Determination of the optimum conditions between road and building for highway noise control

Noise is a major cause of environmental pollution which nowadays affects adversely a large part of society thus many individuals. Therefore, as many people as possible must be made familiar with and the society must be made aware of it and necessary sanctions in the respective legislation must be in place as well. There are ongoing studies under the scope of action plans to control highway noise, which is the most prevalent source of noise in most of the residential areas. To decrease the burden falling on the shell in noise control is of course possible by controlling the noise before it reaches the structure's shell. In this respect the most effective and economical solution is to provide the required road-building distance (setback distance) in the planning stages according to the building's function on the residential scale. In cases where this distance is not provided, a noise barrier (walls) is one of the factors to be utilized. A review of the research conducted so far on the subject has showed that the studies on the subject generally focused on noise levels that should not be exceeded, and that the available studies on road - building distance, which might serve as base data for zoning plans to control noise, are scarce in literature. Therefore, the present thesis aims to "develop and recommend an approach to determine optimum distances between road and building to not exceed the acceptable noise levels". The hypothesis of the current study is that, "setback distances may be determined in future zoning plans for new settlement areas by taking into consideration the effect of noise". An approach was developed and recommended for the above hypothesis, and the method developed in line with the acceptances was tested with the help of cross-sectional noise maps to establish the validity of the hypothesis. The present study conducted for the above aim and hypothesis is comprised of four sections. Section 1 gives a summary of the literature, the objective of the thesis, and explains the hypothesis and utilities of the study. Section 2 contains a literature search about the subject. International and national sanctions for noise control in urban planning are investigated, and studies conducted on land use aiming at noise control at urban planning stage are analyzed in detail. Section 3 explains the approach recommended to determine optimum conditions for highway noise control in reference to road- building relationship. The conditions for such approach are presented by stages, which are acceptances regarding noise area and residential area, determination of optimum distances for non-barrier and barrier conditions, a comparison of non-barrier and barrier conditions, and an overall review. Section 4 deduces a conclusion and develops recommendations based on the findings. As a result, the study establishes minimum distances between road and building required to not exceed acceptable noise level for various conditions of highway noise levels, land slopes and soil reflectance, and deduces conclusions on noise barrier application for and changes in such distances. Further, outcomes attained for all different conditions were formulized to generalize them for specific conditions. The data attained as a result of the study is believed to serve as guidance for experts and architects during creating of zoning plans in urban planning and prove to be an important source date for zoning regulations for newly developing areas.