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NCHRP Research Report 1107 |
National |
Effective Low-Noise Rumble Strips
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2024 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*
OFFICERS
CHAIR: Carol A. Lewis, Professor, Transportation Studies, Texas Southern University, Houston
VICE CHAIR: Leslie S. Richards, General Manager, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Victoria Sheehan, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC
MEMBERS
Michael F. Ableson, CEO, Arrival Automotive–North America, Detroit, MI
James F. Albaugh, President and CEO, The Boeing Company (retired), Scottsdale, AZ
Carlos M. Braceras, Executive Director, Utah Department of Transportation, Salt Lake City
Douglas C. Ceva, Vice President, Customer Lead Solutions, Prologis, Inc., Jupiter, FL
Nancy Daubenberger, Commissioner of Transportation, Minnesota Department of Transportation, St. Paul
Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, New York State Department of Transportation, Albany
Garrett Eucalitto, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Newington
Chris T. Hendrickson, Hamerschlag University Professor of Engineering Emeritus, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Randell Iwasaki, President and CEO, Iwasaki Consulting Services, Walnut Creek, CA
Ashby Johnson, Executive Director, Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), Austin, TX
Joel M. Jundt, Secretary of Transportation, South Dakota Department of Transportation, Pierre
Hani S. Mahmassani, W.A. Patterson Distinguished Chair in Transportation; Director, Transportation Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Scott C. Marler, Director, Iowa Department of Transportation, Ames
Ricardo Martinez, Adjunct Professor of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Decatur, GA
Michael R. McClellan, Vice President, Strategic Planning, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Norfolk, VA
Russell McMurry, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Transportation, Atlanta
Craig E. Philip, Research Professor and Director, VECTOR, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Steward T.A. Pickett, Distinguished Senior Scientist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY
Susan A. Shaheen, Professor and Co-director, Transportation Sustainability Research Center, University of California, Berkeley
Marc Williams, Executive Director, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
Michael R. Berube, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC
Shailen Bhatt, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC
Amit Bose, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, Washington, DC
Tristan Brown, Deputy Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC
Steven Cliff, Executive Officer, California Air Resources Board, Sacramento
Rand Ghayad, Senior Vice President, Association of American Railroads, Washington, DC
LeRoy Gishi, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Germantown, MD
William H. Graham, Jr. (Major General, U.S. Army), Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC
Robert C. Hampshire, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC
Sue Lawless, Acting Deputy Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Washington, DC
Niloo Parvashtiani, Engineer, Mobility Consultant Solutions, Iteris Inc., Fairfax, VA, and Chair, TRB Young Members Coordinating Council
Sophie Shulman, Acting Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, DC
Karl Simon, Director, Transportation and Climate Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC
Paul P. Skoutelas, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
Polly Trottenberg, Deputy Secretary of Transportation and Acting Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC
Jim Tymon, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC
Veronica Vanterpool, Acting Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Washington, DC
___________________
* Membership as of May 2024.
NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM
NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 1107
Effective Low-Noise Rumble Strips
Paul R. Donavan
Carrie J. Janello
ILLINGWORTH & RODKIN, INC.
Cotati, CA
Judith Rochat
Shannon McKenna
CROSS-SPECTRUM ACOUSTICS, INC.
Pasadena, CA
Subscriber Categories
Design • Pavements • Safety and Human Factors
Research sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration
NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM
Systematic, well-designed, and implementable research is the most effective way to solve many problems facing state departments of transportation (DOTs) administrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local or regional interest and can best be studied by state DOTs individually or in cooperation with their state universities and others. However, the accelerating growth of highway transportation results in increasingly complex problems of wide interest to highway authorities. These problems are best studied through a coordinated program of cooperative research.
Recognizing this need, the leadership of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in 1962 initiated an objective national highway research program using modern scientific techniques—the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). NCHRP is supported on a continuing basis by funds from participating member states of AASHTO and receives the full cooperation and support of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), United States Department of Transportation, under Agreement No. 693JJ31950003.
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine was requested by AASHTO to administer the research program because of TRB’s recognized objectivity and understanding of modern research practices. TRB is uniquely suited for this purpose for many reasons: TRB maintains an extensive committee structure from which authorities on any highway transportation subject may be drawn; TRB possesses avenues of communications and cooperation with federal, state, and local governmental agencies, universities, and industry; TRB’s relationship to the National Academies is an insurance of objectivity; and TRB maintains a full-time staff of specialists in highway transportation matters to bring the findings of research directly to those in a position to use them.
The program is developed on the basis of research needs identified by chief administrators and other staff of the highway and transportation departments, by committees of AASHTO, and by the FHWA. Topics of the highest merit are selected by the AASHTO Special Committee on Research and Innovation (R&I), and each year R&I’s recommendations are proposed to the AASHTO Board of Directors and the National Academies. Research projects to address these topics are defined by NCHRP, and qualified research agencies are selected from submitted proposals. Administration and surveillance of research contracts are the responsibilities of the National Academies and TRB.
The needs for highway research are many, and NCHRP can make significant contributions to solving highway transportation problems of mutual concern to many responsible groups. The program, however, is intended to complement, rather than to substitute for or duplicate, other highway research programs.
NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 1107
Project 15-68(01)
ISSN 2572-3766 (Print)
ISSN 2572-3774 (Online)
ISBN 978-0-309-70988-0
Library of Congress Control Number 2024938890
© 2024 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the graphical logo are trademarks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein.
Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, APTA, FAA, FHWA, FTA, GHSA, or NHTSA endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP.
Cover photo: A mid-size SUV test vehicle operating on shoulder sinusoidal rumble strips in Northern California on Highway US 101 as part of developing the test procedure for standardizing measurements. Image courtesy of the project research team.
NOTICE
The research report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; the FHWA; or the program sponsors.
The Transportation Research Board does not develop, issue, or publish standards or specifications. The Transportation Research Board manages applied research projects which provide the scientific foundation that may be used by Transportation Research Board sponsors, industry associations, or other organizations as the basis for revised practices, procedures, or specifications.
The Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and the sponsors of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names or logos appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report.
Published research reports of the
NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM
are available from
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500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360
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and can be ordered through the Internet by going to
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Printed in the United States of America
The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. John L. Anderson is president.
The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president.
The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine.
Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.
The Transportation Research Board is one of seven major program divisions of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to mobilize expertise, experience, and knowledge to anticipate and solve complex transportation-related challenges. The Board’s varied activities annually engage about 8,500 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation.
Learn more about the Transportation Research Board at www.TRB.org.
COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS
CRP STAFF FOR NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 1107
Waseem Dekelbab, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs, and Manager, National Cooperative Highway Research Program
Christopher McKenney, Senior Program Officer
Sheila A. Moore, Program Associate
Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications
Heather DiAngelis, Associate Director of Publications
Alison Shapiro, Editor
NCHRP PROJECT 15-68(01) PANEL
Field of Design—Area of General Design
Mary K. Bramble, Michigan Department of Transportation, Lansing, MI (Chair)
Ed E. Cashman, HNTB Corporation, Detroit, MI
Ahmed A. El-Aassar, Gannett Fleming, Inc., Leesburg, VA
Kenneth Donel Polcak, Maryland State Highway Administration, Baltimore, MD
David Sheen, Hennepin County, Medina, MN
Raghavan Srinivasan, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Richard A. Cunard, TRB Liaison (retired)
AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research was performed under NCHRP Project 15-68(01) by Illingworth & Rodkin, Inc (I&R). Dr. Paul R. Donavan, Principal Consultant at I&R was the Principal Investigator. Contributing authors to this report were Dr. Donavan and Carrie Janello of I&R and Judy Rochat and Shannon McKenna of Cross-Spectrum Acoustics, Inc. Roberto Della Neve of ATS Consulting also participated in the data collection.
FOREWORD
By Christopher McKenney
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board
NCHRP Research Report 1107 presents a state-of-the-art update to rumble strip designs to improve vibration noise generated by rumble strips. The development of this update was based on comprehensive field and laboratory investigations. This report will be of immediate interest to roadway design and pavement engineers.
Rumble strips are proven safety countermeasures for roadway departure crashes as they produce vibration and noise to alert drivers that they are drifting from the travel lane. Neighborhoods that are near roadways with rumble strips often produce complaints about the noise generated by the rumble strips. This issue has prompted a need to simultaneously study noise mitigation and rumble strip design and application. Preliminary studies by state departments of transportation (DOTs) indicate significant potential for sinusoidal rumble strips to provide adequate alerting noise and vibration for the driver while significantly reducing exterior noise. While NCHRP Report 641: Guidance for the Design and Application of Shoulder and Centerline Rumble Strips showed commendable crash reductions for traditional milled rumble strips, with dimensions of approximately 7 × 12 inches and ½-inch depth, other designs have been used extensively by several state DOTs to address pavement width or bicycle accommodation issues without documentation of their comparative safety effects or noise impacts. Other states are exploring the effectiveness and appropriateness of various low-noise designs (e.g., varying widths, depths, and shapes).
While there have been a few independent studies of the noise associated with various rumble strip designs, these studies are difficult to compare (e.g., different vehicle types, acoustical equipment and procedures, and rumble strip designs). Due to the scope of the issue, expertise from both transportation safety and noise professionals is required to study noise generated by rumble strips. Providing state, local, and federal agencies with suggestions for rumble strip designs that offer adequate alerting driver feedback and reduced external noise could potentially increase their use and expand opportunities for agencies to reach safety performance goals.
Under NCHRP Project 15-68(01), “Effective Low-Noise Rumble Strips,” Illingworth & Rodkin, Inc. was asked to (1) identify or design and evaluate alternative rumble strips that provide effective alerting noise and vibration within vehicles and minimize perceived external noise while considering several variables (e.g., vehicle types, pavement types, and speed), (2) propose low-noise rumble strip designs that accommodate all users, and (3) develop suggestions for standard testing and measurement protocols.
Appendices A through E and a final presentation are supplemental to this report and can be found on the National Academies Press website (nap.nationalacademies.org) by searching for NCHRP Research Report 1107: Effective Low-Noise Rumble Strips.
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CONTENTS
Previous Research and Current Practice
Chapter 2 Research Approach and Measurement Procedures
Preliminary Procedures, Measurements, and Result
Results of Preliminary Testing
Preliminary Test Procedure Suggestions
Chapter 3 Evaluation of Existing Rumble Strips
Description of Indiana and Michigan Rumble Strips
Measurement Results at the Midwest Test Sites
Suggestions for Experimental Sinusoidal Rumble Strip Designs
Chapter 4 Evaluation of Experimental Rumble Strips
Test Sites and Installation of Sinusoidal Rumble Strips
Chapter 5 Suggested Effective Low-Noise Rumble Strips
Comparison of Interior Measurements
Comparison of Exterior Pass-By Measurements
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