Tyre roar and surface

[Ade B]

Coming back to London along the M27, M3 and M25 today I noticed a massive difference in road noise on different sorts of surface - not in itself surprising - but what surprised me was on the smooth stuff tyre roar was almost none existent, being lost in the background of wind/engine noise which was very low. On the more common rougher stuff, it was quite intrusive in comparison. I was doing a steady 74mph according to GPS (indicated 80)..

My questions are, why don't they make more motorway from the smoother stuff (anyone know what it is - it's not shell grip and just appeared for short runs of a mile or so randomly...) and has anyone else a similar experience?

Ade

 

[television]

Coming back to London along the M27, M3 and M25 today I noticed a massive difference in road noise on different sorts of surface - not in itself surprising - but what surprised me was on the smooth stuff tyre roar was almost none existent, being lost in the background of wind/engine noise which was very low. On the more common rougher stuff, it was quite intrusive in comparison. I was doing a steady 74mph according to GPS (indicated 80)..

My questions are, why don't they make more motorway from the smoother stuff (anyone know what it is - it's not shell grip and just appeared for short runs of a mile or so randomly...) and has anyone else a similar experience?

Ade

We have the noisiest road in the UK just down the road from me, the A30 going into Exeter

 

[jadefox]

They deliberately make certain parts of a motorway with noise-reducing tarmac.

It's used on motorways to decreases noise levels and does so by approximately 3 decibels compared with conventional road surfaces.

They do it because reduced surface noise is less tiring for a motorist which helps to alleviate the monotony of motorway driving, thus preventing accidents from falling asleep at the wheel!

Interesting huh?

EDITED TO ADD: The difference in tarmac 'sound' makes your senses better because if you 'hear' the changes (even if subconsciously) it keeps you alert too.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

All to do with cost. Quiet is more expensive.

 

[Ade B]

They deliberately make certain parts of a motorway with noise-reducing tarmac.

It's used on motorways to decreases noise levels and does so by approximately 3 decibels compared with conventional road surfaces.

They do it because reduced surface noise is less tiring for a motorist which helps to alleviate the monotony of motorway driving, thus preventing accidents from falling asleep at the wheel!

Interesting huh?

EDITED TO ADD: The difference in tarmac 'sound' makes your senses better because if you 'hear' the changes (even if subconsciously) it keeps you alert too.

Interesting thought - If its deliberate, I wonder if its anything to do with the proximity of nearby residences, didn't notice any at the time... too busy marvelling at the near silence of the ride...


Ade

 

[rf065]

There is also a very porous type of Asphalt invented, which allows water to drain below the surface and gives better traction when it rains. But because it is more expensive, it is not used in the UK.

Russ

 

[Spin_bowler]

We have the noisiest road in the UK just down the road from me, the A30 going into Exeter

You're not wrong, I drove that stretch last week in the A4 (18" wheels, 245 x 45's) and I had to turn the radio up to hear it above the road noise!

 

[jadefox]

Interesting thought - If its deliberate, I wonder if its anything to do with the proximity of nearby residences, didn't notice any at the time... too busy marvelling at the near silence of the ride...


Ade

If you do a search on it you may get something come up about the safety aspect of it. I use to be a driving instructor and it's amazing what you learn on your travels

I would imagine that they do use quieter tarmac on more heavily populated areas too yes.

 

[jadefox]

http://www.highways.gov.uk/aboutus/documents/quietr.pdf

Here you go, on the second page they mention that it's less tiring for drivers (therefore safer)

 

[whitenemesis]

I imagine travelling on the smoother (quieter) stuff one is more prone to aqua-planning?

 

[gina2201]

We have the noisiest road in the UK just down the road from me, the A30 going into Exeter

Is that the reddy coloured road towards the airport?!

 

[johnkyte]

From 3rd of March for 12 weeks ,,they are going to resurface the A20 in Dover --the main reason is to make things quieter for local residents

See Speedferries website for more info

 

[Dave Lewis]

I imagine travelling on the smoother (quieter) stuff one is more prone to aqua-planning?

Don't think so; it seems that in the wet, the 'quiet' surface has almost no spray in the wet. Visibility in the rain is vastly improved. The M5 in Somerset has several sections of it. I don't know how well it wears though. I like it very much.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

anyone know what it is

Probably Tarmac Masterpave or a competitor product - smooth, low noise, reduced spray, with relatively good resistance to skid.

 

[television]

Is that the reddy coloured road towards the airport?!

Yes its mainly concrete from Honiton to the Airport apart from a few patches of ashfelt

 

[verytalldave]

There is a stretch of the A21 going southbound just after the junction with the M25 which has a very quiet part. Amazingly quiet. Its not until you get onto a bit of road like this do you realise how much noise does come from the tyres/road. Almost all.

 

[Rose Chap]

I always find the resurfaced bit of the M25 between the M3 and M4 junctions to be very smooth and quiet.

The A30 around Exeter airport is indeed as noisy and rough as a rough thing, as is the A329M from Reading to Bracknell, just after you pass the M4 junctions.

You think these roads are noisy in a Mercedes, try driving them in my Smart Roadster!

 

[scumbag]

I had a road engineer explain tarmac to me a few weeks. I nodded inteligently at various intervals!

Wish I had lsitened now.


However, its not just the road surface that generates noise. Its also your tyre tread pattern.

Some tyres, like Michelins and Bridgstone have a tread pattern that creates more noise and therefore rumbles a bit more than other types.

my tyres has a tyre noise comparison chart somewhere in its web site, done while testing tyres. I significantly reduced the tyre noise from a car now in the hands of another member, by replacing all its tyres with Hankooks.

And the clatterwagon will get treated to them before winter this year. The bridgstones on this one are very noisy, and don't offer the best grip in the wet. That said, it does make you smile a bit, but we have ultra grip surfaces on some bad corners round here, and the squeak a bit when the car arrives on them with an element of undesteer ocurring at the surface change.

 

[Benzowner]

Don't think so; it seems that in the wet, the 'quiet' surface has almost no spray in the wet. Visibility in the rain is vastly improved. The M5 in Somerset has several sections of it. I don't know how well it wears though. I like it very much.

Remember what the M5 was like prior to the tarmac? very very noisy concrete

 

[Londonscottish]

All to do with cost. Quiet is more expensive.

Yep - correct; quiet = expansive.

It's ultra-annoying if you've spent a couple of weeks driving round France and Spain where the roads are very smooth - they use the porous tarmac through which water drains as mentioned in another post and the difference is massive. Driving off the Eurotunnel and joining the UK motorway network again (M23?) is a truly shocking experience.