Modeling and Analysis for Sound Mitigation on the UVU Pedestrian Bridge

The Utah Valley University Pedestrian Bridge was constructed to aid pedestrians safely crossing the highway to and from UVU. This bridge is used heavily, but many of the students and pedestrians that use it have complaints about the noise levels. The focus of this project is to analyze sound propagation properties of the UVU pedestrian bridge, how it affects the individuals who use it, and mitigate the sound experienced on the bridge with the goal to improve user experience. Using the bridge's construction plans, a 3-D model of the bridge was constructed using the online software OnShape. This was then imported as a mesh into COMSOL Multiphysics, a finite element software. The mesh will be analyzed for sound propagation from the freeway. The model will then be compared to the current and future measured sound levels on the bridge at various times and weather conditions. Once the model is accurate, an analysis can be made on the geometries and the materials of the bridge to find the optimal way to mitigate sound individuals may experience on the bridge. This saves time and cost of physically changing the bridge. A survey will also be conducted on how the traffic-generated sound levels and exposure affect the individuals that use the pedestrian bridge to bring further understanding, such as knowing how much more users are exposed to sound due to the added noise when using earbuds.