**3. Results**

In this section, results obtained for the measurements carried out with the noise monitoring systems in each one of the chosen locations are shown, together with the discussion of the whole results.

The street typologies defined in Section 2.2 have been checked out with short time measurements before the installation of the monitoring systems in the proposed locations (type 1 roads are not set, as there were no people living near a motorway). Accordingly, the measurement points can be classified as follows:


As there are very few differences among the measurements for every month, only the averages for the whole measurement time are shown. **Figures 5** and **6** illustrate, respectively, the weighed equivalent levels for day and night periods (results for the evening period are almost identical to those of the day period). **Figure 7** shows the mean LAeq level in dB(A) for each one of the measurements points. **Figures 8** and **9** show the mean LAeq levels during working days (Monday to Friday) and non-working days (weekends and festivities), respectively. Finally, **Figure 10** represents the noise climate (L10–L90) and **Figure 11** the singular noise events (L1).

According to all these results, general and specific statements can be done that prove and justify the approach of using road typologies to simplify noise maps.

**Figure 5.** *Lday results.*

*Noise Profile Categorization for Noise Mapping in Cities: The Case of Cuenca (Spain) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.104396*

**Figure 6.** *Lnight results.*

**Figure 7.** *LAeq results.*

Firstly, specific noise profiles can be derived for each road typology, that can be described as follows:

• In roads of type 2, the LAeq is almost constant around 72 dB(A) during the day. At 22 h this level starts to decrease, being minimum from 3 to 4 h with 62 dB(A). At this time the noise level starts to increase up to 8 h. Observing the LAeq during working days, a similar trend with levels around 73 dB(A) during the day and a minimum of 60 dB(A) at 3 h can be found out. On non-working days, the level is around 72 dB(A) during the day and the minimum of 64 dB(A) is reached at 4 h.

**Figure 8.** *LAeq results during working days.*

**Figure 9.** *LAeq results during non-working days.*

• In type 3 roads, the LAeq is again almost constant close to 70 dB(A) during the day. At 22 h the level starts to go down with the minimum LAeq (60 dB(A)) at 5 h when the level starts to increase. During working days, the same trend can be

*Noise Profile Categorization for Noise Mapping in Cities: The Case of Cuenca (Spain) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.104396*

**Figure 10.** *Noise climate (L10–L90) results.*

**Figure 11.** *Singular noise events (L1) results.*

observed, with levels around 70 dB(A) during the day and a minimum of 58 dB (A) from 3 to 4 h. Concerning non-working days, a more constant profile is obtained, with levels around 67 dB(A) during the day and a minimum of 62 dB (A) at 5 h.


Globally speaking, it is possible to see that the higher the typology of the road, the lower the noise level is, with almost non-existent overlaps among them. In all the types, noise levels are almost constant during the day and start to decrease around 22:00 h, being the quietest hour between 3:00 and 4:00 h. The level at 8:00 and 9:00 h (entrance to works and schools) is almost constant for the whole day and evening.

Therefore, according to the results of Cuenca, its day period embraces from 8:00 to 21:00 h and night period from 21:00 to 8:00 h. Furthermore, it can be stated that the more residential the street is, the higher the noise reduction during the night is. This behavior is due to the fact that in residential areas the traffic during the night is almost non-existent, whereas in other streets there is some more traffic during the night. This fact is also reinforced by the differences in the noise climate between day and night periods.

If working and non-working days are compared, it is possible to state that during the day the LAeq is generally lower during non-working days. At night the noise level in non-working days is increased. This increase in level is due to the increment in traffic because of leisure activities, which many times take place directly in the street.

Noise climate, shows a higher variability during the night period, being quite homogeneous for the day period. This fact, together with the higher noise levels during the day, indicates that there may be a significant number of similar noise

### *Noise Profile Categorization for Noise Mapping in Cities: The Case of Cuenca (Spain) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.104396*

sources that contribute to the noise pollution; meanwhile, during the night the number of noise sources is lower but more heterogeneous. Some differences also stand out if the road typology is considered, as those with a heavier traffic intensity (types 2–5) present values for the noise climate higher during the night period than during the day period; on the other hand, the trend is the opposite for the residential road types (6 and 7).

The singular noise events indicator (L1) shows that in the surroundings of Cuenca there are no noise sources with emissions of high noise intensity within a short period of time (aircraft overflights, high-speed trains, booming sources, etc.). Nevertheless, it is stated that for the measurement points with lower LAeq and lower traffic intensity (for instance Acacia Uceta Street—type 7) there is a very significant variation of L1 during the quietest hour (3:00–4:00 h); it means that in residential areas a single noise source can appear as extremely noisy, whereas for areas with more traffic intensity a single noise source is masked among all the noise sources.

Correlating the life in the city of Cuenca with the results, it can be set that the main cause of environmental noise is traffic [19]. The intensity of the traffic and its composition depends on the road typology. Taking into account the proposed road typology, the review of principal traffic noise models of [20] and the traffic intensity massively measured in Cuenca, a finite set of traffic intensity categories could be defined to refine, even more, the prediction model by assigning to each road not only its typology but also its traffic category.
