Browsing by Author "Santander, Álvaro"
Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item CHARACTERIZATION OF THE ACOUSTIC EMISSION OF RAILWAY NOISE, APPLYING THE CNOSSOS-EU METHOD, BY SOME SPANISH RAILWAY MANAGERS(European Acoustics Association, EAA, 2023) Leal, Ana; Aspuru, Itziar; Vázquez, Manuel; Santander, Álvaro; CALIDAD Y CONFORT AMBIENTALThe adoption of the CNOSSOS-EU as the official method to calculating environmental noise has allowed some railway managers to invest efforts in the acoustic characterization of vehicles and railway infrastructures. This paper presents results of some of projects with this aim, carried out by: ADIF AV (National Administrator of Railway Infrastructures of Spain), ETS (Administrator of Railway Infrastructures of the Basque Autonomous Community) and CTB (Administrator of Railway Infrastructures of Bilbao Metro). In these projects, railway noise emission databases have been defined that contain the input values for the CNOSSOS-EU parameters for the optimal characterization of trains and infrastructures. The characterization is based on the analysis of in-service train passbys campaigns. ADIF AV has defined a database of 28 types of trains and 6 types of infrastructure, through the analysis of 600 passbys measured at 7 locations. The ETS database contains 4 types of trains and 4 infrastructures (78 measured passbys) and CTB defines 3 types of trains and 1 infrastructure (52 passbys). The paper presents some of the decisions taken by each institution to better represent the actual measured emissions.Item Going beyond Quietness: Determining the Emotionally Restorative Effect of Acoustic Environments in Urban Open Public Spaces: Determining the emotionally restorative effect of acoustic environments in urban open public spaces(2019-04-01) Herranz-Pascual, Karmele; Aspuru, Itziar; Iraurgi, Ioseba; Santander, Álvaro; Eguiguren, Jose Luis; García, Igone; Tecnalia Research & Innovation; CALIDAD Y CONFORT AMBIENTAL; SG; ADAPTACIÓN AL CAMBIO CLIMÁTICOThe capacity of natural settings to promote psychological restoration has attracted increasing research attention, especially with regards to the visual dimension. However, there is a need to extend these studies to urban settings, such as squares, parks or gardens, due to the global trend towards urbanisation, and to integrate the dimension of sound into landscape. Such was the main aim of this study, in which 53 participants assessed four public spaces in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain) as part of the CITI-SENSE Project (137 observations were used for analysis). A smartphone application was used to simultaneously collect objective and subjective data. The results show that at the end of the urban environmental experience, there was a statistically significant reduction in negative emotions and perceived stress, and a slight increase in positive emotions. Emotional restoration was mainly associated with prior emotional states, but also with global environmental comfort and acoustic comfort. The soundscape characteristics that contributed to greater emotional restoration and a reduction in perceived stress were pleasantness, calm, fun and naturalness. Therefore, in agreement with previous research, the findings of the present study indicate that besides contributing to the quietness of the urban environment, the urban soundscape can promote psychological restoration in users of these spaces.Item Progress in the understanding of soundscape: Objective variables and objectifiable criteria that predict acoustic comfort in urban places(2016-01) Herranz-Pascual, Karmele; García, Igone; Aspuru, Itziar; Díez, Itxasne; Santander, Álvaro; CALIDAD Y CONFORT AMBIENTAL; ADAPTACIÓN AL CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO; Tecnalia Research & InnovationThe overall aim of this research was to find a group of easy-to-access variables, that are measurable or assessable, and which help predict acoustic comfort in urban places, in order to make further progress in developing a soundscape indicator based on indices readily available in urban environments. Our main conceptual framework has been the Environmental Experience Model and the ISO of Soundscape, together with the most up-to-date information and technology, where parameters that influence the soundscape and comfort in urban public places have been identified. This work has been undertaken as part of the CITI-SENSE project. A viable technical and procedural solution was designed and tested in a field demonstration, where 53 people were engaged to provide 120 observationsinthe city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, using environmental sensors connected to a smartphone. The results were analysed and are discussed here with the aim of defining an indicator that permits an easy evaluation of acoustic comfort in urban places. The results presented in this article are considered a step forward in the development of a soundscape indicator based on indices readily available in urban environments. The limitations of the findings are also discussed, as are suggestions for further research.