Sensitivity of CNOSSOS-EU sound propagation model to digital surface components

Abstract

The accuracy of input data is a key issue in sound propagation model calculations. This paper aimed to assess the effect of building and land cover input data accuracy on CNOSSOS-EU sound propagation model outputs. Calculations were performed for a study site with a quite diverse land cover structure, located along a major road in Monor, Hungary. Nine test cases were defined based on building and land cover datasets with different accuracy. Comparing the results of the test cases to each other, it was found that in residential areas, the sound propagation model is more sensitive to the building data than to the land cover data. Therefore, it is recommended to use more detailed building input data in those areas, while using a land cover database with higher resolution than CORINE land cover data does not provide significantly better results. In non-residential areas, the influence of land cover input data on model results increases significantly.

Keywords

• strategic noise mapping
• cnossos-eu
• environmental noise propagation
• input data