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I was driving back from London on the M4 this morning, and delighted in driving a section of road somewhere around Swindon (iirc) that had been re-surfaced with a beautiful, black 'render'. It was so smooth, the car became instantly silent as it fairly glided over the mile (or so) of fresh motorway.
Wouldn't the whole of the UK benefit from such surfacing? If so, why is it only now being deployed in road building? Whatever the case, can we expect it to become the norm for road surfaces?
Ultimately, I would think that our quality of life would increase if road noise was universally reduced as it was for me this morning (however fleeting the experience!).
They're all like that for a short while but after a few thousand vehicles and the weather has taken effect it becomes like the rest.
Really? I honestly had no idea. I thought it was a different type of asphalt.
the quicker we get flying cars the better.
It USB and it is quite costly to lay and maintain, which is why they probably only lay it over short sections in noise sensitive areas.
They're all like that for a short while but after a few thousand vehicles and the weather has taken effect it becomes like the rest.
Nope. Plenty don't start like that and are rough to begin with. Quality varies a great deal.
Yup.
Ok so not all. 🙄
Unless there is some sort of new surface being used around the back of the Nation Wide.
There are quieter road surfaces available but they often cost more to install.
they're often porous and allow water to drain onto an impervious lower substrate that it then drains off (helps reduce spray as well)- the additional voids also allow for more sound absorbtion.
spraying a thin layer of tarmac over an old concrete surface is probably not going to reduce noise much 😉
The concrete road of the M27, laid during the oil crisis in the early 1970s, creates huge amounts of noise pollution. Thankfully, we only hear it in Bitterne when we get northerly to easterly winds.
Wouldn't the whole of the UK benefit from such surfacing? If so, why is it only now being deployed in road building? Whatever the case, can we expect it to become the norm for road surfaces?Ultimately, I would think that our quality of life would increase if road noise was universally reduced as it was for me this morning (however fleeting the experience!).
They can't afford to maintain the cheap stuff, so no chance I'm afraid. Pity.
Ultimately, I would think that our quality of life would increase if road noise was universally reduced as it was for me this morning (however fleeting the experience!).
A nice set of alloys with relatively low profile tyres seem to generate a lot of noise, but everyone picks them because who cares about anywhere you drive past.
The UK seems very poor at putting up sound barriers on bussy roads. The ones we do put up are rubish
Yep, because flying transport is reputed for its environmental credentials, silence and overall lack of nuisance to people. 😉the quicker we get flying cars the better.
lol. the flying cars demonstrated in the documentary 'Back to the Future 2' don't make any noise, powered by MrFusion, and that's powered by rubbish!
That quiet stuff is only effective at reducing noise for speeds over 50mph generally. which rules out most non motorway roads
I bet it's still quieter than the rough ass corrugated grit monstrosity of a resurface that they did outside my house last summer; went from a mildly potholed peaceful country road to a roaring rat run at a stroke. I swear the workmen were having bets on how could make the noisiest road surface 👿That quiet stuff is only effective at reducing noise for speeds over 50mph generally. which rules out most non motorway roads
The A50 between Blythe roundabout and Uttoxeter is made out of the loudest road material known to man. Several times over the years I have actually stopped my car to inspect the underside as I was certain something was trailing underneath the car and making a terrible racket against the road.
I've been saying for years that the motorway network should be turfed.
The A50 between Blythe roundabout and Uttoxeter is made out of the loudest road material known to man. Several times over the years I have actually stopped my car to inspect the underside as I was certain something was trailing underneath the car and making a terrible racket against the road.
It's the same on the M1 near Leeds - the concrete sections are awful. Near residential areas it changes to normal tarmac and difference is amazing.
It USB and it is quite costly to lay and maintain, which is why they probably only lay it over short sections in noise sensitive areas.
This. There are sections of the A1/M1 link road around Wetherby/Leeds that have the USB surface but it reverts to standard stuff when away from residential areas.
The quieter smoother stuff is definitely great at reducing noise at low speeds as well. About 1/4 mile of main road just round the corner from our house has recently been re-surfaced with some lovely smooth stuff (different composition entirely from the road it joins).
The difference in noise is massive as a car goes from new to old.. I almost shat myself on me bike as a car went from the new to the old at about 35-40mph! (the fact that it's a 20 zone is another matter for a different thread)
Go to Houston, Texas not Renfrewshire.
They use concrete slabs about 8m long. So on top of the noise of huge pick up and SUV tyres on the concrete, there is a constant, clunk-clunk as they pass over the joints.
It's ****ing awful!
We're getting the quiet stuff on the M62 where it passes about 400m from my house. The chap from The Highways Agency said that it would drop the sound level by 3dBA, the equivalent of the current surface at 800m.
spraying a thin layer of tarmac over an old concrete surface is probably not going to reduce noise much
Giving the concrete surface a light scabble and re-aligning the tamping marks/grooves to the direction of travel significantly reduces in car noise levels. The concrete section of A14 from Ipswich NE to Wherstead was treated a couple of years back and made a big difference.
I remember they did a section ( I think it was the M62 near Leeds) in a lovely smooth surface.
However when it rained it caused loads and loads of crashes
[i]a light scabble[/i]
I have no idea what this means but I'd like to think it's some sort of gentle tickle.
rumour has it that car sharing and better transport links can reduce road noise and maintenance costs as well as many other enviromental benefits
maybe we should just close them and find a better way?.
Close them to cars, erect a tunnel over the top and put up massive fans to blow cyclists along at 60mph. Awesome.
Of course it all needs to be done.
I also find buying less stuff reduces the number of lorries on the roads, rumour has it they can make a bit of a racket too!
Go to Houston, Texas not Renfrewshire.They use concrete slabs about 8m long. So on top of the noise of huge pick up and SUV tyres on the concrete, there is a constant, clunk-clunk as they pass over the joints.
It's **** awful!
It is entertaining watching them all bounce along on their jelly suspension though.
It's a thin surface course that is used for road surfacing nowadays. It's quiet to begin with until the bitumen coating wears off due to traffic and then the noise increases slightly. It's quiet and therefore popular with motorists and nearby residents, but until the coating wears off, it has a fairly poor skid resistance.
Highways Agency said that it would drop the sound level by 3dBA,
I hope it's more than that's barely noticeable and certainly not at that distance.
They have recently resurfaced a section between Brecon and Merthyr that used to make you think a wheel bearing had gone.
Concrete road between Abergavenny and Raglan needs just the right speed to get a pleasant rhythm.
I've often wondered why they don't just do the inside lane like this and leave the outer two to be progressively rougher/nosier to encourage people to stay in the inside... but that would be too logical.
A nice set of alloys with relatively low profile tyres seem to generate a lot of noise, but everyone picks them because who cares about anywhere you drive past.
Pretty much your average Beemer driver with low-profile run-flats and no repair kit. Maximises space in the piddly little boot that most of them have, meanwhile the cars have a harsh ride an make a hell of a racket on any surface that isn't perfect, or that new super-smooth Tarmac. 4-Series are the worst.
They tested that USB surface on a few stretches of the M4 between LLantrisant and Bridgend, they also test white line paint on a bit too.
The USB surface does indeed reduce noise significantly and reduces spray, but it breaks up at any hint of a freeze. The water it lets through to the surface below has a habit of freezing inside the tarmac splitting it open. Lasts about 2 years before a full resurface is needed, hence why they only use it in sensitive areas. It also is quite draggy so your fuel consumption will go up a bit too.
The better option is when you buy new tyres select ones with a low dB rating on the [url= http://www.blackcircles.com/general/tyre-labelling/tyre-label ]Tyre Label[/url]. It's something those pesky people in the EU powerhouses brought in. Yu can significantly reduce ambient noise that way.
They can't afford to maintain the cheap stuff, so no chance I'm afraid. Pity.
'They' is in fact 'we' and we can afford all sorts of things- we just need to be prepared to pay.
But 'we' prefer to pay less tax so that we can buy a better car then complain about the quality of the infrastructure we drive it on.