Speaker
Description
BRISA, Portugal’s leading highway concessionaire, is committed to place sustainability at the core of its road infrastructure management, with a particular focus on mitigating traffic noise through efficient pavement management. In this context, BRISA has been investigating the acoustic impact of replacing end-of-life pavements, analysing both the immediate noise reduction and the long-term evolution of acoustic performance.To this end, tyre–road noise has been monitored on several motorway sections using Close-Proximity (CPX) and Statistical Pass-By (SPB) methods. Measurements were conducted prior to pavement renewal and repeated periodically after.The results show consistent reductions in traffic noise following pavement renewal. However, the acoustic performance does not evolve monotonically over time, exhibiting fluctuations as pavements age and their surface characteristics change.These findings highlight the need for further research on the relationship between pavement surface properties and acoustic behaviour throughout the pavement life cycle. The outcomes of this work aim to support the refinement of predictive noise models, including improvements to the CNOSSOS’ pavement database, and to contribute towards optimisation of both pavement design and maintenance strategies for reducing environmental noise, underscoring the critical role of pavement management in the development of quieter and more sustainable road networks.