TRAFFIC NOISE
3.1.2.1 DIN 18005-1: Noise abatement in town planning

This norm indicates how noise protection shall be considered in city planning. It is addressed to municipalities, city planners, architects and building control authorities. It is not to be applied in licensing and plan approval procedures.

Supplement 1 to DIN 18005-1 gives acoustic reference values as objectives for city planning. DIN 18005-2 applies to the mapping of sound immissions. DIN 18005-1 gives general information on the propagation of sound and on principally possible measures to reduce sound immissions.

The identification of sound immissions from the different types of sound sources is represented in a very simplified way. For an exact calculation, relevant regulations and ordinances (RLS-90 for road traffic, Schall 03 for rail traffic) are listed. An annex with diagrams helps to estimate the sound immissions expected from road, railway and ship traffic.

The diagrams give an approximate value of the rating level from traffic on certain roads as a function of the average daily traffic volume (durchschnittliche tägliche Verkehrsstärke/DTV) and the distance between the place of immission and the centre of the nearest lane. What can be considered are corrections for various speed limits, different road surfaces, nearby traffic lights as well as urban canyons.

Roads built of cobbled pavement with speed limits of 30 km/h (about 19 mph) or 50 km/h (about 31 mph) or more get an addition of 3 dB or 6 dB. Open-pored asphalt on roads out of town with speed limits of more than 60 km/h (about 37 mph) get a deduction of 3 dB (see also sound level deductions for newly built roads according to RLS-90 in section 7.1.3). The proximity to traffic lights (less than 100 m) as well as urban canyons with multi-storey, closed development on both sides must lead to an addition of 2 dB each.

The norm gives examples of the approximate distance required for not exceeding certain rating levels during the night in the case of undisturbed sound propagation without noise control measures for some types of transport routes (see table 3/1).

Table 3/1: Approximately required distance from transport routes in order to stay below the given rating levels at night in the case of undisturbed sound propagation

In the case of public car parks and those assigned to sports facilities not subject to licensing, RLS-90 must also be applied. For other car parks, the calculation method of the study on parking area noise is to be applied as they are subject to the regulations of the Technical Instructions on Noise (TA Lärm, see section 4.2.2). The emissions of a car park are essentially determined by the amount of parking spaces, the frequency of movements per space and hour as well as the type of vehicles and of the car park itself.

The rating levels in the sphere of influence of railway tracks are calculated according to Schall 03, that of marshalling yards and freight handling stations according to Akustik 04. The rating level for railways can also be estimated on the basis of the diagrams given in the annex. They help to determine the rating level of railway traffic depending on the amount of trains, the distance to the tracks and the type of train. The supposed fact that noise from railway traffic is perceived as less disturbing is still considered with a deduction of 5 dB(A) (but this is going to be withdrawn, see section 3.1.2.5).

The norm also contains indications for air and ship traffic. A diagram for the estimation of the rating level of ship traffic can be found in the annex as well.

Supplement 1 to DIN 18005-1 gives acoustic reference values as objectives for city planning. These values are only to be applied in the context of city planning but not for the authorization of individual projects. They do not represent limit values but shall be understood as an expert concretization of the requirements for noise abatement within urban development. During the planning of uses requiring protection within the sphere of influence of roads and railways, the adherence to these reference values must be aspired. The assessment period during the day is from 6 am to 10 pm and during the night from 10 pm to 6 am. The reference values shall even be applied to the borders of the concerned areas of each type of territory (as listed in table 3/2).

Table 3/2: Acoustic reference values for traffic noise according to DIN 18005 Supplement 1 (in dB(A))

The compliance with reference values is often not possible in areas which are handicapped by the proximity of major traffic routes for example. But noise protection must be seen as one important planning principle besides others. The weighing of different interests and concerns required in the context of city planning can lead to the deferment of noise protection matters, especially in built-up areas and if the other concerns have priority. Adequate compensational measures (e.g. the arrangement of the site plan, structural noise abatement measures) must be planned and secured by means of planning legislation in these cases. It is important however to respect the limits of health hazards (exclusion of residential use) and to see to the granting of undisturbed sleep (e.g. through ventilation appliances not bound to windows).

Note: Be careful with the application of the reference values for core areas (MK). They are identical with those for commercial areas, which only exceptionally permit habitation. This shall make allowances for the already existing high noise pollution in inner cities. All other regulations, which are considered as binding by current legislation, consider core areas as mixed areas (MI), which require the adherence to sound levels which are lower by 5 dB(A). This may cause problems for later licensing procedures. The same reference values should therefore be intended for both core areas and mixed areas already in the planning stage in order to avoid problems.