Efficacy evaluation of low-emission asphalts in port areas using the CPX and CPB method

Passenger and freight road traffic related to port activities are among the main road sources in port areas, together with ship noise and dockside operations. INTERREG Maritime financed projects for improving the knowledge of port noise: REPORT developed simulation models and guidelines for noise evaluation and control strategies, then applied for mapping noise in various ports of the projects; MON ACUMEN installed continuous noise monitoring units; RUMBLE applied noise mitigation actions. Low-emission asphalts were laid in the Italian ports of Portoferraio (LI) and Cagliari, and in the French ports of Bastia and Ile Rousse. The present work evaluates the effectiveness of these acoustic interventions by comparing the results of measurement campaigns carried out before and after the laying. The measurements were carried out using both the CPX methodology, which evaluates the tyre/pavement noise emission, and the CPB methodology, which is based on the acquisition of the noise levels produced on the roadside by the passage of the test vehicle on the investigated pavement. Since the two tests were performed simultaneously with the same vehicle, these measurements provide a good estimate of the efficacy of the low-noise pavements in a port environment.