Transparent sections in noise barriers help to avoid the tunnel effect that is tiring for drivers, by presenting the landscape around the road, without the effect of casting shadows on the road surface or the surrounding environment.
Noise barriers made with transparent infills combine functionality, aesthetics and visual lightness with noise protection for residents of the surrounding area of the communication route.
Due to their transparency, this type of screen does not create the effect of cutting off and closing the landscape, but blends in with it, avoiding visual dominance and maintaining perspective for the eye.
Solid polycarbonate is a material with excellent sound reflection properties. Its sound insulation coefficient Rw is 30 dB for a thickness of 8 mm and even 37 dB for a thickness of 20 mm.
Solid polycarbonate is a material with exceptional strength properties. Due to the fact that it is characterized by extremely high elasticity and impact resistance, it allows to meet the requirements of secondary safety – this concerns safety against falling fragments in case of screen destruction, which is tested according to the EN 1794-2 standard, annex B “Secondary safety: danger of falling debris”.
Screens made with solid polycarbonate infill undergo the necessary tests, which check their resistance to fire, in particular their resistance to vegetation fire, which is described by the EN 1794- 2:2011 standard. This test simulates the real conditions around the screen and its result assesses whether the screen is prone to fire spread.
Solid polycarbonate is a material with a high degree of transparency and light transmittance (above 80%) which means that a screen made with this material does not cut off the landscape, but merges with it to create a coherent composition.
PMMA XT sheets are often used as infills for noise barriers due to their very good acoustic and aesthetic properties. The light transmittance of PMMA XT sheets is at least 92%. This type of infill is characterized by excellent transparency and resistance to harmful UV radiation without the need for co-extrusion of an additional protective layer, as it is not itself sensitive to this type of light radiation.
PMMA sheets have good mechanical strength, which means that they are resistant to impacts and mechanical damage, which is important in the case of noise barriers located near roads with high traffic intensity. It is a material that, being well-tested and positively received by road market players, has been used for the production of noise barriers since the beginning of this industry.
They are very effective in noise reduction, which has been confirmed by tests carried out in accordance with European standards EN 1793 and EM 1794.
Acoustic screens with glass infill are an excellent solution that combines the most desirable features of such a structure.
These screens are very resistant to loads, and due to their weight, which is twice that of plastic infills (solid polycarbonate and acrylic polymethyl methacrylate), the acoustic insulation Rw is significantly better. An acoustic screen with tempered glass infill is a safe solution that does not pose a threat in case of destruction.
The hardness of the glass and its compact molecular structure guarantee long-term use without the risk of losing aesthetic properties due to exposure to harmful environmental factors, and its very high chemical resistance guarantees resistance to environmental aggression. It is also worth mentioning that screens with glass infill are easier to maintain and keep clean.
Acoustic screens with infill made of a package of tempered float glass panes, laminated with PVB foil interlayers are dedicated in particular to the most demanding projects, which include engineering structures, where there are strict recommendations regarding the uncompromising safety of the applied solutions.
As an additional element of the screen with infill made of a glass package with PVB foil, steel safety cables are used, which are mounted in the corners of the glass pane and guarantee that in case of damage, the destroyed pane will not fall out of the frame completely, but will be stopped by the cables.
Similarly to the above-described screens with tempered glass infill, laminated glass screens with foil are characterized by exceptional resistance to mechanical loads, very high resistance to chemical aggression and easy cleaning.
