Application of radiation modes to the problem of low-frequency noise from a highway bridge

Low-frequency noise radiated from highway bridges is a serious environmental problem in Japan. Although the suppression of bridge vibration as usually done in practice can alleviate the radiation, it may not be optimal because the behavior of radiation is not taken into consideration. Concept of radiation modes, which can represent both vibration and radiation behavior, is adapted to a highway bridge. The objectives of this paper are to study the benefits of using radiation modes in (1) identification of low-frequency noise characteristics and (2) active control of low-frequency noise radiation. Numerical study shows that the radiation modes enable radiation characteristics of low-frequency noise to be physically understood and the active controller designed by radiation modes is superior to the controller designed without considering radiation behavior. Because the concept of radiation modes can reveal the mechanics of radiation/vibration, it is appropriate to the problem of low-frequency noise radiated from highway bridges.