Development, Construction and Certification of a Facility for Exterior Noise Regulatory Compliance Testing

Automotive OEMs are required to meet applicable regulations for exterior noise for vehicles they produce. Acceleration noise (typically called pass-by noise) regulations impose an upper limit for noise emission. In addition, vehicles which can operate without a combustion engine must comply with regulations for minimum noise emitted during low speed driving. In order to make regulation-compliant measurements for global destinations, a test track meeting requirements of ISO 10844 may be necessary. However, strictly meeting this requirement doesn’t guarantee a usable facility for efficient measurements. This paper describes design goals, challenges and construction of a regulation compliant facility in Arizona. The intent was to build a facility with a long usable life before requiring repaving, sufficient isolation from nearby test roads, 24-hour usability and onsite amenities to accommodate technical staffs and vehicle retrofits. Consideration of needs of all stakeholders was necessary to make a facility not only regulation-compliant but also attractive to internal and external customers.