If you polled a group of people on their favorite sounds, it’s likely that none of them are going to choose road noise. Noise pollution is a recognized concern that can be as damaging to human health and environments as other forms of pollution, and, according to the Asphalt Institute, noise from road traffic constitutes 60% of urban noise. Per the Code of Federal Regulations, federally funded highway projects in most outdoor settings near where people live and gather must use noise abatement strategies if noise levels are 67 decibels (dBA) or higher; that’s almost the same level of noise as a vacuum cleaner 10 feet away. States also usually have their own rules governing road noise and other sources of noise pollution.

Many states have tried using barrier walls to reduce road noise, but they can be expensive to build and maintain, and they don’t always solve the problem. Tucker Paving has decades in the asphalt and concrete paving industry, and we have seen first-hand the options for noise-reducing pavement.

Noise-Reducing Pavement Options

Tucker Paving installs both concrete and asphalt pavement, and we know that both pavement options have advantages and disadvantages that make one or the other the best choice for a paving job. If you’re looking for a quieter pavement, then asphalt wins out over concrete all day long. Research has shown that asphalt paving is quieter than concrete paving.

Noise-reducing asphalt pavements are even quieter. Options include:

  • Dense-Graded Asphalt. This hot mix asphalt pavement is relatively impermeable; it offers noise reduction from 2 to 3 dBA.
  • Stone-Matrix Asphalt. This asphalt is mixed with 70 to 80% coarse aggregate, so its texture is rougher than dense-grade asphalt; it reduces road noise by 3 to 5 dBA.
  • Open-Graded Friction Course Asphalt. This asphalt has large air voids that absorb the sounds of road noise, reducing road noise by 3 to 5 dBA; open-grade friction asphalts are also highly permeable, offer another positive for highways. They are even quieter when full of water.
  • Rubberized Asphalt. Crumb rubber, or rubber pieces made from discarded tires, are combined with the asphalt mixture before being laid down. Rubberized asphalt has been shown to reduce noise levels by 4 to 10 dBA.

While a noise reduction of 3 dBA might not seem like a lot, the decibel scale is not linear. A 3 dBA reduction in noise is the equivalent of cutting the noise level in half.

At Tucker Paving, we have nearly three decades in the asphalt and concrete paving industry. Contact us by calling (863) 299-2262, or use our contact form online, to inquire about your next asphalt paving project!