Evaluation of an Aluminum Noise Barrier on the Reduction of Railway Noise

Railway noise barriers are widely used to mitigate environmental noise in cases where source-based noise reduction measures are insufficient to satisfy regulatory limit values. In this study, the effectiveness of an aluminum railway noise barrier was investigated for residential areas located near Arifiye Train Station in Türkiye. Environmental noise measurements and strategic noise maps were prepared to evaluate railway noise exposure in the study area. The results indicated that environmental noise levels measured near the railway corridor exceeded the applicable regulatory limits. Therefore, an aluminum railway noise barrier was designed and optimized considering site-specific geometric and operational constraints. Simulation results obtained before and after noise barrier installation were comparatively evaluated. According to the simulation results, the daily average environmental noise levels at residential areas close to the railway were predicted to decrease below the regulatory limit values after barrier installation. In addition to overall daily average noise levels, daytime, evening, and nighttime noise measurements were also assessed. Furthermore, noise reductions at the ground and first floors of residential buildings were comparatively analyzed, demonstrating higher noise attenuation at ground-floor receiver locations. Post-installation field measurements confirmed that the proposed barrier system effectively reduced railway noise levels under real operating conditions. The study contributes to the literature by providing an integrated assessment framework combining field measurements, simulation-based optimization, and post-installation validation for railway noise mitigation applications.