SOPRANOISE: EU Research on new techniques to characterize Noise Barriers acoustic performances

SOPRANOISE (Securing and Optimizing the Performance of Road traffic noise barriers with New methOds and In- Situ Evaluation) is a new European research targeting the in-situ intrinsic acoustic performances of noise barriers, whatever those barriers are placed along roads or along railway tracks. Even if the European (CEN) standards EN1793-5 and EN1793-6 have been initially drafted for product certification, they also shown their ability to measure, to some extent, the in-situ intrinsic sound absorption and airborne sound insulation of noise barriers. However, there is still interest / need to simplify their use alongside roads and railway tracks. SOPRANOISE will update the State Of the Art about today in-situ methods, their significance and their accuracy to characterize the noise barriers intrinsic acoustic performances, as well as their ability to be used in a quick and safe manner. Investigations will start from the easiest in-situ inspection methods up to future improved versions of the existing EN1793-5 and EN1793-6. In- between, there is a gap for simplified and safe methods: SOPRANOISE aims to define the right methods for the right levels of decision, from the simplest to the most accurate characterization. This research is funded by CEDR and is scheduled from December 2019 until November 2021.