowadays are developing procedures and voluntary notations to assess the airborne noise emission from marine vessels. The present work summarizes the recent results of research regarding port noise sources in order to provide a comprehensive database of sources that can be easily used, for example, as an input to the noise mapping phase, and can subsequently prevent citizens' exposure to noise

Effect of Tomato Peel Extract Grown under Drought Stress Condition in a Sarcopenia Model

Tomatoes and their derivates represent an important source of natural biologically active components. The present study aims to investigate the protective effect of tomato peel extracts, grown in normal (RED-Ctr) or in drought stress (RED-Ds) conditions, on an experimental model of sarcopenia. The phenolic profile and total polyphenols content (TPC) of RED-Ctr and RED-Ds were determined by Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) analyses coupled to electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (ESI-HR-MS). Human skeletal muscle myoblasts (HSMM) were differentiated in myotubes, and sarcopenia was induced by dexametha- sone (DEXA) treatment. Differentiation and sarcopenia were evaluated by both real-time PCR and immunofluorescent techniques. Data show that myosin heavy chain 2 (MYH2), troponin T (TNNT1), and miogenin (MYOG) were expressed in differentiated myotubes. 5 μg Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE/mL) of TPC from RED-Ds extract significantly reduced muscle atrophy induced by DEXA. Moreover, Forkhead BoxO1 (FOXO1) expression, involved in cell atrophy, was significantly decreased by RED-Ds extract. The protective effect of tomato peel extracts depended on their qualitative polyphenolic composition, resulting effectively in the in vitro model of sarcopenia

Classification of noise sources for port area noise mapping

Maritime transportation is recognized to have advantages in terms of environmental impact compared to other forms of transportation. However, an increment in traffic volumes will also produce an increase in noise emissions in the surroundings for a greener source, as ports are frequently surrounded by urban areas. When more sources or higher noise emissions are introduced, the noise exposure of citizens increases, and the likelihood of official complaints rises. As a consequence, among the most demanding aspects of port management is effective noise management aimed at a reduction in the exposure of citizens while ensuring the growth of maritime traffic. At the same time, the topic has not been thoroughly studied by the scientific community, mostly because port areas are challenging from a noise management point of view; they are often characterized by a high degree of complexity, both in terms of the number of different noise sources and their interaction with the other main transportation infrastructure. Therefore, an effective methodology of noise modeling of the port area is currently missing. With regard to the INTERREG Maritime Program, the present paper reports a first attempt to define noise mapping guidelines. On the basis of the current state-of-the-art and the authors’ experiences, noise sources inside port areas can be divided into several different categories: road sources, railway sources, ship sources, port sources, and industrial sources. A further subdivision can be achieved according to the working operation mode and position of the sources. This classification simplifies actions of identification of the responsible source from control bodies, in the case that noise limits are exceeded or citizen complaints arise. It also represents a necessary tool to identify the best placing of medium/long-term noise monitoring stations. The results also act as a base for a future definition of specific and targeted procedures for the acoustic characterization of port noise sources

Port noise impact and citizens' complaints evaluation in rumble and mon acumen interreg projects

After the publications of the European Environmental Noise Directive in 2002, many noise maps and action plans, as well as a consistent number of scientific papers, emerged for roads, railways, airports and industrial noise. Unfortunately, noise produced by ports in their surrounding areas seems to be forgotten at present, even though there could be many areas affected by it. Relevant attention from authorities and scientific community seems to be devoted to noise produced underwater for its interference with wildlife, rather than noise produced in the urban portion, that is causing disturbance and consequent complaints by some citizens. The INTERREG Maritime projects MON ACUMEN and RUMBLE aim to study noise originating from port activity in order to assess the currently unexplored situation and then identify solutions for a long-term environmental sustainability. More specifically, RUMBLE aims to effectively and efficiently implement small mitigation interventions, while MON ACUMEN will gather the preliminary knowledge on the issue of noise generated by ports. In this context, questionnaires submitted to north Tyrrhenian port authorities concerning the description of the port area, the present monitoring systems, the measurement campaigns and acoustics maps performed are discussed. Furthermore, by analyzing the citizen's complaints where present, the critical aspects of the analyzed ports will be studied © Proceedings of the 26th International Congress on Sound and Vibration, ICSV 2019. All rights reserved

A procedure for the assessment of wind turbine noise

The noise assessment at the receivers due to wind turbines in operation is usually performed through outdoor measurements. Background noise and wind turbines noise (WTN) are related to wind speed and both contribute to the overall measured noise levels (environmental noise). Nevertheless, the relation between noise and wind speed is not easily predictable, especially when the wind farms are installed in hilly terrains, where the wind shear is truly remarkable. In Italy and in other countries, this kind of assessment is even more difficult to perform due to the national regulations that require to compute the difference between environmental and background noise levels with the same weather conditions. Thus, to get a reliable and approved measure of the residual noise it would be necessary to turn off the wind farm. This work suggests a technical procedure to simultaneously estimate the immission and the residual noise components measured nearby a wind farm when the residual noise is mainly generated by wind. This allows the evaluation of the noise impact produced by operational wind farms, without requiring the farm shut down. The method aims to be fairly straightforward, thus maintaining the required scientific basis to be used as an assessment procedure by consultants and public bodies