The QUESTIM project performed by a consortium led by M+P (the Netherlands), in partnership with TRL (UK), Müller-BBM (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) and Aalto University (Finland).
This consortium represents all the essential expertise, required to deliver the objectives.
M+P has a very broad expertise on low noise surfaces, based on more than 25 years of experience and has become one of the world’s leading experts in this field. It has contributed to the understanding of tyre/road interaction noise through three major research programmes. M+P has contributed significantly to the development of the SPB, CPX, texture and absorption measurement methods. It has performed thousands of CPX and SPB measurements on the Dutch, Danish and Belgium road network and has developed schemes for understanding the aging effect and to implement these in calculation methods. M+P was partner in the EU FP’s: Silvia, Rotranomo, Harmonoise, Imagine (WP leader) and Silence. M+P is added as expert to the EU and ECE developments on vehicle and tyre regulations. M+P works in close collaboration with road authorities and road builders to understand and improve the mechanics of noise reducing pavements over its lifetime.
TRL has long-standing experience in the measurement and assessment of noise mitigation measures (low-noise road surfaces and noise barriers), including studies of acoustic durability, for both UK Government, national research projects, e.g. the Dutch IPG programme and European projects, e.g. SILVIA. TRL has been involved in the development of test methods for in-situ assessment and has members on European and international standards committees associated with noise mitigation and measurement methods.
Müller-BBM is engaged for more than 15 years in national and European research, development and investigation projects concerning tyre/road interaction and road traffic noise abatement by means of low noise road surfaces, e.g. the EU-project ITARI and HOSANNA and the German project Quiet Traffic. Aging and wear of noise reducing road surfaces is an issue in many measuring projects contracted by the public road administrations in Germany and Switzerland. Modelling and simulation of tyre/road noise became an important tool in the collaboration with civil engineering test labs and the road construction industry.
Aalto University has extensive knowledge on the performance of low noise roads under Nordic conditions, being the main researcher in in the Finish low noise pavement project Hilja. It adds with extensive know-how on the engineering of roads for Nordic conditions both from a scientific and a practical background.