An experimental study of the use of acoustic diffusers to reduce noise in urban areas

The use of acoustic diffusers to reduce noise in urban areas has been recently numerically investigated [Acta Acustica united with Acustica, Vol. 95 (2009), p. 653–668]. It was shown that a significant noise reduction can be observed by considering diffusers on the building façades. In the present study, an experimental investigation is proposed to validate last results. Measurements are carried out using a 1:10 urban street scale model, with and without acoustics diffusers, in order to evaluate the “real” effect of such devices, for several configurations. Results, in terms of sound attenuation and reverberation, show that a positive effect can be observed, provided that diffusers are well designed for the reduction of road traffic noise.