UNIPI Team Leader: Prof. Pietro Leandri, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Industriale

Noise pollution is a growing environmental concern. The Environmental Noise Directive requires the adoption of action plans to prevent and reduce environmental noise. Urban noise is, in fact, one of the main problems reported by citizens, and the World Health Organisation has repeatedly pointed out the health risks associated with exposure to noise. One of the most popular solutions for mitigating noise pollution in urban areas is the use of porous asphalt pavements that are soundproofed.

The overall LIFE NEREiDE objective is to demonstrate the use of new porous asphalt pavements and low noise surfaces made of recycled asphalt from pavements and particles of rubber from scrap tyres. 

These materials will be mixed with binders to produce pavements with the following specific benefits: 

• A reduction in the disposal of waste materials, by using recycled materials, and a reduction in the use of new materials in line with the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe;
• Improved sound performance compared with material currently available;
• Improved safety in urban areas by good textured surfaces and improve drainage; and
• Less air pollution through the improved laying of asphalt.

The new pavements will be laid in two selected urban areas in Tuscany and tested with innovative device for measuring absorption. The effectiveness of the new surfaces will be evaluated by measuring surface characteristics and acoustic properties and by taking user surveys. A secondary objective is to develop new techniques for monitoring performances of the new pavements in order to improve the reliability of results. The effectiveness of the new asphalts will be monitored with reference to the response to noise before and after the tests.

The tests will lead to the development of specific guidelines to be used by road authorities in preparing specifications for the construction of new porous asphalt, low-noise and low-carbon footprint surfaces. Guidelines will be developed in order to upgrade and to improve the methods currently available for assessing the effectiveness of low-noise surfaces in urban areas.

Coordinator:

Università di Pisa, Italy

Partners:

•  Regione Toscana, Italy
• ECOPNEUS, Italy
• Istituto di Acustica e Sensoristica "Orso Mario Corbino" (CNR-IDASC)
• Italy Belgian Road Research Centre (BRRC), Belgium
• ARPAT-Agenzia regionale per la Protezione Ambientale della Toscana, Italy

Start date: 01/09/2016

End date: 31/03/2020

Project cost: 2.764.673 €

EU Contribution: 1.118.799 €

Project website: http://www.nereideproject.eu/it