Groupe de travail dialogue de gestion

1
Acoustical classification and conformity
checking of road surfacesThe French General
Roads Directorates Opinion on the European
Standardization Process

• Guy Poirier / DGR
• 01/08/2006

2
Acoustical classification and conformity checking
of road surfaces

• Presentation plan
• State of knowledge and practice  
• Low-noise road surfacing techniques  
• Tyre/road Noise Measurement Methods
• Classification procedures
• Opportunity and feasibility of drafting European
  standards

3
State of knowledge and practice

• Low-noise road surfacing techniques
• particularly interesting on the acoustic level
• two major drawbacks today
• - degradation of acoustic performances while
  ageing
• - dispersion of acoustic performances

4
State of knowledge and practice

• Low-noise road surfacing techniques
• French regulation requires
• - compliance of maximum noise levels on frontage
  of buildings
• - no time limit, in situ measurements
• Mentioned drawbacks gt acoustic characteristics
  of surfaces not taken into consideration

5
State of knowledge and practice

• Tyre/road Noise Measurement Methods
• two measurement methods to be associated
• a (statistical) pass-by (SPB) measurement method
  
• standardized by ISO
• a close proximity (CPX) measurement method
• ISO standard in the development stage
  (difficulties)
• operating procedure developed by LCPC France

6
State of knowledge and practice

• Classification procedures
• several classification processes implemented in
  Europe
• remain to be tested and validated in the field
• experimental process in France
• - in collaboration with the road industry
• - testing stage

7
Opportunity and feasibility of drafting European
standards

• Necessity to improve the situation in order to
• communicate on correct scientific grounds
• objectively check the acoustic qualities of road
  surfaces and make comparisons
• Necessity to develop acoustical classification
  and conformity checking procedures
• gt inclusion of acoustic specifications in the
  contracts

8
Opportunity and feasibility of drafting European
standards

• Exigencies due to the French regulatory framework
• gt consistency with standards and evaluation and
  measurement methods of frontage noise.
• gt need to study acoustic ageing factors of road
  surfaces
• Objective proven and durable efficiency of
  low-noise surfaces

9
Opportunity and feasibility of drafting European
standards

• The European level is appropriate to
• carry out and coordinate the required
  experimentations
• promote the progress of knowledge
• launch necessary research programs (ageing
  factors...)
• standardize

10
European Standardization Process

• when will be the right time to launch this work ?
• methods must absolutely be experimented and
  validated by implementation in the field
• possible standards should be published with an
  experimental status
• gt make it possible to test the procedure for a
  few years
• gt legal stakes involved in public contracts
• Objectives gt easy to operate, not costly and
  reliable results

11
European Standardization Process

• Possible CEN Mandate
• What kind of mandate ?
• Based on which text or directive ?
• It should be devoted to the most useful aspects,
  and to those that have the best chances to
  succeed rapidly
• DGR would like the Commission to keep it informed
  and to be consulted on the contents of a project
  of a mandate

12

• Thank you for your attention!
• Guy Poirier
• Direction Générale des Routes
• Arche Sud
• 92055 La Défense Cedex
• guy.poirier_at_equipement.gouv.fr