550/9-74-012
\
$
T
$
     NOISE IN MIL  TRANSIT MRS:
             INCREMENTAL COSTS
                OF  QOIETER MRS
                JOKE 1114
      U.S. Eniimnenlal Priteclln igeiti
           lashliiion, D.C. 204(1

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Document is available tc the public through the National Technical
Information Service, Springfield, Virginia 22151

Document is available in limited quantities through the Environmental
Protection Agency, Office of Noise Abatement and Control, Arlington,
Virginia 20460

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                                                 550/9-74-012
             NOISE IN  RAIL TRANSIT CARS:

      INCREMENTAL COSTS  OF  QUIETER  CARS
                         JUNE 1974
                         Prepared For:

           U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

           Office of Noise Abatement and Control
               Under Contract No. 68-01-1539
This report has been approved for general availability. The contents of this
report reflect the views of the contractor,  who is responsible for the facts  and
the accuracy of the data presented herein, and do not necessarily reflect the
official views or policy of EPA. This report does not constitute a standard,
specification, or regulation.

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                         FOREWORD





     The Environmental Protection Agency is publishing a



series of reports prepared by contractors describing the



technology, cost, and economic impact of controlling the



noise emissions from commercial products.  It is hoped that



these reports will provide information that will be useful



to organizations or groups interested in developing or



implementing noise regulations.  This report was prepared



by Bolt, Beranek, and Newman under EPA Contract 68-01-1539.
                           iii

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                        TABLE OF CONTENTS
                                                            Page

INTRODUCTION 	  1
INDUSTRY OVERVIEW	  3
     Transit Systems and Car Operations  	  3
     Car Builders  and the Procurement Process  	  6
NOISE IN TRANSIT CARS	  9
     Where Noise Originates  	  9
     How Noise Reaches Passengers  	 X1
     The Noise Environment in Cars  	 13
NOISE REDUCTION AND  ITS COSTS	• 19
     Car Design Modifications for  Noise  Reduction  	 ^
     Costs and Benefits	 20
     Incremental  Costs of Quieter  Cars  	 22
REFERENCES		. . . R-l
APPENDIX A:   IN-CAR  NOISE SPECTRA	A-l
APPENDIX B:   LIST OF TRANSIT SYSTEMS PERSONNEL 	 B-l

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                        LIST OF FIGURES

                                                           page


Figure   1.   Schematic section of transit car in tunnel ..  9

         2.   Schematic diagram of paths for sound trans-
              mission intp car interior 	   11

         3.   Steady noise levels in transit cars on
              tangent track of good quality above ground .. 14

         4.   Steady noise levels in transit cars in
              subway tunnels 	 15

         5.   Incremental costs of noise reduction 	 22

         6.   Net discounted cost increase (for 8% annual
              interest rate, 25 year life) associated
              with noise reduction	 26

      A.I.    Noise levels in TTC car 54l4 on tangent
              track	 29

      A.2.    Noise levels in TTC car 54l4, on curve	 30

      A.3-    Noise in TTC car 54l4, at 30 mph on main
              line	 31

      A.4.    Noise levels in CTA cars 2251, 2252 (Budd Co.)
              on welded and ground rail, on grade, ties
              on ballast 	.	 32

      A.5.    Noise levels in several European subway cars. 33

      A.6.    Noise levels in several subway cars 	 34

      A.7-    Noise levels in several North American sub-
              way cars at 30 mph 	 35

      A.8.    Noise levels in two transit vehicles at 40
              and 45 mph	 36
                               vii

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  NOISE IN RAIL TRANSIT CARS:  INCREMENTAL COSTS OF QUIETER CARS
INTRODUCTION
     Literally thousands of residents of major urban areas of
the United States spend major fractions of an hour of each work-
ing day riding rapid transit systems to and from work.  Many rail
transit systems, particularly some of the older subways, are noto-
riously noisy.  In some of these, in fact, a passenger might
be subjected to noise exposures that exceed the limits specified
in the Walsh-Healy Public Contracts Act and in other occupational
and safety legislation.  Clearly, reduction of the noise that pas-
sengers of rapid transit systems experience deserves more than
casual consideration.
     The noise exposure — i.e., the auditory discomfort and/or
hearing damage a person may suffer — depends not only on the in-
tensity of the noise, but also on its duration.  A very intense
noise that lasts for only a second tends to contribute less to
the noise exposure than a much lesser noise lasting ten minutes.
Since transit passengers typically spend much more time in cars
than on station platforms, it appears that the noise exposure of
such passengers depends primarily on the noise environment in
cars, even though the noise levels in stations may also be quite
high.
     It is clear that the noise within a rail transit car depends
not only on the constructional and operating characteristics of
the car, but also on those of the right of way.  Noise reduction
thus may be achieved by modifying the car or the right of way.
Although right of way maintenance and modifications constitute
noise reduction means that can be very effective, rights of way
tend to be strictly under the purview of the transit authorities
and major modifications or upgrading in maintenance tend to be

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extremely costly.  On the other hand, noise control measures may
be Implemented relatively readily and inexpensively in new transit
cars, which may be designed by car builders so as to meet noise
specifications.  Although it is desireable to achieve significant
noise reduction in cars currently in service, retrofitting is
likely to be quite costly and is beyond the scope of this study.
Accordingly, it is the purpose of the present report to characterize
the noise climate in transit cars that are currently in operation,
to describe modifications that may be included in newly-designed
cars for noise reduction purposes, and to estimate the associated
costs.
     The information summarized in this report was gleaned from
the open literature and from private reports and was derived in
part from interviews with key personnel at transit systems and
transit car builders.

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 INDUSTRY  OVERVIEW
 Transit Systems  and Car Operations
     There are eight major rail rapid transit systems in the con-
tinental United States.  Their salient characteristics pertinent
to the present discussion are summarized in Table I.
     Of particular interest is the large number of operational
cars and the capital investment they represent; new cars currently
typically cost between  $250,000'and $300,000.  Because of this
large capital cost, transit authorities tend to operate cars as
long as possible, replacing cars and components only when they
become totally inoperative.  Although the design life' of cars has
been of the order of 25 years, some have been kept in service almost
twice that long.  Thus, there are in use today many antiquated
cars, which tend to be  much noisier than newer ones — particularly
since the older cars are not air conditioned.and run with windows
open in warm weather.
     Rapid transit systems tend to place all available  cars into
revenue service during  the rush hours.  Inspections and repairs
are undertaken during the off-hours as far as possible.  Routine
inspections of cars are made very frequently, often daily, before
each service run.  More thorough inspections are undertaken on a
rotating schedule basis, perhaps monthly.
     Also of considerable interest is the significant underground
track mileage in the transit systems listed in Table I.  As dis--
cussed later, the noise within rapid transit cars operating in
tunnels is much greater than that within the same cars operating
above ground — and some noise control modifications have widely
different effects on in-car noise above and below ground.

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ILE I. OVERVIEW OF U.S. RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEMS
RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM
Boston MBTA
(Mass. Bay Transit Authority)
Chicago
(Chicago Transit Authority)
Cleveland CTS
(Cleveland Transit System)
APPROXIMATE
ROUTE MiLEABE*
Total Underground
23 9
89 10
19 0.3
CUR
Number
38
20
75
25
150
50
10
100
25
92
76
691
80
2
2
200
306
210
50
180
150
1180
87
20
10
117
RAIL TRANSI
RCNTLY»» OP
Builder
I'ullman
Pullman
I'ullman
Pullman
Pullman
Pullman
St. Louis
Pullman
Pullman
Pullman
Pullman
i
Cincinnati
Pullman
St. Louis
St. Louis
St. Louis
St. Louis
St. Louis
Pullman
Budd
•
St. Louis
Pullman
Pullman
r CARS
£ RATIONAL
Year Built
1923
1911
1915
1916
1918
1951
1952
1957
1959
1963
1970
•As of 1973
1922-1925
1917
1918
1950-1951
1951-1956
1957-1959
1959-1960
1961
1969-1970
»A» of 1973
1951-1958
1967
1970
••As of 1972
Above Ground
*^ »«»
"it-
~ B £
— o.
€1 M • •
0 C • — -
CO •
mi- -o -a
*•*> « u
i- *> a a.
QVl vt Vt
Ol 11 Ol 3

 t X
0.65 23 50
0.66 25* 55
1.1 32 55
Below Ground
^* *-*
I 1 ~
— » f
^^ o.
•1 M • •
U C • ^^
CO •
»*• -o n
*> *J o) a>
•r- *• a, a.
es«o vt vt
ovw a> a
b X b v
«o < Z
0.5 18 15
0.66 25f 55
•Rail rapid transit parts of systems only.
•••Route/travel time.
^Overall average, for above and below ground.

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LE I. (Cont.)
RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM
Hew York NYCTA
(Mew York City Transit
Authority)
Hew York-Hew Jeraey PATH
(Port Authority Trans Hudson)
Philadelphia SEPTA
(Southeastern Penna. Transit
Authority )
Phlladelphia-Canden PATCO
(Port Authority Transit Corp.)
San Francisco BARTD
(Bay Area Rapid Transit District)
AP
ROU
Total
210
13
35
11
75
PROXIMATE
rE MILEAGE*
Underground
137
8
9
2.5
25
CUR
Number
750
10
200
1100
110
230
100
556
964
600
800
610
6060
17
206
16
299
300
273
573
JL
75
250
100
350
RAIL TRANSI1
UNTLY" DPI
Builder
A.C.P.
13uQd
A.C.P.
St . Louis
A.C.P.
St. Louis
A.C.P.
St. Louis
St. LouiB
Bucld
St. Louis
St. Louis
1
St. Louis
St. Louis
Hawker-
Slddley
t
Brill
Budd
•
Budd
I
Rohr
Rohr
r CARS
NATIONAL
Y«»r BulU
1916-1917
1917
1953
1951-1956
1958
1959
1959
1960-1961
1962
1963
1965-1966
1968-1970
•As of 1971
1956-1957
1961-1967
1972-1973
As of 1973
About 1935
About I960
As of 1973
1968
As of 1973
1971-1973
1973
••As of 1973
Above Ground
**» *^»
•IS
— a.
1* M •
u e *^
c o
mi- »
*•*» at
— *> O.
out vi
we •
out a
ti H
££ £
0.5 20 15
3.2 flflis)1 55
0.5 25 60
1.6 39 75
3.7 42 80
Below Ground
I I I
« « * R
u c • —
e o •
*i- T5 V
4it> tl •)
^•*. o. a.
Ol/> V) C/>
OB » *
oiw ai 3
1. B k »-
«W « X
> 41 > 
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     Finally, since the noise in transit cars increases with in-
creasing vehicle speed (as also discussed later in detail),  the
sneeds listed in Table I are of some importance in assessing the
noise and the noise control problems.

Car Builders and the Procurement Process
     In the past 15 years, ACF Industries and St.  Louis Car  Co.
have ceased all passenger car production and Budd has terminated
its production of self-propelled cars, leaving Pullman-Standard
as the only remaining old-line car builder.
     However, new companies have entered the transit car building
field in the oast few years.  Rohr Corp. supplied the cars for
the new BARTD system, the Boeing Vertol Co.  has developed and
built a pair of state-of-the-art cars (SOAC) now  undergoing test-
ing under the Urban Mass Transit Administration's Rapid Rail Sys-
tems and Vehicles Programs, LTV won a contract to supply vehicles
for the new Dallas airport system, and General Electric, who used
to supply only transit car components, has begun to bid as a prime
car supplier.
     Transit systems wishing to purchase new cars generally pre-
pare detailed specifications, which are submitted to potential
suppliers for bidding.*  Car builders generally do most of their
design work in the course of preparing bids.  In effect, a bid
typically indicates little more than the proposed price for the
cars to be supplied; the successful bidder usually is the one
who can meet the prescribed specifications and schedules reli-
ably at- the lowest cost.
•Except for some of the most recent ones, these specifications
did not include any quantitative noise performance requirements;
some of the very newest ones, on the other hand, specify rather
stringent noise performance requirements, acceptance tests, and-
payment penalties for not meeting these requirements.

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     Each oar proposed in response to a bid request is in essence
a new design aimed at meeting the specific requirements of the
procurement.  Since the designer can take noise control techniques
and components into account during the early design stages, one
may expect that many of these noise control considerations can
be implemented at relatively low cost.  However, except for some
very rare bold innovations, most new car designs draw heavily on
established technology, so that improved (and quieter) designs
tend more to evolve slowly (in a rather conservative industry)
than to appear overnight.
     Rapid transit cars constitute a relatively complex assemblage
of systems and components.  Builders typically build only the car
structure and body shell — they procure from other suppliers, in-
tegrate, and assemble all other parts, including such heavy items
as trucks, wheels, axles and propulsion motors, such major sub-
systems as controls, communication, and HVAC equipment, and such
smaller items as seats, doors, door operators, public address
systems, and lighting.

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NOISE IN TRANSIT CARS
Where Noise Originates
     The primary sources of steady noise* in rapid transit cars
and the relation of these sources to passengers may be visualized
with the aid of Fig. 1, which shows a schematic section through
a transit car.
     These sources, in typical order of importance, are:
     1.  Wheel/rail interaction
     2.  Propulsion (traction) system
     3.  Auxiliary  (undercar) equipment
     4.  Air conditioning and distribution systems
     The steady "roar" noise due to interaction between wheels
and rails typically constitutes the dominant noise component in
modern rapid transit cars running- on welded tangent brack.  For
cars running on jointed track, an impact noise associated with
passage of the wheels over joints in the track is added to the
roar noise.  Not much is known at present about the basic roar-
noise-producing mechanism, but it is thought to be associated
with wheel vibrations induced by small irregularities on the rail
interacting with the wheel tread, which also may contain small
surface irregularities. (It is well known that reduction of the
irregularities in the track — e.g., by grinding — reduces the
*By "steady" noise is meant a noise that is of long enough dura-
tion to make an appreciable contribution to the time-average
acoustic energy, computed for a trip or portion of a trip lasting
at least several minutes. Noise of short duration, such as the
screech produced by car wheels traversing tight curves, contri-
butes relatively little to the noise exposure of passengers, even
though this noise may be rather intense.  Thus, short-duration
noise is excluded from consideration here.

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                                 AIR DISTRIBUTION DUCTS
                                        BODY SHELL




                                        SUSPENSION




                                        TRUCK
                                        TRACTION SYSTEM
                                        UNDERCAR EQUIPMENT
FIG.  1.  SCHEMATIC SECTION OF TRANSIT CAR IN TUNNEL
                            10

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roar noise.)  The wheel vibrations radiate "airborne" sound (much
like a loudspeaker membrane), but also are transmitted to the ve-
hicle shell via structural paths, leading to sound radiation from
the shell.  The direct airborne radiation component generally is
by far the more significant.
     The propulsion equipment typically includes one or more
traction motors per truck, reduction gearing, and fans or blowers
for cooling the motors.  Each of  these components tend to produce
both airborne noise and structural vibrations.
     Auxiliary equipment, which generally is mounted under the
car, may include air conditioning compressors and condensers
(with associated fans, pumps, motors), air compressors and other
pneumatic system components, hydraulic systems, motor-alternator
sets, and electrical and electronic systems  (some of which may
include cooling fans).  Again, each of these items tends to pro-
duce both noise and vibrations.
     Those portions of the air conditioning and distribution
systems which are not mounted under the car may also contribute
to the noise environment in the passenger space.  For example,
noise is likely to be produced by air circulation fans, by air
flow in ducts, and by air emerging through grillages and per-
forations.  For reasonably well designed equipment, air condi-
tioning noise tends not to be an  important factor.

How Noise Reaches Passengers
     Of all the aforementioned noise sources, only those asso-
ciated with the air distribution  system communicate directly
with the passenger compartment.   For all of the other sources
one may expect the noise to reach the passengers via a multitude
of paths.  As indicated schematically in Fig. 2, these may in-
volve :
                               11

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             REFLECTING SURFACES
SOURCEOF
NOISE AND
VIBRATIONS
                                             SOUND TRANSMITTED
AIRBORNE SOUND (DIRECT)
          VIBRATIONS OF CONNECTING STRUCTURES
                                                      OPENING
                                  SOUND RADIATION
  SOUND
 IN CAR
INTERIOR
                                                FROM BODY
                                                VIBRATIONS
                                          CAR
                                         BODY
   FIG. 2.   SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF PATHS FOR SOUND TRANSMISSION INTO
            CAR INTERIOR

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      1.  Transmission of airborne sound from the source to the
         vehicle body, with  sound entering the passenger com-
         partment
            (a)  via  openings  (e.g., air intakes or exhaust
                vents, gaps in  door seals, open windows), or
            (b)  by setting the  body shell into vibration,
                causing it to radiate sound; and
     2.  Transmission of vibrations to the body shell via
         structural paths (e.g., including bearings, mount-
         ings,  fastenings),  resulting in airborne noise
         radiation into the  passenger compartment.
     Transmission of (airborne) sound from sources  outside the
car to the vehicle body may  take place along relatively direct
"line of sight" paths, and along more circuitous paths involv-
ing reflections from the trackbed, the ground, and from tunnel
surfaces.  For  vehicles located in the open, one may expect
much of the airborne noise to  reach the vehicle from its under-
side; for vehicles in tunnels, on the other hand, one may ex-
pect noise to reach it essentially from all directions.  In
typical tunnels with little  acoustic absorption,  multiple re-
flections tend  to make the sound field around vehicles rela-
tively uniform; since no sound can escape to the side, these
sound fields also tend to be relatively intense.

The Noise Environment in Cars
     Since, as  evident from  the foregoing discussion, the noise
in a car depends to some extent on whether the car is in a tunnel
or in the open, it is reasonable to treat these two cases separ-
ately.  In addition, the two most important ones of the previously
listed noise sources depend  very significantly on the speed of the
vehicle, so that car speed may be expected to be an important para-
meter affecting the in-car noise.
                               13

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     The available data* on the steady noise inside rapid transit
cars is summarized in Figs-.  3 and 4, in terms of (overall) A-
weighted noise levels, plotted as functions of speed.  Correspond-
ing frequency spectra, as far as available, are collected in Ap-
pendix A.  Presentation of the information here in terms of A-
weighted levels has been chosen because these levels have become
widely accepted as a basis both for judging noise annoyance and
for establishing hearing conservation criteria.
     Figure 3 pertains to transit cars travelling on tangent
(straight) track, on the surface of the ground (not on elevated
structures), whereas Fig. 4 pertains to cars on similar track in
tunnels.  The data in both figures corresponds to track that con-
tains no unusual roughness or irregularities.
     The higher-speed data of Fig. 3 may be seen to fall into
three bands — two of which, if continued toward lower speeds, do
not encompass the lower speed data very well.  This state of af-
fairs also is evident in Fig. 4 and has a reasonable explanation.
At zero speeds, the noise in a car is due only to air-handling
and auxiliary equipment; contributions from the propulsion system
and from dynamic wheel/rail interaction obviously are absent.
With increasing speed, these contributions increase until they
eventually predominate.  Thus, the low-speed and higher-speed
regions of these two figures essentially correspond to dominance
*Data appearing in the literature without corresponding speed
information has not been included.  Neither has such data from
which A-weighted overall levels cannot be deduced reliably.
The presence of passengers in cars changes their acoustical
characteristics somewhat, and therefore also affects the noise
environment in cars to some extent.  However, these effects are
relatively minor and generally well within the spread of the data
summarized here.
                               14

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120
              T
                               T
                               T
  110
  100
CD
•o
hi
>
LU
UJ
CO
O
z
90
   80
   FIG
          N  NYCTA,  R-44 (Ref.1)
          C  CTA, Budd  (Ref. 2)
                             Ground Rail (Ref.4)
                             Underground Rail  (Ref.4)
             MBTA, South Shore  (Ref.7)
             MONTREAL,  Line'2 (Ref.9)
             PATCO  (Ref. 10)
             TTC, Gar  5414 (Ref. 3)
             SOAC (Ref. 5}
             Range of  Data
u }BARTD, car 107 {
M
R
p
T
s
I
(See TABLE I for Abreviations)
                                                                                 U.
            10
            20
                                  30        40        50
                                       SPEED (mph)
                                                              60
70
                                                                                 80
         .  3.   STEADY NOISE LEVELS IN TRANSIT  CARS ON TANGENT TRACK OF GOOD QUALITY
               ABOVE GROUND

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  120
                                                                 I
no
  100
CD
5  so
Ul
-J
Ul
CO
   80
   NYCTA, Various Lines and Cars (Ref. 9)
   CTA,  Various Lines and Cars (Ref. 2,6)
C3 SEPTA, Various  Cars  {Ref. 11)
M  MBTA, South Shore (Ref.7)
P  PATCO (Ref. 10)
T  TTC,  Several Cars  (Ref. 3)
I  Range  of Data
(See TABLE I for Abreviatlons)
                       •4.
                       •KJ
                       •-S
                                                              LONDON
                                                              LISBON
                                                              STOCKHOLM
                                                              BERLIN
                                                              PARIS
                                                              (Rubber-Tired)
                                          (Ref. 8)   «
              10
                20
30
                                                    50
60
       FIG. 4.
                            40
                        SPEED (mph)
STEADY NOISE LEVELS  IN  TRANSIT CARS  IN SUBWAY TUNNELS
70
80

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of different noise sources.  (The fact that one band of Fig.  3
also includes the lower-speed data probably is fortuitous.)  Be-
cause of the lower noise levels at low speeds, and because tran-
sit systems tend to operate their vehicles at the greatest pos-
sible speeds consistant with safety and acceleration/deceleration
limitations, the lower-speed information is of limited interest.
Consequently, the later discussion of noise control costs focuses
on the higher-speed region.
     The differences in the noise levels associated with the vari-
ous bands of Fig. 3 may be ascribed to differences in the car.
The data in the highest band (enclosed by solid lines, and in-
creasing on the average by about 4 dBA per 10 mph increase in
speed) corresponds to cars of somewhat older designs than the
data in the middle band (enclosed by long dashed lines, and in-
creasing on the average by about 2 dBA per 10 mph increase in
speed ).  The lowest band  (short dashed lines, also increasing
at 2 dBA per 10 mph) corresponds to a single very new demonstra-
tion vehicle.
     Although the data pertaining to in-car noise in tunnels
does not suffice for the drawing of trend-indicating bands in
Fig. 4 like those of Fig.  3, bands are indicated in Fig. 4.
These have been established simply by shifting the upper two
bands of Fig. 3 upward (both by the same amount), so that they
enclose most of the significant higher-speed data.  This 10 dBA
shift indicates that the noise level in a given vehicle at a
given speed is 10 dBA higher on the average when the vehicle is
in a tunnel than when it is on the surface.
     From Fig. 3 one may determine that the noise level L in the
most quiet transit cars currently in service, when operating at
a speed V above ground, may be estimated from
                               17

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                L(dBA) = 65 + 0.18 V(mph)
within ±5 dBA.  In view of Fig. 4, one finds that one may estimate
the noise level in such cars in tunnels (for speeds above 20 mph)
by adding 10 dBA to the above-ground noise level obtained from
the foregoing relation.
     One may also note that at any particular speed above 35 mph
the state-of-the-art car is about 7 dBA quieter on the average
than currently operating cars.
                               18

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 NOISE  REDUCTION AND ITS COSTS
 Car Design  Modifications for Noise Reduction
      The  most fruitful approach toward the reduction  of noise
 generally consists of modification of the  noise  sources so  as to
 reduce the  noise generation.  Application  of  this  approach  to
 transit cars  requires modification of the  wheel/rail  interaction
 and possibly  also of the propulsion and under-car  equipment.
      The  only practical means presently available  for reducing
 wheel/rail  roar noise at its source consists  of  replacing the
standard steel wheels in present use by "resilient" wheels.  Sev-
 eral such wheel designs are available and  have been tested; all
 incorporate rubber elements between the steel rim  running sur-
 faces  and the central wheel discs, so as to achieve some vibra-
 tion isolation between the rim and central disc.
      Reductions in the noise produced by the  propulsion and aux-
 iliary equipment sources usually may be obtained by choosing
 quieter components (e.g., helical instead  of  spur  gears, slow
 centrifugal blowers instead of high-speed  axial  flow  fans)  and
 by  taking appropriate care in system design (to  avoid turbulent
 fluid flows,  reduce mechanical vibrations, avoid impacts, rattles,
 buzzing).
      One  may  also reduce the noise reaching the  passengers  by
 obstructing the dominant propagation paths.  Thus, one may  place
 acoustical  enclosures around noisy equipment  components, and pos-
 sibly  even  around the wheels (although wheel  enclosures are like-
 ly  to  be  impractical).  One may also increase the  attenuation
 provided  by the body shell by sealing all  openings as well  as
 possible, providing mufflers for all openings that cannot be
 sealed, and using shell structures that permit less sound trans-
 mission.  Such structures, for example, might be of a double-wall
                               19

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or "shell within a shell" type.  Similarly, one may impede the
propagation of vibrations (which lead to sound radiation in the
passenger space, as previously discussed), e.g., by use of vibra-
tion isolation in the form of rubber "shock mounts", elastomeric
bushings, or air springs.
     Finally, one may reduce the intensity of the sound fields
generated in the passenger space by the various sources (and
paths) somewhat by increasing the acoustic absorption in the
passenger compartments, for example by installing acoustical
ceiling treatment, carpets and/or upholstery.

Costs and Benefits
     Table II lists the various feasible car modifications that
may be expected to result in reductions of in-car noise, together
with the expected magnitudes of these reductions, and the associ-
ated estimated weight penalties and costs.  For modifications
that affect noise in vehicles on grade differently from that in
vehicles in tunnels, two different values are indicated.  The
initial costs of these noise control modifications listed in the
table represent the associated increase in cost of new cars; cor-
responding retrofitting of cars in current use is likely to be
prohibitively costly and is not considered here.  The "Remarks"
column contains primarily notes concerning technical aspects of
the modifications.
     Inspection of Table II leads one to the following conclu-
sions:
(1)  Use of a floated interior shell is the one single modifica-
     tion capable of providing the greatest noise reduction.
     However, this modification involves considerable cost and
     weight penalties.
                               20

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TABLE  II.    IN-CAR  NOISE  REDUCTIONS
               DESIGN  MODIFICATIONS
AND COSTS ASSOCIATED  WITH  TRANSIT  CAR
MODIFICATION
gesilient Wheels


Quieter Components
Propulsion
Motor and cooling, fan

Gearing

Undercar Auxiliaries.
Electrical
Electronic
Motor-alternators
Hydraulic


Pneumatic


Air conditioning

Agoustlcal Enclosures for above
components

Vibration Isolation of above
eomoonents
Imoroved Vibration Isolation between
Trucks and. Body

liroroved Acoustical Performance of Bodj
Boubie->pane windows or acoustical glass
Secondary (.floated) floor

Tlgnter door seals

Air duct muffling

Floated (isolated) interior shell

Added Absorotlon Inside Cay


Quieted Air Distribution System
ecrease*** In
teady In-car
Noise, Above
30 mph (dBA)
5




2

3


N,E
N,E
S,E
N,E


S,E


S

N,E


2

2


fl on grade,
13 in tunnel
13 on grade.
12 in tunnel
* 1

2

(6 on grade,
10 In tunnel
2

5
Estimated Average
Incremental Costs
per car ($1000)*
Initial
3.2
(Approx,
$400/whael)


N

10


N
N
N
N


N


N

0.5


N

1.0


1 1.2
U$75/wlndow
2

1

1

25

1

0.5
Operating
-0.3/year




N

N


N
N

N


N


N

N


N

N


0.2/year(R)
0.2/year(R)

0.2/year(R)

If

0.2/year(R)

N

N
Weight
Penalty
per car**
(1000 Ib)
N

1


N

0.1


N
N
N
N


N


N

0.5


N

N


1.5
1.5

N

N

3.0

0.2

0.2
REMARKS
Operating cost reduction due to pos-
sibility of replacement of worn rims
Instead of entire wheels.


Modification of fan and cooling air
passages.
Higher quality gears, gear unit oil
cooling.

1 Primary noise due to air cooling, if
i ftnv
• aujr •
Noise due to pumps, valves, motors.
Use rotary Instead of reciprocating
equipment.
Primary noise due to compressors,
valves. Use rotary Instead of recip-
rocating equipment.
Primary noise due to compressors,
condenser cooling air fans.
Enclosures Include provision for
cooling, Including muffling of air
passages for air cooling.


Reduces transmission of vibrations
originating- from wheel/rail interac-
tion and propulsion components.
Double-pane windows Imply need for
added sash and structural complexity.

Require development to be practical;
necessitate more frequency replace-
ment to maintain seal.
Cleanablllty requirements usually
limit design.
Includes appropriate windows and
door seals.
Space limitations, cleaning require-
ments and vandal-proofing limit de-
sign and usable materials.
Space limitations limit design.
N • leellelble 3 • source contributes significantly only to noise In stationary
' * or slowly moving cars
E « modifications affect exterior noise primarily ' ,, , «.„„„ »
R • repairs, replacement, and maintenance
  •Typical car cost  $250,000 to 300,000
  ••Typical oar weighs  60,000 to 100,000 16.  Cost of weight penalty IS $1.50 to *2.00 per pound,

  •••Amounts of decrease Indicated correspond to implementation of only one modification at a time.  Decreases due to multiple
    modifications are not additive in general.

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 (2)  Many other modifications, which effect limited noise reduc-
     tions, may be implemented at little cost.
 (3)  Many modifications affect only the low-speed in-car noise,
     and not the high-speed noise, which is of primary interest
     here.

 Incremental Costs of Quieter Cars
     The decreases in the high-speed in-car noise expected to be
 obtained by use of virtually all technically sensible combina-
 tions of noise control modifications are indicated in Table III,
 together with the associated incremental costs.
     For purposes of preparing this table, it was assumed that
 anyone desiring quieter cars at minimum cost would install qui-
 eter motor and cooling fans, at the same time improving the vi-
 bration isolation of the noisy propulsion and undercar compo-
 nents, since these two modifications are estimated to reduce
 the noise by 3 dBA, at essentially zero incremental cost.  In
 addition, it was assumed that of the four approaches involving
 minor design improvements and/or development — namely: (1) im-
proved vibration isolation between trucks and body, (2) improved
 air duct muffling, (3) increased acoustical absorption inside
 car, and (4) tighter door seals — one would always implement
 either all or none.
     Figure 5 shows the noise reductions obtained with the vari-
 ous combinations of noise control modifications, as a function
 of the initial incremental costs they add to a car.  This figure
permits one to select that combination which gives the greatest
 amount of noise reduction for a given incremental initial cost,
 or to determine the minimum cost associated with a given amount
 of noise reduction.  In addition, Fig.  5 also permits one to
                              22

-------
S3
   Q.
   E
   O
*-. ^
< LJ
CD >
3 o
   CO
2 <
2u 10
I- w
= o
Q Z
       o
       i
                       220
                       "*
                          -•-
                   170 O18  2°
                  6 2
                                   23
                       19 14
                                                                                 21
Numbers Correspond to Noise  Reduction Combination
Code of Table IT.  Points are Plotted to Represent
Average  Noise Reductions for  Above -Ground and
in-Tunnel Operation
                                10                   20                   30

                               INCREMENTAL INITIAL  COST  OF CAR  ($ 1000)
                                                40
            FIG. 5.   INCREMENTAL COSTS OF  NOISE REDUCTION

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eliminate from consideration some combinations that are clearly
less cost-effective than others; for example, since combinations
17 and 18 produce the same amount of noise reduction, but 17 is
less costly, one would be inclined not to consider 18 further.
     However, in order to consider the total costs of noise-
control design modifications more meaningfully, one must consider
the operating costs in addition to the initial costs on which Fig.
5 is based.  One may reduce initial and operating costs to a sin-
gle index by discounting the future incremental costs to the pre-
sent day at an appropriate interest rate and adding this discounted
cost to the increase in initial cost.  The result is the net dis-
counted cost increase.  Corresponding values are shown in Table III,
based on a car service life of 25 years and on an assumed annual
interest rate of Q% (which is a representative value for public
projects).
     Figure 6 is analogous to Fig. 5, but is based on the afore-
mentioned net discounted cost increase, instead of on the incre-
mental initial cost.  The same remarks made above in relation to
Fig. 5 apply also to Fig. 6.
     Table IV summarizes the minimum costs associated with achiev-
ing various levels of in-car noise reduction by car design modifi-
cations.  It is a coincidental effect of the various combinations
of initial and operating costs listed in Table III (as well as of
the car life times and interest rates used in the discounted value
computations) that the noise control modifications which are
most desirable on the initial cost basis are also most desirable
on the net discounted value basis.
                               24

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TABLE  III.   NOISE  REDUCTIONS DUE TO COMBINATIONS OF MODI
              FICATIONS, AND ASSOCIATED  COSTS
•s
0
o
g
^1
43
§

MO >
O O
>>Q C<
•d o.
O + B
(Q M

X
X



X
X



X X
X
X
X
X
X


X X
X
X
X X

fc
o
o
fo

•0
0)
43
a
0
H
fo



X




X



X


X

X

X

X
X

r-t
r-i
(U
co

•o
4>
Float




X




X



X




X

X


n
H
4>
4)

4J
C
0)
•H
i-H
i-l
03
£





X




X



X

X
X
X

X
X
X
*
0)
£
o
flj
"
V
09
3
5
1-3
3-2
6-10
5
7
4-5
5-4
8-12
7.5
7.5-9
8
12-15
'11
6.5-7
8.5-9.5
9
11.5-15.5
10
16-8.5
11-12
14
•€»•
+>
M
O
O
iH
at
•H
43
•H
C
M
C
•H

4)
a
a
«
o
a
_
4
1.2
2
25
3.2
4
1.2
2
25
3.2
5.2
6
29
7.2
3-2
4.4
5.2
28.2
7.2
32.2
6.4
10.4
crating Cost (K$/Year)
8
•H

0)
3
£
o
c
M
_
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
-0.3
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
-0.3
0.4
0.4
0.4
-0.1
0.4
-0.1
-0.1
-0.1
0.6
0.1
0.1
0.3
L Cost Increase* (K$)
•o
0>
43
O
u
a
43
_
14.7
3-3
4.1
27.1
*0
6.1
3.3
4.1
27.1
-0
9.5
10.3
33.3
7.1
7.5
3.3
4.3
27.1
13.6
33.3
7.5
13.6
        •For Q% annual Interest rate, 25 year life time
        **Where two numbers are given, the first pertains to above-ground
         and the second to in-tunnel operation.
                                   25

-------
                             TABLE IV

  MINIMUM COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH NOISE REDUCTION MODIFICATIONS
  In-Car Noise Reduction
      Above 30 mph
   Incremental Costs ($1000)
 Initial*      Net Discounted*
          5 dBA
         10 dBA
         15 dBA
 3.2 [11]
 7.2 [15]
32.2 [21]
  *0 [11]
 7.1 [15]
33.3 [21]
•Numbers in brackets refer to best combination of noise control
design modifications listed in Table III.
                             26

-------
fo
•vj
     a.
     E
< UJ

§§
  GO
z <
2 LJ
|- C/>
o ^

s*

«•«
  o
   I


10
1
1
1
0


• 15
170Q18
12®
?" 7A
7* *16
8OO9
>6
• 4
n *3

• 23
20
• ,
13
* t22
• 2





• 19
10
	 _ „„.,
• 5
• 21
• 14


Numbers Correspond to Noise Reduction Combination
Code of Table EL Points are, Plotted to Represent
Average Noise Reductions for Above-Ground and
in-Tunnel Operation



                           10                 20                 30

                          NET DISCOUNTED COST INCREASE  ($1000)
                                                                               40
          FIG. 6.  NET DISCOUNTED COST INCREASE  (FOR 8% ANNUAL
                  LIFE)  ASSOCIATED  WITH NOISE REDUCTION
                                                       INTEREST RATE, 25  YEAR

-------
                            REFERENCES

 1.   A. Paolillo, Memorandum to D.T. Scannell re "Noise Measure-
     ments, R-44 Contract Cars," 21 August 1972.

 2.   W. Patterson, "Results of Field Tests on CTA Train, Conducted
     6 September 1972".

 3.   Toronto Transit Commission, "Interim Report on Penn Resilient
     Wheels," October 31, 1969. (Test run between 27 August and
     4 Septmeber 1969.)

 4.   G.P. Wilson, "BARDT Prototype Car 107 Noise Tests with Stand-
     ard,  Damped and Resilient Wheels: Ballast and Tie Tangent
     Track and Short Radius Subway Curves," Final Report, June
     21, 1972.

 5.   F.N. Hiuser, "State-of-the-Art Car: Ready for Revenue
     Testing," Railway Age, January 8, 1973.

 6.   C. Hanson, E.E. Ungar, Measurements taken on 11 June 1973
     on CTA Douglas Service.

 7.   E.J. Rickley, R.W. Quinn, "MBTA Rapid Transit System (Red
     Line) Wayside and In-Car Noise and Vibration Level Measure-
     ments," Report DOT-TSC-OST-72-31, August 1972.

 8.   E.W. Davis, "Comparison of Noise and Vibration Levels in
     Rapid Transit Vehicle Systems," National Capital Transporta-
     tion Agency.  Operations Research Inc. Technical Report 216.
     April 1964.

 9.   C.M. Harris, B.H. Aitken, "Noise in Subway Cars," Sound and
     Vibration, 5., No. 2, Febrary 1971, pp. 12-14.

10.   E.E. Ungar, Measurements taken on 12 July 1973.

11.   J.W. Vigrass, Memorandum to R.B. Johnston, on "Resilient
     Wheels," 2 July 1973.

-------
    APPENDIX A
IN-CAR NOISE SPECTRA
        A-l

-------
IUU
0
z
00
UJ 90
\-
0
0
0
SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL IN ONE-THI
(dB re 2x 10~5 N/m2
£> » 01 -4 C
o»o o o o c

^*



1 1

^VN
\
\




,x\
\




A,
^•s*—
40 mph (


1 1
•
**—T£
81 dBA)


1 1
/"^^
\
X
s
30mph (
1
"T
50 mph
^
v>
76 dBA)

1 1
(85 dBA)

t
^ \
*\

1 1


\
X


63 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 16,000
             ONE-THIRD OCTAVE BAND CENTER FREQUENCY  (Hz)
FIG. A.I.  NOISE  LEVELS IN TffC CAR 5414  ON TANGENT  TRACK

-------
     100
o
CO


UJ
u
o

o
(E
     90
     80
UJ Z

§r
z2  70
_j co

y ~  eo

-------
I
tfl
100
Q
ffi
UJ 90
3
0
0
0
— T 80
$1
UJ Z
§?
SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL If
(dB re 2x 1
£ w 
-------
 O
 •z.
 <
 -.a

 LJ

 <
 h
 O
 o
 \-
 i
 UJ
   X
 -> CM
 UJ
 > 
 O
 CO
       31.5     63      125     250     500    1000   2000    4000    8000

                 ONE-THIRD OCTAVE  BAND  CENTER  FREQUENCY (Hz)
16,000
FIG.  A.4.   NOISE LEVELS IN CTA CARS 2251, 2252 (BUDD CO.) ON WELDED AND GROUND
           RAIL, ON GRADE, TIES ON BALLAST

-------
3--
I
              9O
         m
         UJ    80

         h-
         6
         Q
         *-  70
         UJ
         E^  60
         LJ
         rr
         3
         CO
         (./i
         UJ
         E
         Q.
         O
         cn
50
              40
              30
               31.5
         PIG. A.5.
O
O
A
a
a
O
MADRID TALGO       76.5 dBA
LISBON              86dBA
PARIS (RUBBER TIRED)  75 dBA
BERLIN              77.5dBA
STOCKHOLM          81dBA
LONDON TUBE        83 dBA
                   I	I
                          I  !
                         I  i
                            I   i
I  I
I
        63     125     250    500    1000    2000   4000
               OCTAVE BAND CENTER FREQUENCY  (Hz)
     NOISE LEVELS IN SEVERAL  EUROPEAN SUBWAY  CARS
                                                 8000   16,000

-------
CO
                               STATE ST
                       CHICAGO
                    O          DEARBORN ST.  75 dBA
                   O  LONDON TUBE
                   A  PARIS (RUBBER TIRED)
                       NEW YORK
                       STOCKHOLM
                       TORONTO
               31.5
          FIG.  A.6.
        125     250    500     1000   2000   4000
        OCTAVE BAND CENTER FREQUENCY  (Hz)
NOISE LEVELS  IN  SEVERAL  SUBWAY CARS
8000   16,000

-------
                100
-o
A
O I          DEARBORN ST.  91 dBA
©   PHILADELPHIA        92dBA
Q   TORONTO             SOdBA
D   NEW YORK             86dBA
                                     STATE ST.
                                    '
                  31.5
                      125     250    500    1000    2000   4000
                      OCTAVE BAND CENTER FREQUENCY (Hz)
FIG.  A.7.  NOISE LEVELS IN SEVERAL NORTH  AMERICAN SUBWAY  CARS AT 30 mph
                                                 8000   16,000

-------
->
          CD


          UJ
          u
          o
            V.

            Z
I

LJ


o?
SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL
dB re 2x
uu
90
80
70
60
50
40
31
1 1
^
\



1 1
1 1
\


V-



1 1
v^

^ 	


1
1 1
^
	 x
BERLIN
40 mph,


1 1
SEATTl
45 mph
x^

^S
SUBWAY
( 75 dBA)


1 1
.E MONC
, (91.5 c
/


\


1
)RAIL
BA)
	 — .

\


1 1
— -*.


\

1 1





.5 63 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 16,0
                                    OCTAVE BAND CENTER FREQUENCY  (Hz)


          FIG. A.8.  NOISE LEVELS  IN TWO TRANSIT  VEHICLES AT 40 AND  45 mph

-------
            APPENDIX B
LIST OF TRANSIT SYSTEMS PERSONNEL
               B-l

-------
                         LIST  OF  TRANSIT  SYSTEMS PERSONNEL CONTACTED
     System
                                      Office Address and Telephone
                                                                                 Individuals Contacted
     Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)
co
CJ
     Cleveland Transit System (CTS)
     Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority
     (META)
     New York City Transit Authority
     (NYCTA)
Port Authority Transit  Corporation
(PATCO)
     Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATIO
      Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit
      Authority  (SEPTA)
      Bay  Area Rapid Transit District
      (BARTD)
                                      Merchandise Mart Plaza. Rm.  7-144
                                      Chicago, Illinois 6065A
                                      (312) 664-7200
1401 East Ninth Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
(216) 781-5100

500 Arborway
Jamaica Plain, Boston,  Mass.  02130
(617) 722-6162

370 Jay Street
Brooklyn, New York 11201
(212)

Lindenwold Yard,
Lindenwold. Nevf Jersey
(609) 963-8300

Rm. 65E, 1 World Trade Center
New York, N. Y. 1004?
(212) 466-3524

200 West Wyoming Avenue
Philadelphia, Penna. 19140
(215) 329-4000

800 Madison Street
Oakland. Calif.
(415) 788-2278
Prank J. Cihak, Chief Equipment  Engineer
Equipment Research/Development Department
(Ext. 516)
Glenn M. Anderson, Senior Equipment
Engineer, Rapid Transit Section
Equipment Research/Development Department

Michael (Tim) Browne, Research Specialist
Research and Planning
(Ext. 385)

John J. Williams
Planning and Development
                                                                            Anthony Paolillo
                                                                            Environmental Staff Division
J.W. (Bill) Vigrass
Maintenance Superintendent
(Ext. 35)

Nat Streitman, staff of Edward Parrelly,
Assistant Chief, Rail Planning Division
                                                                            B.J. Krant, Manager
                                                                            Administration
                                                                                 Public Relations Department

-------
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA
SHEET
K"P
P5W9-74-012
3. Recipient's Accession No.
4. Title and Subtitle
  Noise in Rail Transit Cars
  Incremental  Costs of Quieter Cars
                                        5. Report Date

                                           June  1O7A
                                        6.
  Author(s)
   E.E.  Ungar
                                        &• Performing Organization Kept.
                                          No.
  Performing Organization Name: and Address

  Bolt  Beranek  and Newman
                                        10. Project/Task/Work Unit No.
                                                             It. Contract/Grant No.

                                                               EPA No. 68-01-153*
 2. Sponsoring Organization Name and Address

  Environmental Protection Agency
  Office of .Noise Abatement & Control
                                        13. Type of Report & Period
                                          Covered
                                            Final
                                                             14.
 IS. Supplemenrary Notes
16. Abstracts  tj.s.  rail rapid transit systems,  car operations,  and the  car
building industry are described in relation to the procurement of  quieter
cars.   The noise environment of passengers in rapid transit cars is
discussed and  the major noise sources and paths  of noise transmission into
cars are delineated.
          For essentially all combinations of car noise-control modificatior
deemed technically and  economically feasible for implementation in new
vehicles, estimates are presented of the associated noise  reductions,
initial costs,  and operating costs.  It  is concluded that  significant
reductions in  in-car noise under typical operating condicitions can be
achieved at incremental costs that are small percentages of the total
car costs.
17. Key Words and Document Analysis. 17o. .Vrcriptors
Transit systems
Car Operations
Car Builders
Car design andi.onodifications
Noise in transit r.«»rs
Costs and benefit*, of noise reduction
17b. Identifiers/Open-Ended Terms
 17c. COSATI Field/Group
 18. Availability Statement
     Available  at NTIS
                              19.. Security Class (This
                                Report)
                                  UNCLASSIFIED X
                                                   20. Security Class (This
                                                     Page          „
                                                       UNCLASSIFIED X
                                                   21. No. of Pages
                                                 22. Price
FORM NTIS-35 (IO-70)
                                                                      USCOMM-DC 40379-1-

-------