Noise from TPE

[coralresident]

Hi Punggol residents,

I have been staying here for close to 9 years and find that increasingly the noise level from the Tampines Expressway has increased somewhat. I have logged a feedback with NParks Board to request that they plant more trees along the stretch where the punggol flats are located along the expressway. Or consider planting older trees that can absorb the sound. Previously it was not so bad, but now with the road widening and the building of the overhead bridge, the noise has increased. Let's hope they do something abt this. Thank you.

[naveen1975]

I agree too. Hopefully they can lay more tall trees along the highway to shield the houses.

[limweech]

nparks emailed coralresident with cc to punggol.sg on July 6, 2010 4:02 pm that they have planted rows of Rain Trees (Samanea saman) along both sidetables of Tampines Expressway.

do not know if it means there were already trees planted prior to suggestion from coralresident, or more trees were planted after coralresident wrote to nparks.

[limweech]

i took photos of the trees. does not look newly planted, so likely done way before coralresident sent feedback.

just single row of trees, large gaps between crowns of the trees. does not look capable of reducing noise as-is. i checked on "noise abatement research", found the following link, http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/noise/regulations_and_guidance/probresp.cfm which has the following comment on using trees to screen traffic noise; FHWA is "United States Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration"

Vegetation, which is so high, wide, and dense that it cannot be seen over or through, can decrease highway traffic noise. However, it requires a 200-foot width of such vegetation to reduce noise by 10 decibels, which cuts in half the loudness of traffic noise. It is not feasible to plant enough vegetation along a road to achieve such reductions. If vegetation already exists, it can be saved to maintain a psychological relief, if not an actual lessening of traffic noise levels. If vegetation does not exist, it can be planted for psychological relief, not to reduce traffic noise levels.

. . .

Barriers do have limitations. For a noise barrier to work, it must be high enough and long enough to block the view of a road. Noise barriers do very little good for homes on a hillside overlooking a road or for buildings, which rise above the barrier.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/noise/noise_barriers/design_construction/keepdown.cfm

Vegetation, if it is high enough, wide enough, and dense enough that it cannot be seen over or through, can decrease highway traffic noise. A wide strip of trees with very thick undergrowth can lower noise levels. 30 meters of dense vegetation can reduce noise by five decibels. However, it is not feasible to plant enough trees and other vegetation along a highway to achieve such a reduction. Trees and other vegetation can be planted for psychological relief but not to physically lessen noise levels.