Abstract
This study explores the noise reducing effect of a balcony and describes
the development of a simple theory pertaining to the propagation
of traffic noise from a road into a balcony. A new methodology is
proposed that is based on the well-known prediction scheme—“Calculation
of Road Traffic Noise” (CRTN)—developed in the UK. A geometrical
ray theory is developed for the prediction of noise levels inside
a balcony due to road traffic. The source level of road traffic noise
is obtained as per the standard CRTN methodology. However, road sub-segmentations
and new approaches for the prediction of noise levels at illuminated
and shadow zones inside a balcony are proposed. Field measurements
have been conducted on four different types of balcony to validate
the proposed methodology. The insertion loss, defined as the difference
in the noise levels with and without the presence of a balcony, has
been used to assess the shielding effectiveness of a balcony against
road traffic noise. The simple theory is validated by outdoor field
measurements. It is also found that a properly designed balcony can
provide considerable screening effects in protecting dwellings against
road traffic noise.
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