Strategic noise mapping in mid-sized urban agglomerations of South Europe. The case of volos - Greece

Abstract

The Strategic Mapping of Environmental Noise, (SMEN) as it is determined in the European Directive 2002/49/EC, aims at the determination of a common approach for the avoidance, prevention or reduction, on a prioritized basis of the harmful effects, including annoyance, due to exposure to environment noise. Its objective is also the creation of a platform base for Community noise restriction measures related to major environmental noise sources, in particular road and rail traffic, aircraft movements, outdoor and industrial equipment and mobile machinery. In the framework of urban planning and growth within the recent new European process of environmental noise evaluation, in Greece, Strategic Environmental Noise Mapping (SMEN) has already been initiated for various mid-sized urban agglomerations. In this paper SMEN for the typical city & port of Volos in central Greece is presented. The study was mainly supported by assessment methods and from noise measurements, based on a variety of necessary information aiming at the depiction of noise levels that are perceptible in the examined area. At the same time, Action Plans (AP) for the confrontation of environmental noise problems in the area of Volos, were assessed, and evaluated with all competent authorities, by the means of a comprehensive public briefing & results dissemination. The acoustic software database platform includes concentration, classification and treatment of urban traffic, demographic, geometrical etc data, as well as acoustic measurement's results, in order to produce a full DTM, for the agglomeration as the basis for the SENM 2012 with input data in 3D form for all buildings. The strategic noise map configuration and the presentation of iso-noise contours for both Lden & Lnight indices was achieved in fully colored maps (based on ISO 1996) presenting analytical data of population exposure with a high satisfactory correlation index of theoretical vs measured values for the Lden & Lnight environmental noise indicators.