The United Kingdom Department for Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) commissioned the design and build of an environmental noise modelling system (NMS). The NMS has been developed to support Defra in developing its environmental noise evidence base by preparing national road and railway noise models. This session discusses the automation aspects of the NMS with respect to the various elements required for a noise model. This includes the development of sophisticated data processing engines and the techniques utilised to automate the delivery of a 3-dimensional noise propagation environment and road and railway noise emissions. It highlights several innovative methods which are now possible due to the data landscape in England and how through open data standards, the NMS has the potential to improve the fidelity of national noise models.

1. Confidential - Standard
6 September 2023
Automation of a
National Noise
Model
The Peak of Data Integration 2023, Bonn,
Germany
Connecting noise domain
with digital innovations
in data and analytics

2. Mott MacDonald
1
What is National Noise Modelling? Developing Defra’s Noise Modelling
System and project overview
Data innovations & takeaways
5
4 Open data standards and data management
System architecture, data landscaping and strategies
2
Automated data-driven modelling of 3D environment and noise
sources
3
Agenda
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

3. Mott MacDonald
Developing Defra’s
Noise Modelling
System
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

4. Mott MacDonald
Developing Defra’s Noise Modelling System
What is National Noise Modelling?
Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs
(Defra) is responsible for creating noise maps and
drawing up Action Plans for most of the noise sources
(roads and rails) by implementing Environmental
Noise (England) Regulations.
• Strategic noise maps every 5 years
• England and the DAs will each be required to
complete round four noise mapping by in 2022
• In England, noise mapping data will also provide
data to fulfil the indicator requirements of the 25 Year
Environment Plan and the Public Health
Outcomes Framework.
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

5. Mott MacDonald
Developing Defra’s Noise Modelling System
Connecting domain expertise with digital innovations in data and analytics
Noise Consultants Limited in partnership with
Mott MacDonald, Acustica, NGIS and
Stapelfeldt were appointed by Defra to a 4
years Framework which seeks to support
• strategic noise models and maps
production for road and railway sources
• Analysis to fulfil the requirements of noise
regulations
• design and build of an environmental Noise
Modelling System (NMS)
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

6. Mott MacDonald
Developing Defra’s Noise Modelling System
System development objectives
The objective is to design, build and post-process results from a new
environmental noise model covering all road and rail sound sources
in England.
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd
image sourced from: Vecteezy.com
England

7. Mott MacDonald
System architecture,
data landscaping and
strategies
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

8. Mott MacDonald
Noise Modelling Process
1
• Define areas to be mapped
2
• Define calculation methods
3
• Define and acquire input data
4
• Development of propagation and analytical models
5
• Development of sounds source model
6
• Noise level calculation
7
• Exposure analysis
8
• Nosie maps and exposure statistics
Noise calculation
methods: CRTN,
CRN
CRTN, CRN and
CNOSSOS-EU
methods
Manual Automated
Previously since 2006 NMS 2022
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

9. Mott MacDonald
Noise Modelling System Architecture
One project team of domain
experts, GIS, data science,
database and cloud experts is
providing a digital heart of the
Defra’s future Noise
Modelling System
• National 3D data model
• Data standards
• Database
• Data engine
• Cloud hosting environment
• Noise calculation engine
• User front end interface
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

10. Mott MacDonald
Data landscaping and strategies
Trusted and Verified
Sources
Road Sound
Sources
Propagation
Data
Sources
Rail Sound
Sources
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

11. Mott MacDonald
Automated data-driven
modelling of the 3D
environment and noise
sources
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

12. Mott MacDonald 12
Noise Modeling System Data Engine
Automated data-driven modeling
NMS Data Engine to transform multiple input datasets from their source
data schema to the NMS Central Database schema.
Multiple input datasets from
over 20 trusted and verified
input data sources
NMS Data Engine
Process and Integrate
Data
NMS Open Data Standard
Ingest data to NMS database
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

13. Mott MacDonald 13
NMS Data Engine based on SAFE FME server
• FME stands for Feature Manipulation Engine and it is an
Extract Load and Transform (ETL) platform
• Enables integration of data, by connecting and
transforming data between multiple formats and systems,
with good support for both spatial and non-spatial data
• Enables enterprise level data processing across
multiple server nodes to provide scalability and load
balancing
FME server components
• Server Core: Queue jobs, handle scheduling, and
manage load balancing
• Web Services: Handle requests made to FME Server
• FME Engines: Carry out data transformation processing
Noise Modeling System Data Engine
Automated data-driven modeling
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

14. Mott MacDonald 14
Noise Modeling System Data Engine
Automated data-driven modeling
9
Rail sound
source
transformation
tools
14
Road sound
source
transformation
tools
1
Database
populated with
all Open Data
Standard data
11
3D model
transformation
tools
Automate processing at every
opportunity
• Propagation model processing
automated
• Road source model processing
automated
• Majority of rail sound source
model processing automated
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

15. Mott MacDonald
Open data standards
and data management
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

16. Mott MacDonald
Expected Outcomes of the Noise Modelling System
1
Provide a
common
dataset
2
Improve
sustainability
3
Multiple
users to
contribute
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

17. Mott MacDonald
5
Benefits
for NMS
Provide
consistency
Unlock to
those who
commission,
build, populate
and analyse
NMS data
Exchange data
3
Regulatory
requirements
INSPIRE
Regulations 2009
Environmental
Noise (England)
Regulations 2006
Environmental
Information
Regulations 2004
2
Open data
standards
Open Data
Institute
Open
Geospatial
Consortium
GML
1
Policy
requirements
Open Standards
Principles
Open standards
for government
data and
technology
Defra Data
Principles
4
Spatial
data
standards
ISO 191xx
geographic
information
series
UK GEMINI
Open Data Standard Strategy adopted in NMS
Towards standard based, platform independent and documented data model
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

18. Mott MacDonald
Data Management - How data flows through NMS
Propagation Data
Emission Data
Results Data
Process
Noise Model Database
Noise Model Data
Graphical User Interface
2D Viewer
3D Viewer
Attribute Viewer
Exposure
Assessment
Map Production
Commence
Tasks
Add Data Export Data
- Contours
- Breaklines
- Buildings
- Barriers
- Ground Cover
- Metro
- Road Traffic
- Rail Traffic
Apply Data
Schema
Process
Apply Data
Schema
Source Transform In
Adapt In Canonical Target
Adapt Out
Transform Out
Calculate
Emissions
Calculate
Propagation
Road or Railway
Individual source-
receiver paths in
the 3D model
summed for all
Noise Levels
• Embedded data
management
• Based on seven stages
architecture: Source, Adapt
In, Transform In, Canonical,
Transform Out, Adopt Out
and Target
• Centralizing data
• Reduced data redundancy
• Improved data integrity
• Providing Analysis Ready
Data ready for noise
modeling calculations
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

19. Mott MacDonald
Data innovations &
takeaways
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

20. Mott MacDonald
Connect to data
WebTRIS API for
traffic flow
APIs
Fill data gaps
70% traffic flow for M
and A roads
Over 90% of B / local
roads no traffic flow
Data
science
Integrate
Previously semi-
manual
Complex rules
Fully
automated
3D models
Document
Lacking in acoustics
community
Noise
modelling
open data
standard
Linking
Results to source
National level
Further innovation
Data
linking
Data Innovations – towards digital twin
Collaborated with noise, acoustics and transport modelers
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

21. Mott MacDonald
3D Ordnance Survey Master Map Highways Network & Bridges
• 3D
• Automated
• Integrated
• National
scale
Complex Motorway Junctions in 3D
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

22. Mott MacDonald
OS Master Map Buildings with Population Intelligence
3D Buildings Intelligence: Population & Acoustic
Properties
OS TOID
Version
Building Height
Reflection factor
…
UPRN
Building Use
Number of
dwellings Number
of people
Electoral ward
Local authority
district
• 3D
• Automated
• Integrated
• National
scale
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

23. Mott MacDonald 23
3D Fly-through of the NMS Model – towards digital twin
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

24. Mott MacDonald
1
Collaborate
Adopt domain x
digital strategy
Stakeholder
engagements
Outcomes driven
2
Review data
landscape
Assess against
quality dimensions
Understand
licensing
Design data model
3
Automate
Aggregate and
integrate
Analytics & data
science
Improve data
integrity
4
Open data
standards
To unlock value,
easier to publish,
access and share
Interoperable
Innovation and
economic value
5
Utilise cloud
To scale up
processing through
virtualisation
Secure access
Centralised data
Key Takeaways – towards digital twin
Design and Built of Noise Modelling System
, Defra, Noise Consultants Ltd

25. Thank you
Confidential - Standard
Kasia Fedyk, Mott MacDonald
Katarzyna.Fedyk@mottmac.com
Magda Wilczek, Mott MacDonald
Magdalena.Wilczek@mottmac.com