United States Department of Transportation
i
Comparison and testing of various noise wall materials.
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2014-06-01
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Abstract:Noise barriers are a necessary structure along the highway to protect the local residents from excessive
road noise. There are many different materials from which noise barriers can be constructed. As of 2004, the
most widely used noise barrier material was concrete which accounts for approximately 80 percent of all the
noise barriers in the United States. Other noise barrier materials include metal, plastic, wood or soil. Each of
the materials used to construct noise barrier has advantages and disadvantages both acoustically and
aesthetically.
This study was done to determine which of the currently used noise barrier materials in Ohio produced the
largest noise reduction. There were seven different materials field tested across the State of Ohio; absorptive
concrete walls, reflective concrete walls, hollow fiberglass walls, rubber-filled fiberglass walls, steel walls, clear
walls and earthen berms). The noise barriers were tested by measuring noise levels in front of the barrier,
above the barrier and behind the barrier, while recording traffic data (volume, class, and lane position) and
atmospheric conditions. The noise reduction results across the various barrier materials were then compared to
determine which material yielded the greatest noise reduction. The TNM parameters were set to replicate each
site that was tested and the noise reduction results from the model were recorded. The results from the model
and the field were then compared to determine if the model is an accurate representation of the field.
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