Long-Term Evaluation of Acoustic Decay, Drainage, and Surface Resistance in Engineered Asphalt Pavements through Integrated Field and Laboratory Analysis

• Six-year field and laboratory study links acoustic, mechanical, and surface durability. • Porous Q-Pave achieved strongest initial noise reduction but lost function through clogging. • Duplex pavement balanced acoustic stability and rutting resistance via dual-layer design. • Medi-Temp dense mix offered the best long-term durability and skid resistance retention. • Findings guide pavement selection for urban noise mitigation and sustainable maintenance. Urban traffic noise remains a critical environmental issue, prompting the deployment of low-noise asphalt pavement solutions. However, most existing studies have examined only short-term acoustic or material properties of low-noise pavements, lacking integrated long-term evidence that connects acoustic decay, drainage performance, and surface resistance under real traffic and environmental conditions. To bridge this gap, this study conducts a comprehensive six-year field evaluation and laboratory correlation of three representative low-noise asphalt systems. This study presents a comprehensive six-year field evaluation of three asphalt surface types: Q-Pave (high-void porous asphalt), Duplex Pavement (double-layer system), and Medi-Temp Pavement (medium-temperature dense mix). Performance was assessed through close-proximity noise (CPX/Non-CPX), permeability (Bowler Test), skid resistance (British Pendulum Tester (BPT), Grip Tester), and durability (Tensile Strength Ratio (TSR), Hamburg Wheel Tracking (HWT), Cantabro). Q-Pave achieved the highest initial noise reduction (∼80.4 dB(A)) but showed moderate acoustic degradation (+1.2 dB/year) and declining surface functions. Duplex Pavement demonstrated strong acoustic stability (+1.35 dB/year) with consistent drainage and friction. Medi-Temp Pavement, despite a higher long-term CPX (∼72.9 dB(A)), retained excellent durability, minimal rutting, and 94% skid resistance retention. Notably, porosity showed strong correlation with both noise (R² = 0.97) and permeability (R² = 0.99). The findings emphasize the trade-offs between acoustic performance and long-term resilience, highlighting that while porous pavements provide early noise benefits, denser or layered systems better sustain safety and durability. These results offer valuable guidance for urban road planners seeking to balance environmental noise reduction with infrastructure longevity.