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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.

Pavements complying with the ISO 10844 standard are an important component of vehicle and tire noise testing. In 2011, a new version of this standard was published, which includes many important changes compared to the 1994 version. As a result, some tracks that complied with the 1994 standard are now nonconforming with the 2011 version. Many tracks are in the process of being resurfaced, particularly before regulations are adopted that require conformance with the new version of the standard. While repaving is costly, it can also lead to opportunity. Pavement engineering encompasses pavement design, materials selection and proportioning, and the selection of construction techniques. Pavement life is also an important engineering criterion. In the case of test tracks, life is most often defined by functional performance including changes in friction, rolling resistance, ride, and in this instance, noise.