Scale-model method for measuring noise reduction in residential buildings by vegetation

Abstract

This paper proposes an evaluation procedure using a scale model to assess the noise reduction effects of vegetated facades for sustainable urban building designs. The absorption coefficients of the scale-model materials were measured to fit the absorption characteristics of real vegetation. The ground impedance of asphalt was also measured to deduce the acoustical properties of ground surfaces and to select the ground material. To assess the reduction of road traffic noise, a line source for a 1:10 scale model was modelled using ribbon tweeters that generated high frequencies ranging from 1 kHz to 40 kHz. Accordingly, the effects of adding vegetated facades were evaluated in the scale model of a street canyon. The noise reduction due to the vegetated facades was less than 2 dB at pedestrian level in a two-lane street canyon. The scale model results were compared with geometric computer simulation results, and both evaluation methods showed similar results. The suggested modelling method can be useful for evaluating the noise reduction in street canyons by vegetation considering realistic features such as the absorption, scattering, and diffraction associated with the materials and sound sources according to the shape of the vegetation.