PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Noise pollution presents a significant environmental and climate challenge, with far-reaching impacts on public health and overall quality of life. In urban areas, this problem is particularly acute due to the simultaneous presence of multiple noise sources, including road traffic and railway activities, and dense populat
In the project area, located in a densely populated area of Muratella, near to Fiumicino Airport (Italy), noise pollution – which is a serious concern, affecting in particular a nearby hospital - primarily stems from road traffic and railway operations which result in elevated noise levels that consistently exceed the recommended limits prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO), with noise levels exceeding 55 decibels (dB(A)) during daytime hours.
Traditional noise barriers, while effective in some situations, have limitations in densely populated areas. Their installation can be visually intrusive, impacting the landscape and local air circulation, potentially leading to adverse environmental effects, including increased temperatures. Moreover, noise barriers may not always provide the desired noise reduction levels, especially when receivers are in close proximity to the noise source.
In the case of low noise pavements (LNPs), previous projects (LIFE NEREIDE, LIFE C-LOW-N, LIFE E-VIA, LIFE SNEAK, IASNAF) have demonstrated a reduction in noise levels in urban area: while LNPs can reduce noise by 3-5 dB, higher reductions have been achieved in some European projects. The critical issue has been maintaining their noise-reducing performance over time. LNPs have often demonstrated disappointing results in terms of durability, also raising sustainability concerns.
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE SILENT project aims to introduce innovative approaches to noise reduction specifically focusing on the development and implementation of low noise pavements (LNPs) for roadways and low-height noise barriers for railways. The novel solutions aim to strike a balance between noise reduction, environmental footprint, durability and sustainability, and cost effectiveness.
Based on experience gained in previous projects, the LIFE SILENAT project aims to take the technical readiness level (TRL) of innovative LNPs from TRL 4 to 7/8. In addition to enhancing the lifetime of LNPs, the project also aims to reduce costs, and minimise the use of virgin materials by using recycled materials as cellulose fibres and crumb rubber from old tyres, thus addressing challenges faced by previous noise reduction initiatives.
The project will also develop low noise barriers using metamaterials, maximising the use of recycled materials, and taking the TRL to 8.
The project also aims to:
Implement and assess the developed solutions in a real-world, densely populated testing site (with a population exposed to day-evening-night noise level (LDEN) ≥ 55 dB(A), 19,769 inhabitants).
Implement continuous, online monitoring of the pilot area.
Establish a baseline for acoustic performance assessment using insertion loss measurements.
Develop an innovative low-height barriers qualification measurement method.
Address maintenance and safety concerns in collaboration with relevant authorities.
Establish guidelines and action plans for the management and implementation of noise mitigation measures within complex environmental settings. Stakeholders such as road and rail owners, managers, environmental agencies, and local authorities will be actively engaged.
RESULTS
The project’s expected results are:
Deployment of a 1.9 km long LNP road with a 20% extended lifespan (12 years) and a minimum 14% reduction in cost (LCC), while maintaining acoustic and safety performance.
Installation of 200 metre-long barrier along a railway. The barrier will be created with enhanced acoustic properties, using up to 85% of recycled materials for the barrier elements, through the application of metamaterials technology, with an expected noise reduction of 4dB and a lifespan of at least 15 years.
Reduction in the use of virgin materials (by replacing them with recycled ones) of approximately 16 tonnes per kilometre for LNPs, and by a minimum of 205 tonnes per kilometre for 0.5-metre-high low-height noise barriers.
Reduction in CO2 of approximately 17% (402 Kg / Km) from the use of recycled materials.
