Noise and wind barriers

PLEXIGLAS? Soundstop

Noise is one of the most serious environmental pollution issues. Sixty percent of people are tormented by noise ??particularly traffic noise ? a problem that affects their quality of life and living standards. This is where noise control barriers, whose functionality and appearance also play a major role, have proven their worth in highly congested urban areas. Noise control barriers with transparent elements prevent driver fatigue caused by the tunnel effect and provide better visibility without casting shadows on the road or nearby plots.

Noise control barriers made with PLEXIGLAS? Soundstop from Evonik Industries combine functionality and good looks with protection for nearby residents.

Plexiglas is one of the highest-quality and most versatile plastics in the world. Plexiglas Soundstop was developed back in 1980 for use in noise control barriers.

To meet various requirements, Plexiglas Soundstop is available in different grades ? in extremely large sizes, various thickness and colours and with an integrated sliver retention system & bird protection. It can be used for non-transparent privacy and glare protection screens, and in combination with transparent elements.

Integrated shatter protection for even greater safety

When noise control and wind barriers are installed on bridges, the law states that they must not constitute a danger to people underneath the bridge: any fragments that come loose as a result of an accident must not drop down. Special directives call for corresponding restraint systems.

PLEXIGLAS? Soundstop GS CC meets these legal requirements for fragment retention. It does so by means of the polyamide fibres which are embedded in the acrylic sheets and which are not affected by cleaning operations. In the event of damage to the sheets, these fibres retain any slivers and avert any danger from falling fragments. That is why Soundstop GS CC is approved for use on bridges around the globe without additional safety netting. This gives architects greater freedom of design and bridges blend harmoniously into the landscape. In addition, the material is extremely weather-resistant and withstands the extreme wind pressures that frequently prevail on high bridges.

Outstanding noise control whether cast or extruded

Conventional noise control barriers are primarily aimed at protecting nearby residents from noise. Large noise control barriers, made of highly transparent Plexiglas Soundstop sheets, in cast (GS) or extruded (XT) grades, meet the most stringent requirements for sound insulation, call for fewer steel supporting structures, ensure that the noise barrier is as transparent as possible and offer great creative scope and aesthetic design. The light transmission of clear-transparent Plexiglas Soundstop is over 90%.

Privacy screens and glare protection

Not only are these noise control sheets available in clear transparent versions, they also come in a series of transparent colours and in non-transparent material. The latter is particularly suitable for use in glare protection and privacy screening elements in areas exposed to heavy soiling, for example, at wheel level in road and rail traffic areas.

They can also be used for the entire surface, or combined with transparent materials.

Effective noise control and bird protection

Transparency is a safety factor in road traffic, but birds cannot detect highly transparent material when in flight. The way in which Soundstop GS CC acts to prevent bird strikes has been confirmed in a variety of tests conducted by recognised institutes. The material?s design of embedded polyamide fibres for integrated sliver retention is very similar to the Bird Guard product in the Plexiglas Soundstop range, with 2mm wide black stripes, spaced at 30mm intervals integrated into the material and protected by a cover layer of Plexiglas. That means they are not removed by cleaning operations or graffiti removal. These stripes act as a visible deterrent for birds and are highly effective while ensuring that the elements themselves retain maximum transparency.

Plexiglas material can be completely recycled, either by breaking it down into its original constituents or by means of direct reprocessing.

Germany based Evonik Industries is a worldwide manufacturer of PMMA products sold under the PLEXIGLAS? trademark on the European, Asian, African and Australian continents and under the ACRYLITE? trademark in the Americas.