Noise mapping and acoustic evaluation of different pavements in the city of Fortaleza, northeast Brazil.

The Climate Action Plan developed by the Brazilian city of Fortaleza has encouraged active mobility aiming pedestrians' prioritization, thermal and drainage benefits, which has led to replacement of Asphalt Concrete (AC) surface layers by Interlocking Concrete Pavers (ICP) and Porous Friction Course (PFC). This work aims to evaluate the impact of these infrastructure changes on environmental noise levels. As a case study, 25 measurements on an urban avenue were made in 6 road sections with AC, ICP and PFC pavement surfaces. It was modeled in CADNA-A software and some scenarios with different traffic conditions were compared. The results showed that the use of PFC led to a noise attenuation of 3 dB(A) in LAeq when compared to AC. A reduction in the maximum speed limit from 60 kmph to 50 kmph led to a noise attenuation of 1.2 dB(A). In the section with ICP, measured data showed reduction in speed and traffic flow when compared to other pavements. Thus, despite the higher tire/road noise caused by the ICP, its application on urban roads led to a similar LAeq. The authors conclude that the application of these alternative pavements, when accompanied by traffic calming strategies, can reduce road traffic noise.