Linhas ferroviárias e cidade: avaliação acústica para redução de ruídos em áreas urbanas

Abstract

Acoustic ambience is a predominant factor for adequate performance levels of work, intellect or simply experiential tasks for human beings. The vivency place itself, when possessing factors that enhance the acoustic ambience perception such as traffic noise can cause physiological stress, contributing to an unfavorable qualitative assessment of the urban space. This research’s object of study is the set of acoustic characteristics inherent to the railway lines, which materialize in space according to these precepts and radiate towards the surroundings. The presence of these railways in the Juiz de Fora city – MG – urban network directly influences the spatial production and directs land growth and valuation vectors, representing an important aspect to be considered in the city's production policies. This work aims to identify the acoustic characteristics along the railway lines and their specificities, proposing alternatives to mitigate problems observed its adjacent areas. The research clipping, which is inserted in the environmental acoustics’ field, is given by binding the study to the railway lines acoustic characteristics, focusing on the inhabited areas neighboring to the railway’s domain range sound characteristics in the Juiz de Fora city’s urban mesh. Regarding the development methodology, the systematic revision of literature method– RSL – is used to define the reference theoretical framework and, to carry out the case study, the methodology proposed by the current normative references is used, through on-the-spot measurements. The work develops in six chapters that encompass the knowledge necessary for its realization, focusing on the concept application to the railway environment. The analyses performed shows that the acoustic environment along the railway line is drastically impacted by the rail compositions passages, causing an increase in the equivalent noise level beyond the normative comfort parameters. From the existing situation, it is proposed to implement a mixture of conventional and non-conventional devices for noise reduction, focusing on solutions that maintain visual permeability and seek to reduce spatial segregation, generating results that can be replicated in other urban areas, both in Juiz de Fora and other cities. It is concluded that using protection devices greatly assists in reducing the equivalent sound pressure levels in the railway’s neighboring areas. However, it is understood that it is necessary for the surrounding buildings to meet the constructive norms for a more effective problem mitigation.