Solid safety barriers are commonly constructed along highways. These barriers improve highway safety by preventing collisions and providing separation from slopes or adjacent hazards such as deep water. For elevated and at-grade roadways, these shorter barriers have also been shown to noticeably reduce traffic noise. In this study, modeling methods were developed and evaluated for their ability to accurately calculate the performance of short barriers in reducing traffic noise at the wayside. Five real-world highway scenarios were selected for model validation, including four sites located behind short safety barriers and a site located behind a short berm. Theoretical modeling was conducted to systematically evaluate the effects of modeling parameters on the prediction of noise reduction provided by short barriers.
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