An inland waterway traffic noise prediction model for environmental assessment in China

This paper aimed at proposing an inland waterway traffic noise prediction model for environmental assessment in China. The study was the first to predict inland waterway traffic noise levels considering water surface condition and absorption influence in China. The analysis results indicated that the inland waterway traffic noise exposure levels can be influenced by water surface. The model was developed based on the Germany Schall 03 model by adding the water surface condition and absorption correction terms to the governing equations. Results showed that the predicted noise levels by the developed model correlated well with the measurements. In addition, the developed model had higher precision compared with the existing models such as the Schall 03 model, the modified US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) model and the modified Germany Richtlinien fur den Larmschutz an Strasen (RLS 90) model. The proposed model can be utilized to assess inland waterway traffic noise exposure in China.