ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Traffic noise (and in more detail rolling noise) affects the health of thousands of citizens. Consequently a number of silent technologies (quiet surfaces) are available, with different weaknesses, noise performance, and expected life. This notwithstanding, addressing noise impacts from a Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) perspective is still an issue. Indeed, characterization factors, inventory data, underlying methodology are neither clear nor well established. Complexity increases when not only environmental costs but also agency and/or user costs are considered as a whole. This implies that the assessment of the “overall” appropriateness of a “silent technology” may emerge as uncertain. In the light of the above, the study described in this paper focuses on setting up a methodology for the synergistic consideration of agency, user and environmental/noise-related costs. The methodology set up was applied to a given case study. Results can benefit both researchers and practitioners.
