Benefits of Noise Barriers

Benefits of Noise Barriers

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit our website.

Noise is an acoustic event due to a combination of non-harmonic vibrations or often unwanted disturbing sounds. Some researchers call noise as daily terror. Noise can damage our ability to hear, either immediately or for a long time in a noisy environment, depending on its level.

Noise is known to adversely affect the human body and mental health. Elevated blood pressure in terms of physical health, depression, and stomach ulcers are the main negative consequences, and the psychological effects can be considered to make communication difficult, create fear, make people aggressive, prevent creative occupations, fatigue, create stress, prevent sleep time, reduce the value of resting time.

Benefits of noise barriers;

The highway noise barrier, also known as the sound barrier, is used for sound insulation between the noise source and the noise-affected zone. painfully called panels placed between them. These products, also called noise barriers, generally prevent the spread of traffic noise along lines such as roads, bridges.

It is also used to prevent the spread of noise around machines such as generators, compressors, and the like. On the noise source side, some of the sounds that hit the screen are absorbed by the screen. This also improves the noise level on the noise source side.

• Noise barriers prevent bad noise from spreading to the environment.
• Noise is trapped between its source and does not spread to the environment.
• The Noise barriers made of rubber can be recycled.
• Durable for many years and costs very little.
• Since it can be covered with artificial grass, an aesthetically beautiful appearance is created.

These are the little benefits of noise barriers. So noise barriers are a very important detail for our lives. The use of noise barriers is very common in all developed countries. Because noise is linked to sophistication. The best thing about noise barriers is that they can be used for many years at no cost.

You will find noise barriers in all modern cities. Now, let us talk about the definition of noise and what noise levels disturb you.

Definition of noise and noise enhancing elements

Sound can be music for one person and noise for the other. It is written that there was torture with noise in history. Nowadays, people are being punished by the intense noise caused by irregular and unhealthy urbanization. According to the classification, noise between 30-65 dB (decibel) is disturbing in some cases.

However, the shape and size of the condition are very diverse. Insomnia starts at 45-50 dB. Some reactions occur in the nervous system between 65-90 dB. Noise between 90-120 dB starts to damage the hearing organs. Severe hearing impairments and deafness (loss of hearing) may occur if sounds in this dB persist for a long time.

The most obvious form of noise pollution is traffic noise. General elements to increase noise;

• Increase in population density,
• Mechanization as a result of technological development and industrialization process.
• The development of the transportation network, increasing the number, speed, and tonnage of vehicles.
• Expansion of settlement areas, unplanned and irregular urbanization.
• The ignorance and lack of education of the city people.
• Inadequacy in building and health services (acoustic property and inadequate sound insulation)
• Lightening and prefabrication that increase sound transmission in building technology
• They are economic factors that prevent prevention.

Noise control and measures to reduce noise

Noise control is possible on three levels. These; the reduction of the noise generated, preventing the access of the noise to the exposed ones (isolation of the source), and protection of the exposed ones. The first of the measures cover the measures to be taken in the buildings of industrial establishments and residential areas.

The second is to make use of the noise reduction properties of (biological) plants. The third one is to protect the individual with ear noise plugs. City-planning, separation of housing-industry-transportation places are the most important contemporary solution against noise.

One of the best measures to be taken is noise barriers. Thanks to the noise barriers, city life can be maintained more peacefully and vigorously.

Highway Noise Barriers as the Solution 

The elements that can be applied as highway noise prevention/reduction techniques are;

• Afforestation and greening, using noise barriers
• Exhaust noise control and speed control of vehicles
• Giving priority to noise-free public transport
• Road construction material and road quality to reduce noise
• Acoustic standardization of building materials to ensure sound insulation in buildings
• Preventing unnecessary horns of motor vehicles
• Awareness-raising of the public and drivers

In developed countries; natural and/or artificial noise barriers are used to reduce the noise that affects the residential areas negatively on highways with heavy traffic. Curtains formed with natural plant species are more durable and economical than those made with artificial materials. Also, plant species feed ecological and biological wealth.

It is reported that the noise of highways passing through city centers in large cities over 45 decibels, which forces human health, affects the mental health of those living in the surrounding settlements. 45 decibels should be avoided from the noise, as the size of the noise increases the destruction of mental health. Noisy environments cause tension and fatigue.

As Hatko Sound Barriers, we are proud to offer you the highest quality and durable sound barriers. Hatko is one of the best highway noise barrier manufacturers in Turkey. by contacting Hatko you can make your life more beautiful.

Find information about noise barriers, our process for determining where to build them and other options to reduce noise at your home.

If you live near a roadway, you may be concerned about traffic noise. We recognize this impact from our highways and work to reduce it where we can.

Noise barriers

We provide noise barriers to reduce traffic noise through two types of projects.

Type one noise barrier projects

When we build new improvement projects, we include noise barriers if noise standards are exceeded and other criteria are met. This type is triggered when we do at least one of the following:

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit JINBIAO.

• Construct a highway at a new location.
• Significantly change either the horizontal or the vertical alignment of a highway.
• Increase the number of traffic lanes.
• Alter roadside topography.

Type two noise barrier projects

We build &#;retrofit&#; barriers along highways in neighborhoods that existed before noise abatement regulations were established.

The effectiveness of a noise barrier depends on the distance between the listener and the barrier. For residences located directly behind a barrier, the noise level will often be cut in half. This benefit decreases as a listener moves farther away and is negligible at distances greater than 500 feet.

WSDOT uses earth, concrete, wood, and masonry block to build noise barriers. Earthen berms work the best and are the least expensive, but a lack of available right-of-way usually makes concrete walls the most practical solution. Most often we build noise walls &#; free-standing walls usually made of concrete. The walls range in height from 6 to 20 feet, but normally are 12 to 15 feet tall.

Trees and shrubs can decrease highway-traffic noise levels if high enough, wide enough, and dense enough (cannot be seen through), but are often impractical. It would take at least 100 feet of dense vegetation to provide the same benefit as our smallest feasible noise wall. Trees do provide a visual shield and some psychological benefit. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has not approved using vegetation for noise abatement.

Our noise barrier process

We follow the following standard practice to determine where to build noise barriers and decide how they are configured.

Traffic noise analysis

Long before construction begins, acoustical specialists evaluate sources and patterns of noise in neighborhoods near the project. Noise evaluations take into account many factors, including:

• Highway noise.
• Area topography.
• Population density.
• Cost.
• Expected levels of noise reduction a wall would provide.

Computerized noise models are developed to predict future traffic-noise levels. To be conservative in our estimates, WSDOT typically models with rush hour traffic volumes, traveling at the posted speed limit.

Any applicable area predicted to have a future traffic-noise level of 66 decibels (dBA) or greater, qualifies as an impacted area. Research shows that above 66 dBA, a conversation between two people standing three feet apart and speaking in a normal voice is impaired.

All impacted areas are considered for noise abatement. Analysts make every attempt to qualify these impacted locations for noise barriers based on the reasonable and feasible criteria. A noise wall must provide at least a seven-dBA noise reduction, but we try to design walls that provide a ten-decibel reduction.

Reasonable and feasible criteria

A barrier must meet both reasonable and feasible criteria to be constructed:

• Feasible refers to whether the barrier can provide at least a five dBA reduction at three first row receivers and meets other constructability requirements.
• Reasonable refers to whether the barrier can provide minimum seven-dBA noise reduction requirements while meeting cost effectiveness requirements.

Barriers do have limitations. For a noise barrier to work, it must be high enough and long enough to block the view of the road. Noise barriers do very little good for homes on a hillside or for buildings that rise above the barrier. Openings in noise walls for driveway connections or intersecting streets destroy their effectiveness. In some areas, homes are scattered too far apart for noise barriers to be built at a reasonable cost.

Noise wall costs

Current construction costs average $51.61 per square foot. This translates into a fourteen-foot high wall (typical) costing about 3.9 million dollars per mile. Construction costs for rural barriers may be lower and urban barriers may be much higher. The higher urban costs are associated with other infrastructure (like retaining walls, water pipes, etc.) that may need to be changed or moved to allow the placement of the barrier.

Many noise walls built alongside interstate highways receive partial federal government funds, and WSDOT pays the remainder. On other state routes, WSDOT or local jurisdictions, depending on who is sponsoring the project, pays for an entire wall. In special cases, if a local community would like to enhance the barrier with aesthetic treatments or to make the barrier longer or taller than recommended, the community may provide additional funding. The proposed improvements must meet WSDOT safety, maintenance, and right-of-way needs.

Public input on noise walls

WSDOT project design offices works closely with the impacted communities for a proposed noise wall to make sure all reasonable design requests get included in the project plans.

Quieter pavement

WSDOT has some of the most comprehensive data in the world on quieter pavement performance.

Because the noise reductions from quieter pavements decline long before the pavement typically needs to be replaced for other reasons, FHWA does not allow quieter pavement for noise abatement.

Options to reduce noise at your home

WSDOT does not have funds available to make modifications to residences to reduce traffic noise in the home. We only consider interior noise reductions for certain types of public structures defined as Category D in the WSDOT noise policy.

Residents can make changes at their home to reduce traffic noise impacts.

Reduce noise levels inside the home

Replace single pane windows with insulated double pane windows.

Reinsulate walls and ceilings.

Seal door, window and other cracks.

Use indoor fans or install air conditioning instead of opening windows.

Use noise-absorbing material in the walls of new buildings during construction, although this acoustic insulation is very expensive.

Noise masking &#; Many people have reported some success with white noise, such as a fan or waterfall, to drown out the traffic noise and make it less noticeable.

Reduce noise levels outside

Use visually interesting landscaping to obscure the roadway. Some plants help mask traffic noise by rustling in the wind. Even though plants do not effectively reduce noise levels, they give a sense of privacy and serenity. Talk to a landscape architect for ideas.

Enclose a favorite garden spot, deck, or patio with transparent plastic or other barrier.

Build a "do-it-yourself" noise barrier. If properly built with appropriate materials, you can get significant noise reductions around your home. Talk to an acoustical consultant to make sure the barrier you plan to build will provide the noise reduction you expect. To prevent a substantial amount of noise, consider the following:

Want more information on Noise Barrier Solution? Feel free to contact us.

• The material used must weigh at least 4 pounds per square foot.
• The wall or fence can't have gaps.
• Blocking the line of sight to the noise source will usually result in a 5-decibel reduction.
• Increasing the height of the barrier will provide additional noise reduction until the fence fully blocks the line of sight to the roadway. Beyond that, the noise reductions from additional height are minimal.
• Either the fence must be long enough to prevent noise from coming around the ends, or it must continue around the property line to enclose the target area.