GB2235942A

GB2235942A - Noise barrier

Info

Publication number: GB2235942A
Application number: GB9020102A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Roger France; Ronald Jones
Original assignee: BICC PLC
Current assignee: Balfour Beatty PLC
Priority date: 1989-09-15
Filing date: 1990-09-14
Publication date: 1991-03-20
Also published as: FR2652188A1; GB9020102D0; GB8920927D0

Abstract

A noise barrier for use on airfields, or beside railways or motorways, comprises a wall 1 constructed from separately formed barrier elements 3 interconnected or assembled together, each of which barrier elements is hollow and filled with granular material (7), eg sand or earth. Each barrier element 3 preferably is of rectangular shape and, in a preferred embodiment, is of a plank-like shape. Adjacent edges (4) of neighbouring barrier elements 3 preferably engage with one another and with upstanding pillars 2 mutually spaced along the length of the wall. <IMAGE>

Description

NOISE BARRIERS This invention relates to noise barriers of the kind employed to prevent the noise emitted by aircraft on airfields, by trains on railways, by vehicular traffic on motorways and other roadways and noise from other sources from being a nuisance to the local environment.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved noise barrier of this kind which is inexpensive and can be readily erected.

According to the invention, the improved noise barrier comprises a wall constructed from a plurality of separately formed hollow barrier elements interconnected or assembled together, each of which hollow barrier elements is substantially filled with granular material.

Preferably, each hollow barrier element is of substantially rectangular shape and of substantially uniform overall thickness throughout substantially the whole of its area. In a preferred embodiment, each rectangular hollow barrier element has a length several times that of its width so that it is of a plank-like shape but, in some circumstances, each of the rectangular hollow barrier elements may have a length and width equal to or not greatly differing from one another so that it is of a panel-like form. One or each of the major faces of each or at least some of the hollow barrier elements preferably is substantially flat and preferably also lies in a substantially vertical plane common to flat major faces of other hollow barrier elements. In some cases, the opposed major faces of each of at least some of the barrier elements may each be of a smoothly curved shape whose.

axis of curvature lies on an imaginary substantially vertical line.

Preferably, each side edge of at least one pair of opposed side edges of each rectangular hollow barrier element is so shaped that it interlocks or engages with a side edge of an adjacent rectangular hollow barrier element of similar form. In one preferred embodiment of the improved noise barrier, a marginal portion extending throughout the length of each side edge of one pair of opposed side edges of each rectangular hollow barrier element is stepped throughout its length so that, throughout the length of the marginal portion, the overall thickness of the element is reduced, e.g. is approximately one half of the overall thickness of the major portion of the element.

At spaced positions along the length of the wall constituting the improved noise barrier, preferably the wall incorporates or is secured to upstanding pillars whose lowermost end parts are firmly embedded in or are secured to the ground. In one preferred embodiment, each upstanding pillar is of substantially I-shaped cross-section and marginal portions of rectangular hollow barrier elements are sliding fits between the limbs of the I-shaped pillars on one or each side of each pillar.

It is to be understood that the expression "granular material" as used in this specification is intended to include any material comprising a multiplicity of separately formed grains, particles, fragments, pebbles or other small discrete bodies of the material that can be densely packed together in an enclosed space to the substantial exclusion of air, and any such granular material can be used to fill at least to a substantial extent the hollow barrier elements of the improved noise barrier. Sand is preferred for this purpose because it is readily available and not expensive; in some cases, a pulverulent material may be employed. In general, the smaller the average size of the granules of the granular material, and hence the denser that the granules can be packed together, the greater the efficiency of the wall as a noise barrier.

For ease of transportation of the separately formed hollow barrier elements to, and erection of the wall on, a site, each hollow barrier element preferably is transported and erected in an unfilled state and subsequently each barrier element is substantially filled with a granular material after the wall has been partially or wholly erected. For this purpose, preferably each hollow barrier element has at least one hole for use in filling of the element. The hole or holds may be a slot or slots in the top wall of the hollow barrier element or may be in a major side wall of the element at or near its uppermost edge.The or each hole may be closed by a tight fitting cap or plug or by an overlying strip of a suitable material; where the hollow barrier elements are assembled one on top of another, the or each hold in the top wall of each element except the uppermost element may be closed by the element assembled immediately above it. Preferably, each barrier element has at least two such holes so that ,- as granular material is introduced into the elemnt'through at least one hole, air can escape from the element through the other hole or holes; alternatively, the granular material may be introcuced by hand.The granular material preferably is introduced into each hollow barrier element by a pressure injection technique or by a vacuum filling technique in which air is evacuated from within the hollow barrier element through at least one hole and granular material is drawn or sucked into the element through the other hole or holes. In all cases, each hollow barrier element may be vibrated during the filling process to increase the extent to which the granular material is densely packed.

Each hollow barrier element may be made of any suitable metallic or non-metallic material; aluminium or an aluminium based alloy is preferred because it is light in weight and not subject to corrosion. Where each hollow barrier element is of a plank-like form, each element may be made from an extruded tube of aluminium or aluminium alloy which is closed at each of its ends by a sheet of aluminium or aluminium alloy permanently secured to the tube; where each barrier element is of a panel-like form, the element may be formed from sheets of aluminium or aluminium alloy.

Each upstanding pillar may be made of aluminium or aluminium alloy or other metal or metal alloy but, preferably, it is made of concrete.

The invention also includes, for use in the erection of an improved noise barrier as hereinbefore described, a fluid-tight hollow barrier element of substantially rectangular shape having at least one hole for the introduction into the hollow barrier element of a granular material and an associated cap or plug for tightly closing the hole, at least one pair of opposed side edges of the element being so shaped throughout their lengths that each of said opposed side edges will interlock or interengage with a side edge of another rectangular hollow barrier element of similar form.

The invention is further illustrated by a description, by way of example, of a preferred noise barrier with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 2, respectively, are fragmental side and plan views of the preferred noise barrier, and Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of one preformed hollow barrier element of a plank-like form used in erection of the preferred noise barrier shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings, the preferred noise barrier comprises a plurality of composite panels 1 secured between upstanding pillars 2 which are disposed at spaced positions along the length of the barrier wall and whose lowermost end parts are firmly embedded in the ground. Each composite panel 1 comprises four separately formed hollow barrier elements 3, each barrier element being of a substantially uniform overall thickness throughout the majority of the area of the element and comprising an extruded tube of aluminium closed at each of its ends by a sheet of aluminium permanently secured to the tube.A marginal portion extending throughout the length of each longer side edge 4 of each hollow barrier element 3 is stepped throughout its length so that, throughout the length of the marginal portion, the overall thickness of the element is approximately one half of the overall thickness of the major portion of the element. Marginal portions of adjacent hollow barrier elements interengage throughout the lengths of the elements. Adjacent its uppermost longer edge, each plank-like hollow barrier 3 has two holes 5 each closed by a tight fitting plug 6 and each hollow barrier element is substantially filled with sand 7.

Each of the upstanding pillars 2 is made of concrete and is of substantially I-shaped transverse cross-section so that end marginal portions of the plank-like hollow barrier elements 3 are sliding fits between the limbs of the I-shaped pillars on one or each side of each pillar.

For ease of transportation of the separately formed hollow barrier elements 3 to, and erection of the preferred barrier wall on, the site, each hollow barrier element was transported and erected in an unfilled state and subsequently each barrier element was substantially filled with sand 7 using a vacuum filling technique.

Claims

Claims:

1. A noise barrier comprising a wall constructed from a plurality of separately formed hollow barrier elements interconnected or assembled together, each of which hollow barrier elements is substantially filled with granular material.

2. A noise barrier as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each hollow barrier element is of substantially rectangular shape and of substantially uniform overall thickness throughout substantially the whole of its area.

3. A noise barrier as claimed in Claim 2, wherein each rectangular hollow barrier element has a length several times that of its width so that it is of a plank-like shape.

4. A noise barrier as claimed in Claim 2, wherein each rectangular hollow barrier element has a length and width equal to or not greatly differing from one another so that it is of a panel-like form.

5. A noise barrier as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein one or each of the opposed major faces of each hollow barrier element is substantially flat.

6. A noise barrier as claimed in Claim 5, wherein each flat major face of a hollow barrier element lies in a substantially vertical plane common to flat major faces of other hollow barrier elements.

7, A noise barrier as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the opposed major faces of each of at least some of the barrier elements are each of a smoothly curved shape whose axis of curvature lies on an imaginary substantially vertical line.

8. A noise barrier as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 7, wherein each side edge of at least one pair of opposed side edges of each rectangular hollow barrier element is so shaped that it interlocks or engages with a side edge of an adjacent rectangular hollow barrier element of similar form.

9. A noise barrier as claimed in Claim 8, wherein a marginal portion extending throughout the length of each side edge of one pair of opposed side edges of each rectangular hollow barrier element is stepped throughout its length so that throughout the length of the marginal portion the overall thickness of the element is reduced.

10. A noise barrier as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein, at spaced positions along the length of the wall constituting the noise barrier, the wall incorporates or is secured to upstanding pillars whose lowermost end parts are firmly embedded in or are secured to the ground.

11. A noise barrier as claimed in Claim 10, wherein each upstanding pillar is of substantially I-shaped cross-section and marginal portions of rectangular hollow barrier elements are sliding fits between the limbs of the I-shaped pillars on one or each side of each pillar.

12. A noise barrier as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein each of at least some of the hollow barrier element has at least one hole for use when filling the element with granular material, which hole is closed by a tight fitting cap or plug or by an overlying strip of suitable material.

13. A noise barrier as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein each of at least some of the hollow barrier elements has at least one hole for use when filling the element with granular material in the top wall of the element.

14. A noise barrier as claimed in Claim 12 or 13, wherein each barrier element has at least two holes so that, as granular material is introduced into the element through at least one hole, air can escape from the element through the other hole or holes.

15. A noise barrier as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein each hollow barrier element is made of aluminium or an aluminium based alloy.

16. A noise barrier as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the granular material is sand.

17. A noise barrier as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 15, wherein the granular material is earth.

18. For use in the erection of a noise barrier as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, a hollow barrier element of substantially rectangular shape having at least one hole for the introduction into the hollow barrier element of a granular material and an associated cap or plug for tightly closing the hole, at least one pair of opposed side edges of the element being so shaped throughout their lengths that each of said opposed side edges will interlock or interengage with a side edge of another rectangular hollow barrier element of similar form.

19. A noise barrier substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.