AU2003220744A1 - Noise Barrier - Google Patents

Description

NOISE BARRIER The present invention relates to road barriers and to methods for the construction of road barriers. In particular, the present invention relates to noise attenuating road barriers and methods for their construction.

Noise attenuating road barriers are typically formed by structures separated from the road carriageway. The noise attenuating structures have been separated from the road carriageway by distance where they are set back by sufficient separation such that the likelihood of impact by a vehicle careering off the carriageway is minimal. Alternatively noise attenuating structures have been located behind crash barriers. In either case, it is considered necessary to separate the noise barrier from the road carriageway by a suitable crash barrier and/or by a separation distance.

Whilst some crash barriers include panels extending upwards therefrom the size and extent of the panels are limited by the weight of the crash barrier and accordingly it is not generally possible to simply dispose a noise barrier panel onto a crash barrier without substantially increasing the risk of the crash barrier being upset by either strong winds or by impact from a vehicle.

We have now found a roadside barrier that includes a crash barrier along with a noise attenuating barrier that has practical use.

According to a first broad aspect of the present invention there is provided a roadside barrier comprising a crash barrier and a noise barrier wherein said crash barrier comprises an elongate barrier element having a plurality of posts depending therefrom, said posts extending into said elongate barrier element and comprising a projection forming a mount on a kerbside face of the elongate barrier element wherein said noise barrier comprises a noise attenuating element mounted on a support member depending from said noise attenuating element wherein said support member is engaged with said mount.

The roadside barrier of the present invention comprises a crash barrier and a noise barrier. The crash barrier is formed from an elongate barrier element. The elongate barrier element may be formed in situ or may be formed as a plurality of crash barrier elements. In the embodiment wherein the crash barrier is formed in situ, the crash barrier may be formed about a post preset into a pier in the road shoulder. Preferably the piers are formed of concrete set within holes of predetermined depth and diameter based upon the height and weight of the noise barrier. The crash barriers may preferably be formed from concrete and extruded over the preset posts.

In the alternate embodiment the posts may be positioned within a mould and the crash barriers cast about the posts. The crash barriers may then be positioned adjacent a road carriageway with the posts disposed within corresponding boreholes or the like. The boreholes may then be filled with concrete to cure and form piers in which the posts are set.

The elongate barrier element may be formed from a plurality of barrier elements positioned end to end.

The posts are preferably dimensioned based upon the height and weight of the roadside barrier such that the roadside barrier once positioned may withstand forces such as those of strong wind or impact by a vehicle. Typically, with a noise barrier 2m in height it is preferable to have a pier depth extending from the base of the crash barrier more than 1.5m in depth. Where the noise barrier is 5m in height it is preferred that the pier depths extend over 3m from the base of the barrier.

It is preferred that the crash barriers be formed from concrete or other castable and durable material. The posts have projections extending therefrom that form mounts disposed on the kerbside face of the elongate barrier element. The posts and projections may be formed integrally from a single piece of material. Preferably the projection is attached to the post. In a preferred embodiment the posts are of extruded steel and of square section. Suitable projections may be welded to the posts so as to extend laterally and form a mount on the kerbside surface of the elongate member.

Suitably the mount may also be formed separately from either the projection or the post wherein the mount may be welded to the projection.

The noise barrier is affixed to the crash barrier and supported on a support member. Preferably the support member is a steel member having a corresponding projection engaging the mount on the kerbside surface of the elongate barrier element. The support member may preferably be bolted to the mount. A plurality of support members may be provided, each engaging respective mounts and the noise attenuating elements may be mounted on the respective support members.

The noise attenuating elements may be formed from concrete, timber, plastics material or other convenient materials.

We have found that it is preferable that the mount be disposed relatively low down on the crash barrier so that there is a lesser likelihood of the crash barrier being cracked or damaged as a result of any flexing or deflection of the noise barrier and the respective strain applied to the crash barrier having the post intimately disposed within the cast concrete crash barrier.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood and put into practice, the preferred embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a roadside barrier in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view along the plane marked as A.

Figure 3 is a cut-away drawing of the pier mount.

Figure 4 is a table of barrier dimensions for the roadside barrier shown in Figures 1-3.

Figure 1 shows a roadside barrier 1 formed from a concrete crash barrier 2 and a noise barrier 3. The concrete crash barrier 2 is cast over a post 4, the base of which is set within a concrete pier 5 formed within a posthole. The post 4 has a projection 6 that extends laterally from the post 4 and terminates in a mount 7 that is disposed on the kerbside face 8 of the concrete crash barrier 2.

The noise barrier 3 is formed from noise attenuating elements 9 that are mounted on a support member 10. The support member 10 has a lateral projection 11 that terminates in a cooperating mount 12. The cooperating mount 12. The cooperating mount 12 is attached to mount 7 by bolts 13.

Figure 2 shows the bolts 13 passing through the corresponding mount 12. The support member 10 and its projection 11 are steel universal 4 beam sections and the projection 6 of the pier 4 is a square steel hollow section.

Figure 3 shows a close-up of the region adjacent to the respective mounts 7 and 13. The post 4 is welded to a plate 20 and the projection 6 is correspondingly welded to said plate 20. The mount 7 is welded to the projection 6. The post 4, projection 6 and mount 7 are cast into the concrete crash barrier 2. A corresponding mount 12 is affixed to mount 7 by bolts 13. The projection 11 is welded to mount 12. Projection 11 is affixed to the support member 10 via a plate 21. The respective projection 11 and support member 10 are welded to plate 21. A support plate 22 is welded to the support member 10 on which the noise attenuating elements 9 are disposed.

Figure 4 is a table that shows the required dimensions for withstanding wind speeds up to 49m/sec with a nominal post spacing of 4m.

The table shows the required barrier heights, support member heights (referred to as post heights and post sizes), the required size of the respective mounts (referred to as the internal member), bolt size, post size (LXB) and pier depth and diameter, referring to the requisite post hole size.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate the invention described above may be the subject to improvements and modifications that will be apparent without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention described herein.

Claims (1)

1. A roadside barrier comprising a crash barrier and a noise barrier wherein said crash barrier comprises an elongate barrier element having a plurality of posts depending therefrom, said posts extending into said elongate barrier element and comprising a projection forming a mount on a kerbside face of the elongate barrier element wherein said noise barrier comprises a noise attenuating element mounted on a support member depending from said noise attenuating element wherein said support member is engaged with said mount. DATED this 24 th day of July 2003 Noise Barriers Pty Ltd By their Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO.