A scale model study of parallel urban street canyons

Other conference contribution, 2005

The access to quiet areas in cities is of increasing importance. Recently, the equivalent sources method for a two dimensional situation of parallel urban street canyons has been developed. One canyon represents a busy road, whereas the other is one without traffic; the quiet side. With the model, the transfer function between the two canyons can be calculated, as well as the influence of diffusion, absorption, and atmospheric turbulence on the transfer function. A scale model study of two parallel canyons has now been executed. A scale of 1:40 has been chosen and the maximum length sequence technique has been applied using the MLSSA system. Results of the scale model study have been compared to calculations with the equivalent sources method. The difference between a two-dimensional and a three-dimensional quiet side, between a coherent and an incoherent line source and the influence of absorption and diffusion has been investigated. The scale model study also gives insight in the evolution of the sound field in the time domain. [Work supported by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research (MISTRA).]