The results of the Transport Research Centre’s research have contributed to the new European technical specification CEN/TS 18194:2025, which standardises methods for assessing the acoustic properties of road surfaces. Czech research is thus helping to shape European rules in the field of road traffic noise.
The results of research conducted by the Transport Research Centre, v. v. i. (CDV), have been incorporated into the new European technical specification CEN/TS 18194:2025 – Characterisation of the acoustic properties of road surfaces, which establishes procedures for assessing the acoustic properties of road surfaces and their impact on traffic noise. The document was officially approved in December 2025.
This is a significant achievement for CDV – the research results of Czech experts have thus been incorporated into a European document that can be used to assess road noise across Europe.
Experts from several European countries collaborated on the preparation of the standard within the technical committee CEN/TC 227/WG 5 - Road materials, Surface characteristics, which focuses on the surface properties of roadways. Representing the Transport Research Centre, researcher Vítězslav Křivánek, who has long been involved in the issue of traffic noise, participated in the work.
The new European technical specification provides procedures for the uniform assessment of the acoustic properties of road surfaces. The standard is based, among other things, on data and measurement results obtained through CDV research, which were utilized during the preparation of the document and are also cited among its sources.
Work on the document took approximately seven to eight years and was the result of long-term international cooperation among research institutions and experts from various European countries. Thanks to this cooperation, the results of research conducted in the Czech Republic have been incorporated into European practice and can contribute to a uniform and more accurate assessment of road surface noise levels across individual countries.
I view the approval of this European technical specification as confirmation that the research conducted at CDV is of international significance and finds practical application. I am pleased that the data and results of our research can contribute to a more accurate assessment of road surface noise and assist in decision-making regarding the design of road infrastructure in Europe.
Ing. Vítězslav Křivánek, Ph.D., Researcher in the Sustainable Transport Department
Of course, the results of CDV’s research are also reflected in the Czech context. They are being used in the preparation of the new technical specification ŘSD TP 270 – Measurement and Assessment of Road Surface Noise, which is currently in the final draft stage. The international technical specification CEN/TS 18194:2025 is directly incorporated into this specification, ensuring consistency between the European and national approaches.
The new specification may contribute in the future to a more uniform approach to evaluating road noise and support the search for solutions that will lead to reducing the environmental impact of transportation.