Study on Prediction Models of Shinkansen Railway Noise at Cuttings

In Japan, environmental controls for the wayside noise of Shinkansen railway lines have been needed for a strong social demand. In order to apply appropriate countermeasures for the railway noise, it is necessary to develop prediction models of the railway noise applicable for various locations including cuttings. However, the environmental problem related to the railway noise at the cuttings has not been discussed widely in Japan. This paper introduces a prediction scheme for determining the railway noise at cuttings. In order to make the model adequate for prediction at the cuttings, the vertical directivity pattern of a train pass-by is investigated through both a field measurement and a scale-model test. Then, the distributions of the sound pressure level around the cuttings are examined by acoustic experiments with a scale model. By combining the acoustic behaviors obtained through the experiments, the noise prediction model is presented and validated.