EP4183928A1

EP4183928A1 - Noise barrier and method of establishing a noise barrier

Info

Publication number: EP4183928A1
Application number: EP22389501.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jes Bo Rennebod
Original assignee: Jesco Holding ApS
Current assignee: Jesco Holding ApS
Priority date: 2021-11-17
Filing date: 2022-11-17
Publication date: 2023-05-24
Also published as: DK202100102U3

Abstract

A noise barrier (10) of the type comprising vertical supports or posts designed to be anchored to the ground, and where, between said supports or posts, elongated substantially horizontally running barrier elements consisting of one or more layers of plates, as well as a core of one or more layers of a sound-absorbing granular material (9), are secured. Costs for disposal and further processing are avoided, so the environmental aspects of discarded plastic or composite products may be met by recycling the granules (9) as a sound absorbing material in a noise barrier (10).

Description

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a granules or fibre filled noise barrier and methods of establishing a noise barrier.

Background of the Invention

When installing noise barriers along railway lines served by high-speed trains for example, it may often be problematic to achieve the desired and required noise suppression and absorption.
Noise barriers have previously been manufactured from plates of compressed granules of recycled glass fibre material, for example in the form of dismantled windmill blades, where the granules are mixed with an adhesive or similar, and compressed into a coherent plate. Such a construction is described in DK 177352 B1 , family member to EP 2782731 B1 .
The same recycled fibreglass material may also be filled directly into cassettes without the use of glue/adhesive, closed, and assembled between upright posts to form a noise barrier. Such a construction is described in DK 179441 B1 , family member to EP 3162961 B1 .
From EP 0762382 A1 and US 5484970 A it is likewise known how to manufacture noise barriers in which granules, in the form of shredded plastic products, such as cassette tapes, are filled into bags and suspended in a noise barrier construction. The bags are held in place in the construction by polyethylene foam articles. The granules are made from shreds of plastic coated with a magnetic material.
The granules used are based on 'recycled' glass or carbon fibre. It is hereby to be understood that glass or carbon fibre has previously been used in wind turbine blades, sailing boats, and other non-polluting components, and provides an alternative to the use of, for example, worn-out wind turbine blades, where the glass/ carbon fibre is incorporated into new constructions, thus avoiding disposal.
The glass/carbon fibre is mechanically broken down into granules of varying length and thickness. The granules used are therefore not homogeneous.
In recent years, there has been an increased focus on recycling plastic materials, such as plastic bags, plastic containers, etc., which would otherwise be incinerated or deposited in large landfills. The plastic material may be shredded into granules of a suitable uniform size, which may be remelted and recycled to produce new plastic products.

Object of the Invention

With this background, it is the object of the invention to specify a new type of noise suppression material and device by an improved noise barrier, which is primarily developed for installation along railway lines or high-traffic-density highways, etc., served by high-speed trains - for instance, electrically driven high-speed trains and motor-driven automobiles, for the roads respectively.

Description of the Invention

Noise barrier of the type comprising vertical supports or posts designed to be anchored to the ground, and where, between said supports or posts, elongated substantially horizontally running barrier elements consisting of one or more layers of plates and one or more layers of a sound-absorbing granule material are secured. For a core, a granule of a size and shape adapted to the injection of the granule material is used. The noise barrier according to the invention is characterized in that the barrier elements comprise cassettes formed with an optional hatch, a lid, or equivalent means for emptying and/or filling the cassette.
One or more plates are of reflective and/or one or more plates are corrugated plates. There may be perforations in one or more plates, which perforations retain the granules.
Preferably, according to the invention, the noise barrier is designed so that the cassette may be produced in various self-supporting configurations.
A cassette consists of a top and a bottom as well as side members, all of which are connected to form an assembled frame. The frame is provided with a net or a perforated plate. Behind the net or perforated plate, a fibre membrane is installed to allow the passage of air. In one or both end pieces and/or side members, an injection hole is produced so that the granules may be injected from the side, top, or bottom of the cassette. The injection hole may be adapted to the size of the injection equipment.
In a special embodiment, the noise barrier is of the type comprising vertical supports or posts which may be anchored in the ground, where, between said supports or posts, elongated substantially horizontally running barrier elements are secured, consisting for example of thin-walled profiled metal plates and a core of a sound-absorbing granular material, characterized in that granules of a size adapted to the injection of the granule material are used. Furthermore, the noise barrier is special in that it is designed so that the granules may be injected into a cassette construction.
It is thereby achieved, that the granules do not have to be glued together or otherwise processed before the injection. This reduces the work involved in filling the cassette.
In one embodiment, the cassette, which is designed to be filled up with granules, is special in that it is designed to be able to have internal bracing added. Alternatively, there may be an internal bracing. This provides additional dimensional stability and strength.
In one embodiment, the noise barrier is special in that the absorption is different and varies due to the injected size of the granules. The term 'granules' is here defined as having a size and shape, including grains, chips, and flakes, which may be injected using conventional injection equipment.
In one embodiment, the noise barrier is special in that the granules, for example in the form of chips or flakes, are of a size such that the granules may be injected into the cassette without further processing or degradation. This is particularly advantageous as the commercially available fibrous products, such as wind turbine blades, from waste producers, is often of such a great size that finer shredding and filtration is required before the granules may be introduced into the cassette. Furthermore, this allows the use of standard commercially available injection equipment, such as hoses and pumps. Thus, the need for specially adapted injection equipment is eliminated, thereby also reducing costs.
In one embodiment, the noise barrier is special in that the granules are hygroscopic and thus water-absorbing. Alternatively, the granules are partially hygroscopic, whereby at least one least material is hygroscopic while at least one other material is not hygroscopic. The hygroscopic property will contribute to an increased density and thus an increased noise suppression.
In one embodiment, the noise barrier is special in that it is designed to be installed so that the granules are injected after the installation. In a special configuration, the cassettes are designed to be connected and have one or more channels so that the granules may be injected after installation. The injection may happen after the cassette is installed in the H-post on-site.
The cassette may further be designed with a lid, a gate, or a removable plate or a hinged or rotatable plate arranged in front of an opening in the cassette so that the granules may be refilled into the cassettes. Such a hatch, gate, or plate is located so that the removal and/or refilling of the granules may happen with the cassette installed in H-pillars on-site.
The noise barrier according to the invention is special in that the noise barrier is arranged in such a way that granule filling may be injected into the barrier wall's barrier elements. The noise barrier thus becomes sound absorbing on both sides facing the noise source - for example the railway or the motorway.
The noise barrier elements/cassette are based on a self-supporting construction with internal bracing - so that the granules etc. merely act as sound absorbing material.
In this way, noise may be absorbed by the fill injected into the barrier, thereby achieving highly effective absorption of the sound pressure waves from, for example, a passing high-speed train or a motorised vehicle, as the pressure sound waves are effectively absorbed in the granules.
The absorption in the noise barrier as a unit is increased very significantly. Thus a good filling is achieved. The permeable fibre membrane allows the passage of the inlet air and at the same time acts as a filter, so that the granules are retained by the fibre membrane. A fibre membrane may be arranged near the front and back of the cassette respectively.
Depending on the length of the barrier, the internal design of the barrier will be designed in many ways to achieve sufficient stability.
In one embodiment, the noise barrier is special in that the granules are made from a recycled material or a surplus material, such as glass/carbon-fibre containing materials or plastic materials. Other types of fibres may also be used. Here, the term 'recycled' is defined as a product that has previously been used for a specific purpose, such as worn-out composite or plastic products. Here, the term 'surplus' can be defined as a material that is left or left over after the production of another product, e.g. surplus glass/carbon fibre or plastic granules.
The granules may advantageously be made of a polymer-based plastic material, e.g. polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyamide (PA), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polystyrene (PS), polyoxymethylene (POM), polycarbonate (PC), or a combination thereof. These plastic materials may advantageously be used as noise absorbing material in a noise barrier, as these plastic materials in the form of granules, surprisingly, have noise suppressing properties. These plastic materials have not been used as sound absorbing material in the past, but as fillers in other products (e.g. concrete) or for the production of new plastic products.
In one embodiment, the noise barrier is special in that the granules are made of a combination of different glass/carbon-fibre containing materials containing materials or different plastic materials, and or of a combination of glass/carbon containing materials and plastic materials.
A combination of recycled materials and/or surplus materials may be advantageously used to as sound absorbing material. The granules may, for example, comprise different glass/carbon-fibre containing materials mixed together, either in a random ratio or in a predetermined ratio. The granules may also comprise, for example, different plastic materials mixed together, either in a random ratio or in a predetermined ratio. Similarly, the granules may comprise, for example, glass/carbon-fibre containing materials and plastic materials mixed together, either in a random ratio or in a predetermined ratio. Hereby, the sound absorbing properties of the granular material, and thus the noise barrier, may be adapted to the characteristics of the noise and or its location in relation to the noise source.
In one embodiment, the noise barrier is special in that the granules are injected directly into the cassette or injected into a defined closed pocket formed inside the cassette.
In the present invention, the granules may advantageously be injected directly into the core of the cassette via injection openings in the frame, as mentioned earlier. The granules may thus be held in place mechanically between the two fibre membranes. An optional supplemental layer of a permeable flexible material may be arranged behind the fibre membrane. Alternatively, two layers of fibre membranes may be used.
Only one flexible layer may be arranged in the frame, either behind the front or rear fibre membrane. Alternatively, a flexible layer may be arranged behind both fibre membranes. The flexible layer may be attached to the fibre membrane and/or the frame itself during cassette assembly, or mechanically fixed to the cassette once it is assembled.
This provides extra protection in the event of a breach in the fibre membrane or the flexible layer.
The invention further relates to methods of establishing a noise barrier according to the invention.
A method of establishing the noise barrier comprises providing supports or posts anchored to a foundation such as the ground; providing barrier elements, preferably box-shaped barrier elements, between the supports or posts; injecting granules into the preferably box-shaped barrier elements, and where the barrier elements are produced with an optional hatch, gate, or equivalent means for emptying and/or filling the granules.
An alternative method of establishing the noise barrier comprises providing a plurality of supports or posts anchored to a foundation such as the ground; providing a plurality of barrier elements, preferably box-shaped barrier elements, between the supports or posts such that the plurality of barrier elements are connected by at least one channel; after which granules are injected into the plurality of barrier elements via the channel.
The cassette may advantageously be equipped with at least two layers of a permeable, flexible material, which together form a closed, delimited pocket for storing the granules. The pocket may be connected to the inlet opening so that the granules may be injected directly into the pocket and where the inlet air may be directed out through the flexible material. The cassette may be designed so that the two flexible layers are mechanically fixed to each other along the edges when the cassette is closed.
The cassette may alternatively be equipped with a bag of a permeable, flexible material in which the granules are injected directly into the bag in the cassette. Any compression of the granules is thus achieved solely by means of the intake air.
Alternatively, the granules may be injected into the bag before it is closed and placed in the cassette. Hereafter, the assembly of the cassette is completed. Alternatively, the bags or pockets of several cassettes may be connected to each other via one or more channels arranged in the frame of the cassettes, whereby the granules may be injected into several cassettes at the same time via these channels.
Alternatively, the cassette may comprise one or more closed limited pockets or bags. A single pocket or bag may be arranged in the cassette. Alternatively, two or more pockets or bags may be arranged in the cassette. The size and shape of these pockets or bags is matched or the size and shape of the cassette.
In one embodiment, the process is special in that the granules are injected into the barrier element without further processing or degradation.
The granules may advantageously be provided in a size whereby it may be injected directly into the cassette, or bag, without further processing or degradation. This is particularly advantageous as it saves time and reduces the number of steps of the process. Furthermore, this allows the use of standard commercially available injection equipment, such as hoses and pumps. Thus, the need for specially adapted injection equipment is eliminated, thereby also reducing costs.
If necessary, the granules, e.g. of glass/carbon-fibre containing materials, may be broken down and/or filtered to a smaller size prior to injection. However, this adds an extra process step to the method.
The granules of one granular material can, if necessary, be mixed with at least one other granular material prior to injection if a combination of granular materials is desired. Alternatively, one or more cassettes in the noise barrier may be filled with a first granular material, or combination of granular materials, while one or more other cassettes in the noise barrier may be filled with a second granular material, or combination of granular materials. Thus, the configuration of the noise barrier may be adapted to the profile of the noise source.

Description of the drawing

In the following, the invention is explained in detail with reference to the drawing, on which:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective depiction of an embodiment of a noise barrier according to the invention, filled with granules.
Fig. 2 shows a perspective depiction of an embodiment of a noise barrier according to the invention and designed for filling with granules; possibly after installation on-site.
Fig. 3 shows the injection of granules into the noise barrier shown in fig. 1 according to the invention - seen from the side. Injection takes place with the cassette standing horizontally on the floor level.
Fig. 4 shows the injection of granules into the noise barrier shown in fig. 1 according to the invention - seen from the side. Injection takes place with the cassette standing vertically at floor level.
Fig. 5 shows a front view of a cassette with an embodiment of a noise barrier according to the invention.

Detailed description of the Invention

The noise barrier shown in fig. 1-4 is built up as a self-supporting construction. The cassette is installed in or on poles, for example with H-profile, anchored in the ground and between which the mainly horizontally running barrier elements are installed.
The cassette consists of profiled metal plates 4, which are, for example, thin-walled, and a filled-up core 9 of a sound-absorbing granular material. As shown, the noise barrier 10 may also comprise various profiled plates, corrugated trapezoidal plates forming a mechanical barrier and front on the barrier 10. Common to all the plates installed on the front is that they are perforated to some degree and extent. It will be exceedingly simple to provide potential equalisation of all metal parts in a noise barrier of the type described, so that it will also be suitable for use along railway lines with electrically powered trains. The barrier consists of a top profile 1, a bottom profile 2, and side members 6, which are joined together to form a dimensionally stable and self-supporting frame. The internal bracing 8 ensures that the cassette remains stable.
To hold the granules 9, a mechanical net 4 is installed. Behind this net, a permeable fibre membrane 3 is installed. The fibre membrane allows the passage of the inlet air but retains the injected granules at the same time. A layer of a flexible, permeable material may be arranged behind the fibre membrane (not shown in figure) for additional protection against the granules falling out of cracks/gaps in the fibre membrane.
Figure 2 shows, as in figure 1, an empty cassette with a plate, in this case a side member 6, a top profile with a hole 7 for injecting granules. The cassette is designed for series connection with identical cassettes.
Figures 3 and 4 show a cassette or barrier element 10 placed on a support 12, such as the ground, and having connecting means to a hose 11 for injecting granules in the form of a recycled material and/or a surplus material. The size and shape of the granules may be advantageously injected into the cassette. The granules may be injected directly into an optional bag (marked with stippled lines) or into a closed, defined pocket arranged inside the cassette.
Figure 5 shows a cassette 10 designed to receive a granule. The cassette 10 shown may receive one or more sound-reflecting plates and simultaneously receive a granule as shown in the previous figures.

Claims

A noise barrier of the type comprising vertical supports or posts designed to be anchored to the ground, and where, between said supports or posts, elongated substantially horizontally running barrier elements consisting of one or more layers of plates, as well as a core of one or more layers of a sound-absorbing granular material, are secured, characterised in that the barrier elements comprise cassettes formed with an optional hatch, gate, or equivalent means for emptying and/or filling the cassette, and where the granules are of a size and shape adapted for injection of the granules.
A noise barrier according to claim 1, characterised in that a barrier element is arranged as an assembled cassette construction and arranged with means for injecting granules.
Noise barrier according to claim 2, characterised in that the granules are provided in the cassette construction only by injection.
Noise barrier according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the granules are made of a recycled material or a surplus material, such as a glass/carbon-fibre containing material or a plastic material.
A noise barrier according to claim 4, characterised in that the granules are made of a combination of different glass/carbon-fibre containing materials or different plastic materials, and or of a combination of glass/carbon-fibre containing materials and plastic materials.
Noise barrier according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterised in that the cassette is made with an internal bracing and designed with holes or access for granules for distribution by injection.
Noise barrier according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the granules are hygroscopic.
Noise barrier according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the noise barrier comprises a plurality of cassettes, the cassettes being formed with duct connections configured to allow granules to be injected into one cassette and distributed to another cassette via at least one duct connection and after the cassettes are mounted.
A method of establishing a noise barrier according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the method comprising:
- to provide supports or posts anchored to a substrate such as the ground;

- to provide barrier elements, preferably box-shaped barrier elements, between supports or posts;

- to inject granules into the barrier elements and where the granules are made of a recycled or surplus material, and that the barrier elements are equipped with an optional hatch, gate, or equivalent means for emptying and/or filling the cassette.
A method of establishing a noise barrier according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the method comprising:
- to provide several supports or posts anchored to a substrate such as the ground;

- to provide several barrier elements, preferably box-shaped barrier elements, between supports or posts in such a way that several barrier elements are connected by at least one channel; whereafter

- granules are injected into several barrier elements via the duct and where the granules are made of a recycled material or a surplus material.
Method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the granules are injected into the barrier element without further processing or degradation.