Acoust. Sci. & Tech.

23, 3 (2002)

Analysis of road trac noise level measured in Greater Cairo, Egypt

Sayed Abas Ali* and Akihiro Tamura{
Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Yokohama National University, 795 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, 2408501 Japan ( Received 11 January 2002, Accepted for publication 30 January 2002 ) Keywords: Trac noise, Measurements, Standards, Restrictions PACS number: 43.50.Rq 1. Introduction This study is concerned with road trac noise in Greater Cairo, the capital of Egypt and the largest city and one of the biggest eleventh cities in the world. Road trac is the most signicant sources of noise in the city. Road trac noise problems arose in Greater Cairo in 1970s due to population increase stemming from accelerated growth, internal immigration, the larger number of vehicles, motor vehicles which are poured and added into the already overcrowded streets [1,2]. In 1996 Greater Cairo was estimated to have populations of 18 million. Add two million populations swell daily as workers ow into the city from surrounding area, they clogging roads and rail lines every morning and evening [3]. So there are trac jam and trac noise problems. Greater Cairo metropolitan area is spread across three of Egypts administrative governorates; Cairo, Al Qalyob^yah, and J^zah.   In the last period the urban blocks of three governorates adherence together and became one block. Many areas contain dense pattern of constant activity as commercial, administrative, tourist center, cultural institutions, business establishments, governmental oces, universities, and hotels, which together create a dense pattern of constant activity. So its roads are too crowded and there are trac jam everywhere. Old Cairo as an example represents highly density of populations, about 150,000 person/km2 [4]. 2. Site description Various types of site were selecteda downtown area, an industrial area, a tourism area, a residential area. A brief description of each site is given below. 2.1. Downtown area Two sites were selected to represent downtown areas. The rst was along Ramsis Street, one-way street. 25 m wide, its inside lane carrying 1,200 vehicles during the peak hour. It is a main shopping street with heavy pedestrian movement served by two sidewalks on either of the road, each 3.5 m wide. The second site was chosen along El-Attaba Square, intersection of major roads with two ways, It is a main shopping area with heavy pedestrian movement served by two sidewalks on either of the road, each 4 m wide, as El-Azhar street with width 25 m, El-Gash street with width 20 m, Abdel Aziz street with width 20 m, and Obera Street with width 25 m, either of them accommodating 1,000 vehicles an hour on the inside lane during the peak trac hour, a mixture of
* {

taxis, privates cars, bikes, minibuses, buses and a few trucks. 2.2. Tourism area The site chosen to represent the tourism land use is ElHaram area in the south west of Greater Cairo city. The location for eld measurement was along El-Haram Street. The road is a multi-lane divided Arterial Street, two-ways street, 40 m wide, accommodating 800 vehicles an hour on the inside lane during the peak trac hour, of which 30 percent are trucks and buses. 2.3. Industrial area The site chosen to represent the industrial land use is located in Hulwan a major industrial suburb to the south east of Greater Cairo. The location for eld measurement was along Hulwan Street. The road is multi-lane divided highway, 25 m wide, accommodating 550 vehicles an hour on the inside lane during the peak trac hour, of which 40 percent are trucks, truck/trailer combination and pick-up trucks. 2.4. Residential area Two sites were selected to represent residential land use. The rst was located along Sallah Salm Street, a main arterial road, two-ways, 55 m wide, separated by green island with wide 15 m, every way with wide 15 m, pedestrians movement served by two sidewalk on either side of the road, each 5 m wide. It connect between the collector roads from the center of the city and other arterial roads with highway road located out side of Greater Cairo, it located in residential area, The trac owing along the road is mixture of private cars, taxis, minibuses, buses and a few trucks, accommodation 1,500 vehicles an hour on the inside lane during the peak trac hour. The second location selected was Dokki square intersection of major roads, two trac ways, as El-Tahrir street with width 25 m, El-Dokki street with width 25 m, all of them with pedestrian movement served by two sidewalks on either of the road, each 4 m wide, accommodating 900 vehicles an hour on the inside lane during the peak trac hour, a mixture of taxis, privates, bikes, and buses. 3. Field measurements In September and October 2001 measurements of road trac noise were carried out by the authors at six dierent positions, covering the major roads of the city represented dierent kinds of land uses. The locations were chosen far from building reections and bus stops. The (A) weighted sound pressure level was measured by precision sound level meter type ONO SOKKI LA-5120, equivalent continuous noise level (LAeq ) and real-time statistical noise measurement

e-mail: d00jc291@ynu.ac.jp e-mail: tamura@arc.ynu.ac.jp

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Acoust. Sci. & Tech. 23, 3 (2002) of LA1 , LA10 , LAeq , LA50 , LA90 , and LA99 could be obtained automatically. The sound level meter was portable at a height of 1.2 m above the ground, the microphone was placed 1.0 m from the facades of the houses and from any reecting surface. The output of the sound level meter was fed to digital printer type ONO SOKKI RO-110. The volume of trac was measured and classied manually for the inside lane of the dierent roads, nearest to the sound level meter. Trac speed was registered with the help of the police administration. The speed recorded varied between 60 and 80 km/h on the roads under consideration. Restrictions were introduced to improve environmental conditions as: absence of horns, absence of horns and trucks, and absence of horns, trucks and noisy buses. The Equivalent noise level (LAeq ) was measured before and after restrictions. Results of road trac noise measurements Road trac noise measurements which, carried out in Greater Cairo in September and October 2001 indicates that the equivalent noise level LAeq 90 dB and higher were recorded. Table 1 indicates minimum and maximum limit for LA1 , LA10 , LAeq , LA50 , LA90 , and LA99 , in period 7:0021:00 in some sites in Greater Cairo City. Figure 1 illustrates road trac noise levels in Sallah Salm road, arterial road, on 20 September 2001 in period 7:0021:00. Figure 2 illustrates road trac noise levels in Dokki Square (intersection of arterial roads) on 15 September 2001 in period 6:1018:40. 5. Results of restrictions Restrictions were introduced to improve environmental conditions as: absence of horns, absence of horns and trucks, and absence of horns, trucks and noisy buses. Equivalent noise levels (LAeq ) before and after restrictions shown in Table 2. As shown in Table 2, in the absence of horns, the equivalent noise level decreased at all sites. The maximum reductions of 9.4 dB and 10.8 dB occurred in the downtown area, Ramsis Street and El-Attaba Square, respectively, where there are no buses or commercial vehicles. With larger sidewalks, pedestrians will not walk in the street and motorists will not abuse the use of horns. A considerable decrease of 4.8 dB in the equivalent noise level was achieved in Hulwan Street, the industrial area, during the measurements when the horns were omitted, and a decrease of 7.6 dB was achieved in the absence of horns
Fig. 2 Road trac noise levels in Dokki Square (intersection of arterial roads) on 15 September 2001 in period 6:1018:40.

Fig. 1 Road trac noise levels in Sallah Salm road, arterial road, on 20 September 2001 in period 7:00 21:00.

4.

together with limiting the commercial vehicles to 10%. Omitting the Word buses from residential areas gave a further reduction in the equivalent noise level varying between 2.6 to 3.7 dB at Sallah Salm and Dokki Square, respectively. The reduction is mainly dependent upon the number of these buses presently in operation at each site. In the absence of horns, trucks and noisy buses, the equivalent noise level decreased at Sallah Salm and Dokki Square in residential area between 6.0 to 10.2 dB. So restrictions as absence of horns, trucks, noisy buses and limiting the commercial vehicles can decrease trac noise level in the city as shown above and this depend on how much

Table 1 Minimum and maximum limit for LA1 , LA10 , LAeq , LA50 , LA90 and LA99 , in period 7.0021.00 in dierent land uses in Greater Cairo, Egypt in September and October 2001. Range of noise Area LA1 [dB] Min El-Haram Street El-Attaba Square Ramsis Street Dokki Square Hulwan Street Sallah Salm 85.8 84.4 83.5 89.9 84.0 88.9 Max 101 99.9 93.6 99.9 96.3 96.4 LA10 [dB] Min 78.5 81.1 79.1 83.6 80.2 85.8 Max 94.0 88.6 87.5 88.4 87.4 90.3 LAeq [dB] Min 76.4 77.8 76.1 81.0 77.0 83.8 Max 88.9 87.8 84.9 87.1 86.2 87.9 LA50 [dB] Min 73.1 76.2 74.0 77.0 72.3 83.1 Max 83.9 82.2 80.2 84.3 82.4 86.5 LA90 [dB] Min 69.1 71.8 71.1 69.7 70.2 80.0 Max 77.6 79.4 75.7 81.2 78.3 83.7 LA99 [dB] Min 65.6 69.0 68.8 68.8 69.5 77.7 Max 75.4 76.9 72.9 79.8 78.2 81.2

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S. A. ALI and A. TAMURA: ANALYSIS OF ROAD TRAFFIC NOISE LEVEL MEASURED IN CAIRO Table 2 Equivalent noise level (LAeq ) in dB before and after restrictions in Greater Cairo, Egypt. Residential area Case study Without restrictions In the absence of horns In the absence of horns together with limiting the commercial vehicles to 10% In the absence of horns and trucks In the absence of horns, trucks and noisy buses Sallah Salm 87.9 85.2 84.5 81.9 Dokki Square 87.1 80.7 80.6 76.9 Downtown area Ramsis Street 84.9 75.5 El-Attaba Square 87.8 77.0 Industrial area Tourism area

86.2 81.4 78.6

88.9 84.4 80.4

Table 3 Egyptian noise standards and policy about the maximum permissible limit for noise intensity LAeq [dB] in dierent land use areas. Permissible limit for noise intensity decible Type of area From Commercial, administrative and downtown areas Residential areas in which can be found some workshops or commercial establishments or located on a main road Residential areas in the city Residential suburbs with low trac Residential rural areas, hospitals and gardens Industrial areas (heavy industries) Day from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Evening from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Night from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. 55 50 45 40 35 60 Day To 65 60 55 50 45 70 From 50 45 40 35 30 55 Evening To 60 55 50 45 40 65 From 45 40 35 30 25 50 Night To 55 50 45 40 35 60

these restrictions. Egyptian noise standard and policy The president, as one of the highlights of a major national policy has charged the Ministry of Environment to institute Egyptian environmental law Number 4 of year 1994 and its Executive Regulation. It determined the maximum permissible limit for noise intensity in dierent areas as shown in Table 3 [5]. By comparing road trac noise levels in Greater Cairo shown in Table 1 with Egyptian statutory standards regulations shown in Table 3 we nd that road trac noise level in Greater Cairo are higher than those set by Egyptian environmental law to protect public health and welfare in residential areas (LAeq 90 dB and higher were recorded), while maximum permissible level is 65 dB. 7. Conclusions and remarks Measurements taken for road trac noise levels in Greater Cairo, indicates that noise levels in the city are higher than those set by Egyptian noise standards and policy to protect public health and welfare in residential areas (LAeq 85 dB and higher were recorded), while maximum 6.

permissible level is 65 dB. In the absence of horns, the equivalent noise level decreased at all sites, the maximum reductions ranged from of 9.4 dB and 10.8 dB occurred in the downtown area where there are no buses or commercial vehicles. With larger sidewalks, pedestrians will not walk in the street and motorists will not abuse the use of horns. Omitting the Word buses from residential areas gave a further reduction in the equivalent noise level varying between 2.6 to 3.7 dB. The reduction is mainly dependent upon the number of these buses presently in operation at each site. In the absence of horns, trucks and noisy buses, the equivalent noise level decreased in residential area ranged from 6.0 to 10.2 dB. So restrictions as absence of horns, trucks, noisy buses and limiting the commercial vehicles can decrease trac noise level in the city as shown above and this depend on how much these restrictions. Acknowledgements This study was nancially supported by The Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education. References
[1] S. Ali and A. Tamura, Diagnostic study for trac noise problems in Greater Cairo, Egypt, Proc. inter-noise, 2001,

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1177 (2001). [2] Reports of Minster of Egyptian Transportation about road trac in Greater Cairo, Al-Ahram Newspaper (Egyptian Newspaper), 18, 1, 2001 and 28, 6, 2001 (2001). [3] S. Ali and A. Tamura, Road trac & trac noise problems in Greater Cairo, Egypt: Characteristics, countermeasure taken and future plans, Proc. 17th Int. Congr. Acoustics (2001). [4] S. Ali and A. Tamura, Road trac noise problems in Greater Cairo, Egypt and future mitigation measures policies, Proc. noise-con, 2001 (2001). [5] Egyptian environmental law No. 4 of year 1994, Egyptian Ministry of Environment, Cairo, Egypt (1994).

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