Assessment of the RLS 90 calculation method for predicting road traffic noise in Colombian conditions

Abstract

This paper presents an evaluation of the German standard RLS 90 (Richtlinien für den Lärmschutz an Straben) for the estimation of noise levels produced by the traffic flow in Colombian conditions. For this, environmental noise measurements and relevant information required to simulate road noise were taken in two different areas of the City of Medellín. From the collected data, simulations were performed using the commercial package SoundPLAN. The influence of the input data on the accuracy of the noise levels was assessed by means of the total expanded uncertainty of the noise maps. Furthermore, RLS 90 was compared with an alternative approach based on interpolation methods. The results indicate that the use of RLS 90 allows noise levels to be predicted with good precision in areas where road noise predominates. Compared to the interpolation approach, it lets greater accuracy in the output data. Lastly, regarding the input data, the outcomes suggest that the variables related to the source characterization have the highest impact in the uncertainty of the simulation.