High-speed ground transportation noise and vibration impact assessment : final report /

This manual provides direction for the preparation of noise and vibration sections of environmental documents for mass transportation projects. The manual has been developed in the interest of promoting quality and uniformity in assessments. It is expected to be used by people associated with or affected by the urban transit industry, including Federal Transit Administration (FTA) staff, grant applicants, consultants and the general public. Each of these groups has an interest in noise/vibration assessment, but not all have the need for all the details of the process. Consequently, this manual has been prepared to serve readers with varying levels of technical background and interests. It sets forth the basic concepts, methods and procedures for documenting the extent and severity of noise impacts from transit projects.

During the past decade, high-speed railways have become one of the most advanced and fast-developing branches of transportation. Unfortunately, when train speeds increase, the intensity of railway-generated noise and vibration generally become higher, presenting major environmental problems. Since operating train speeds are gradually increasing in all countries and this trend is likely to continue in the future, the knowledge and understanding of possible noise and vibration effects is vital to undertake possible mitigation measures. Noise and vibration from high-speed trains is a definitive reference work on this subject covering the numerous theoretical and practical questions that need to be answered. This comprehensive new book provides the reader with the most recent experimental data, combining, informative illustrations and authoritative information. It represents in one volume the views of leading international experts on the problem of noise and vibration from high-speed trains and suggests possible ways of reducing its environmental impact.Noise and vibration from high-speed trains is essential reading for all scientists and engineers working on prediction and remediation of railway noise and vibration. It is written specifically for environmental consultants, local authorities and designers of new railway lines and will also be an invaluable reference tool for university students and anybody concerned with topical environmental issues.