Government grant aids highway study

Photo courtesy of Vincent Drnevich ROUND AND ROUND: The new device that will soon be used in the Ray W. Herrick Laboratories. It designed to run two tires across different types of pavements to test the noise between them.

By Kurt Esposito
Summer Editor

The Safe, Quiet and Durable Highways Institute at Purdue received a $435,000 grant Thursday for research into the noise created between tires and pavements.

The institute, which is part of a civil engineering project, will put most of the money toward a new lab to be located in the Ray W. Herrick Laboratories.

Vincent Drnevich, professor of civil engineering and co-director of the institute, said the lab will house a cylinder-like device that is shaped by an above-ground pool and will be able to simulate the contact between tires and the road. Two tires attached to a mounted arm, located on the top of the cylinder, will be run across the pavement that is located on the side of the device. With the device researchers will be able to test different types of tires and pavements.

Jan Olek, professor of civil engineering, said the lab will allow researchers to study the noise made between the tires and pavement without the external sounds provided by wind blowing and passing vehicles. The elimination of outside noises will allow the researchers to focus on the noise created on the road.

He said once they learn the details of the noise spectrum caused, they will be able to look into control of the noise.

"We're looking for ways of creating an effective system of pores that act as units that disperse the sound," he said.

One source of noise coming from the tire against the pavement is caused by the tire vibrations acting as a speaker. Another source includes the air passing through the treads of tire.

Olek said the researchers are looking into ways to make sure the porous asphalt is durable and will be able to allow a car not to skid too much during wet weather.

Drnevich said, "What we liked to be able to do is to create pavements types that are very quiet and at the same time be safe. If we are successful, it may be possible to have the noise levels sufficiently low so we would not have these noise walls."

He said the walls are expensive and have been proven to not be effective.

Drnevich said the researchers will be looking into the use of crumb rubber in tires, different additives that can be used in asphalt and also looking at the noises generated by buses.

The announcement was made by Rep. Brian Kerns, (R-Ind.), who serves on the House committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The grant is being received through the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The institute is one of 17 federally funded University Transportation Centers formed in 1998 by the Department of Transportation. It receives $529, 312 a year funding, $262,000 of which comes from the Department of Transportation.

Teams begin discussing issues regarding community, Purdue

Purdue staff member dies, cause unknown

Government grant aids highway study

Housing conflicts produce new issues

Professor proves expertise in meat industry

AIDS increases among teen-agers

Committee to discuss campus improvements

CAMPUS DESK PHONE:
(765) 743-1111 ext. 253

To send a letter to the editor, please email opinions@purdueexponent.org