This paper identifies tyre/road noise as a global environmental problem of greatest importance. It is a problem that is not yet under control; i.e., the noise exposure caused by tyre/road noise appears to increase with time. Since the road surface plays a major role in tyre/road noise generation, and also to some extent in its propagation, it has become important to establish standardized ways of quantifying the noise characteristics of road surfaces. Measurement methods for classification and other studies of road surfaces are explained in this paper. The two most important, the Statistical Pass-By (SPB) and the Close-Proximity (CPX) methods, are presented and commented briefly. A couple of examples of measurement equipment are given. The paper, furthermore, mentions the major measurement problems and suggests how the measurement results may be applied practically. Finally, some recommendations are presented. For the covering abstract see ITRD E135448.
Abstract