Annex 3

(Art. 40 para. 1)

Exposure Limit Values for Road Traffic Noise

1 Scope

The exposure limit values specified in Number 2 apply to road traffic noise. This includes noise on roads from motor vehicles (motor vehicle noise) and railways (railway noise).

2 Exposure limit values

3 Determination of the Rating Sound Level

31 Principles

¹The rating sound level Lr for road traffic noise is determined from the partial rating sound levels for motor vehicle noise (Lr1) and railway noise (Lr2) as follows:

Lr = 10 ⋅ log (10^{0,1 Lr1}+10^{0,1 Lr2})

²The partial rating sound level Lr1 is the sum of the equivalent continuous A‑weighted sound level Leq,m resulting from motor vehicles, and the level correction K1:

Lr1 = Leq,m + K1

³The partial rating sound level Lr2 is the sum of the equivalent continuous A‑weighted sound level Leq,b resulting from the railways, and the level correction K2:

Lr2 = Leq,b + K2

⁴The partial rating sound levels Lr1 and Lr2 are determined for average day and night traffic flows assuming a dry road surface.

32 Average Day and Night Traffic

¹The average day and night traffic is defined as the annual average of the hourly traffic between 06 and 22 hours and between 22 and 06 hours.

²The hourly motor vehicle traffic during the day (Nt) and at night (Nn) are each divided into two partial traffic flows, Nt1 and Nt2, and Nn1 and Nn2, respectively.

³The partial traffic flows Nt1 and Nn1 for motor vehicle traffic include private cars, delivery vehicles, minibuses, motorcycles and trolley buses.

⁴The partial traffic flows Nt2 and Nn2 for motor vehicle traffic comprise lorries, articulated lorries, coaches, motorcycles and tractors.

⁵Railway traffic comprises all scheduled and non-scheduled trains, including service journeys.

33 Determination of Average Day and Night Motor Vehicle Traffic

¹The average day and night traffic (Nt, Nn) and the partial traffic flows (Nt1, Nt2, Nn1, Nn2) are determined: from traffic surveys for existing roads; from forecasts of traffic volume for roads which are to be built or modified.

²Where insufficient data is available from traffic surveys, or no detailed forecasts exist, the traffic flows Nt, Nn, Nt1, Nt2, Nn1 and Nn2 are calculated from the average daily traffic (ADT; vehicles per 24 h) as follows:

Nt     =    0.058 ⋅ ADT Nn     =    0.009 ⋅ ADT

Nt1   =    0.90 ⋅ Nt Nn1   =    0.95 ⋅ Nn

Nt2   =    0.10 ⋅ Nt Nn2   =    0.05 ⋅ Nn

³The ADT is determined according to the recognised principles of traffic planning and traffic technology.

34 Determination of the Average Day and Night Traffic for Railways

The average day and night traffic for railways is determined: from the timetable and traffic data for existing railway installations; from traffic volume forecasts for railway installations which are to be built or modified.

35 Level Corrections

¹The level correction K1 for motor vehicle noise is calculated as follows from the average day and night traffic:

K1   =   –5 for N < 31.6

K1   =   10 ⋅ log(N/100) for 31.6 ≤ N ≤ 100

K1   =     0 for N > 100

Here, N stands for the hourly motor vehicle traffic Nt or Nn.

²The K2 level correction for railway noise is equal to -5. For screeching railway noise that occurs frequently and is clearly audible, the K2 level correction is equal to 0.