Strategic Noise Maps 2022

Please note that additional, more detailed information, in particular regarding the methodological approach and the differences to the approach used in the noise mapping of 2017, may be found in the published project report of the commissioned engineering firm (Wölfel 2023, only in German).

The input data available to the State of Berlin in the reference year 2021 was used for the sound calculations of the maps published here.

Mapping Area

The mapping area covers the area of the State of Berlin, amounting to 892 km². The noise pollution of 3,677,232 inhabitants was investigated (as of December 31, 2021).

Terrain Model

The terrain elevations for the Level 4 Noise Mapping were taken from the Digital Terrain Model DTM1 (as of January 2022). All elevation points of the 1 m grid were used without having undergone any further editing or simplification.

Noise Control Facilities

The location and height of noise control facilities on roads and rail lines were adopted from the Level 3 (2017) Noise Mapping. Based on knowledge of the locale and in coordination with the client, additions and corrections were made to the data where required. The absorption behaviour of the noise control facilities was adapted to the standard absorption ranges according to Table 9 of the LAI noise mapping instructions (LAI 2022).

Special Structures

_Tunnels_

Tunnel structures were included in the calculation model as interruptions to the route. Tunnel openings were not modelled as separate sound sources.

_Railway Stations_

The same method used for open track is applied for calculating emission levels from train movements in railway stations. The travel speed is not reduced. Shielding by platform edges and station buildings is not considered in the calculation of rail noise. Station buildings are factored in as barriers for other types of noise, however.

_Road Bridges_

The calculation model contains 894 bridge sections with a substantial acoustic impact on nearby buildings due to the elevation of a road or railway. In these cases, a reflective bridge slab was designed with the same width as the road or railway.

Please note the following when using the noise map: bridge structures are not part of the terrain surface; rather, they are located on the surface. Noise maps are calculated at a height of 4 m above the ground. Their measurements may thus be recorded at a height below a “noisy” road bridge acting as a sound barrier, which may result in low immission levels at the measurement point.

Assignment of Buildings and Inhabitants

A total of 541,291 building floor plans were adopted from the Official Property Cadastre Information System (ALKIS) of the State of Berlin (SenSBW n.d.) and a small number of records that had subsequently been digitalised by hand. These floor plans also included the number of floors and the following building uses (see Table 2):

The building height was calculated from the number of storeys applying the formula building height = 3.2 m + number of storeys x 2.8 m. It was derived from the EBA building data set that each dwelling has an average volume of 414.4 m³. By further assigning 2.1 inhabitants to each dwelling, the number of inhabitants was determined for each residential building (classification based on the ALKIS object key) from the building volume (inhabitants = 2.1 x volume / 414.1 m³). Mixed residential buildings with commercial use were only assigned half the volume (Wölfel 2023).

Building facades are included in the calculations as reflective with a “smooth/ reverberant” surface according to Table 9 of the LAI instructions (LAI 2022).

Dwellings

The number of affected dwellings is derived from the known number of affected inhabitants. A flat ratio of 2.1 inhabitants per dwelling is applied, which was also suggested in the LAI instructions (LAI 2022).

Road location and traffic

The Noise Mapping 2022 is based on the city road and motorway network from the environmental network (data basis: _VMZ-Detailnetz_, as of February 2022) of the Senate Department for the Environment, Urban Mobility, Consumer Protection and Climate Action as well as traffic volumes from the 2019 census including updates of permissible maximum speeds and road-related parameters from 2021.

We would like to refer to Chapter 4.7 of the project report (Wölfel 2023) once again, which explains the complexity of factoring in various influences in the calculation model in regard to roads (traffic volumes, standard cross-sections, road surface types, etc.).

A total of 1,770 km of road network were included in the calculation. Other relevant primary network roads in the Brandenburg region, located no more than 2 km from the Berlin border, were also included if they exceeded the defined immission level results.

Tram and Underground (Above-Ground Sections) Location and Traffic

_Tram_

A total of 205.9 km of the tram network was modelled:

• correction of the position based on the network geometry planning documents of the tram tracks provided by the BVG, with reference to orthophotos;
• counting sheets of all BVG tram journeys in regular service and trips to the depots based on the schedule of Schöneicher-Rüdersdorfer Straßenbahn GmbH on December 17, 18 and 19, 2021; traffic averages for the year 2021;
• adaptation of road types according to BVG specifications;
• correction values for curve squeal noise by adjusting the calculation parameters to the radius of the curves; and
• adoption of current BVG information on maximum permissible speeds.

_Underground (Above-Ground Sections)_

Both the location of the underground network and the route parameters are based on the network of the Level 3 (2017) mapping and are used here with the following modifications:

• the interval master timetable of the BVG (valid from December 12, 2021) of the line network and the table of trips to the depots are used to update the traffic data;
• the calculation parameters are adapted to the curve radii and lubrication systems to calculate curve squeal noise.

A total of 28.6 km of the underground network was modelled.

IED Plants

The Berlin noise mapping for IED plants that impact environmental noise includes 18 power plant sites.

The sites were taken from the Level 3 (2017) mapping and transferred to that of 2022 without change.

The Lichterfelde cogeneration plant was the only site for which the areas were adapted.

Geometry/ Traffic at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)

The air traffic input data is described in the documentation of the environmental noise mapping of Berlin Brandenburg Airport (Wölfel 2022, only in German).

Mapping Process for the Railways Subject to the General Railway Act

The Federal Railway Authority (EBA) carried out the noise mapping of the federal railways according to the General Railway Act (AEG) independently for the fourth time (2022).

The current data may be viewed via the EBA’s map service (only in German).

Software Employed

The input data was prepared and compiled in a 3D calculation model using IMMI 30 (Wölfel 2023a).

Obstacles

Obstacles, such as terrain edges, buildings and noise control facilities were taken into account by the parameters described in the input data (position, height, reflectivity, etc.). The basic terrain and obstacle model remained unaltered for the calculation of all noise types.

Determination of Reception Points

At residential buildings, hospitals and schools, the position of reception points (building facades) was determined according to the “Calculation method for determining the number of people exposed to environmental noise” (BEB, translated from German).

All inhabitants of a residential building are allocated to the half of the building facade reception points that measured the highest levels (the “noisy” half”). These points are determined by the median of the calculated facade levels LDEN or LNight. Reception points located in the half of the facade measuring the lowest levels (“quiet” half”) are not considered.

_*Note: This procedure deviates greatly from that of earlier mappings. Previously, all facade points of a building, including those recording lower levels, were taken into account. The exposure figures are therefore expected to be considerably higher now.*_

Plausibility Check

The plausibility check involves a visual check of 3D views of the calculation model and numerous automatic plausibility queries. The following contexts are checked in this process and corrected if necessary:

• overlap of road and tram sections with buildings;
• overlap of noise protection walls with road and tram sections, buildings or bridge structures;
• value range of emission factors (traffic, speed etc.);
• value range of building heights and areas, reflective properties;
• value range of relative and absolute heights of sound sources and obstacles;
• value range of supplied number of inhabitants per building; and
• random checks of supplied building uses.

For a detailed description of the calculation parameters and the calculation method, refer to the project report (Wölfel 2023).