ECHO BARRIER H Series Noise Barrier Performance User Guide

ECHO BARRIER H Series Noise Barrier Performance

H Series Noise Barrier Performance Guide

The H Series Noise Barrier is a uniquely effective hi-tech material combination designed to provide a high level of performance on-site, not just in lab tests. It consists of three factors that must be right to achieve maximum performance:

1. Barrier Geometry: The larger the acoustic shadow, the greater the barrier attenuation. Contact us for advice on your installation options for best performance.
2. Barrier Mass: There is a perfect weight for optimum real-world performance. The barrier includes an insulating mass layer.
3. Barrier Acoustic Absorption: Barriers without the right thickness of acoustic absorbent can actually increase noise levels. The barrier includes a sound-absorbing layer.

The Echo Barriers have been designed to the mass/performance sweet spot and provide up to 32dB TL (sound transmission loss) with less than half the typical weight. The field test data shows that they are more effective than lab test data to BS EN 717/345/2750, which are not designed to measure the performance of barriers as fitted. The high tech acoustic absorbent composite in the barrier has been designed and tuned to provide high absorption over the key 250Hz – 1kHz frequency range to maximize the field performance of the barriers. It also avoids the fiber shedding/mechanical handling safety problems associated with traditional fiber materials. The absorption coefficient of 1 equals 100% efficiency. One unique feature of the Echo Barriers is that their class-leading performance has been achieved without retaining water, so no weight increase and no mess. Conventional absorbent materials soak up rainwater, which substantially increases the weight of the barriers, creating handling issues and a host of other practical problems that are associated with pools of water inside vehicles and storage areas. On-site, the Echo Barriers provide lower noise levels, a 70% or more reduction in fitting time, easy transport, mechanical handling, and storage.

For any further queries, feel free to contact us at 0208 850 5658 or info@psmhire.co.uk. You can also visit our website  www.psmhire.co.uk.

Product Usage Instructions

1. Choose the best installation option for maximum performance by consulting with us.
2. Install the barrier with the insulating mass layer facing the noise source.
3. Ensure that the barrier’s sound-absorbing layer has the right thickness of acoustic absorbent for optimum performance.
4. For easy transport, handling and storage, handle the barrier with care and avoid contact with water.

Barrier Geometry

The larger the acoustic shadow, the greater the barrier attenuation

Barriers are used to block the line of sight between the noise source and the noise-sensitive location, creating an “acoustic shadow”. The larger the shadow, the greater the attenuation provided by the barrier. In addition, the higher the frequency of the sound, the larger the shadow as low frequencies (throbs, hums etc…) are not so directional and will diffract more around the screen. Consequently, the important principle is that you should place the barrier as close to the noise source as is practical to ensure good performance.

Contact us for advice on your installation options for the best performance

Barrier Mass

There is a perfect weight for optimum real-world performance

The mass of the solid, impermeable material used as part of barriers determines the drop in noise (or transmission loss) between the two sides of the barrier. The heavier the material, the greater the attenuation – but only provided the barrier is infinitely large! In practice, geometry limits the attenuation as noise passes over the top of the barrier. Consequently, there is a minimum mass required to give high attenuation. Once this is reached, the law of diminishing returns sets in very rapidly, and any additional mass provides no acoustic benefit – but makes transportation, manual handling, and fitting much more difficult. This calculation is the basis for the H series Echo Barrier construction. They are designed to hit the “sweet spot”, providing the maximum attenuation for the minimum weight in real-life applications. Heavier barriers generate much more hassle for a negligible increase in performance, whilst lighter barriers seriously compromise attenuation e.g. a 250gm/m2 barrier would have only 10% of the attenuation. In the few cases where added mass would increase the attenuation, Echo Barriers are designed to be doubled up locally – a more effective, more convenient and very efficient innovation.

Barrier Acoustic Absorption

Barriers without the right thickness of acoustic absorbent can actually increase noise levels

The solid material in a barrier reflects the noise back toward the noise source. This actually increases the noise level on the source side of the screen. If there are other reflecting surfaces nearby (walls, Portacabins, plants, machinery, etc), then this makes the situation even worse by bouncing the noise in all directions. In extreme cases, placing a badly designed barrier in front of a noise source can actually increase off-site noise! A well-designed barrier must incorporate acoustic absorbent material (not rock wool or fiberglass – these generate manual handling issues due to the fibers) on the noise source side to soak up the sound and minimize reflections. This increases the barrier performance, but adds to the barrier thickness and, conventionally, adds a material that also soaks up water – which also adds mass and mess (water leaks in vehicles and stores, mold, etc). Due to the laws of physics, the minimum thickness of absorption required is around 30mm – any thinner, and the performance is seriously compromised. Echo Barriers use a specially designed “high tech” tuned absorbent construction that provides high performance without holding water, once again hitting the technical “sweet spot”.

Acoustic Data

A Uniquely Effective Hi-Tech Material Combination

• Echo Barriers have been very carefully designed to provide a uniquely high level of performance in practice, on-site, and not just in lab tests. This has been achieved via a synthesis of acoustic insulation and high-tech acoustic absorption materials coupled with a mechanical design that hits the perfect “sweet spot” for maximum performance at minimum weight.
• On-site, this means lower noise levels, a 70% or more reduction in fitting time plus easy transport, mechanical handling, and storage.

Sound Transmission Loss (TL) – real-world data

Up to 32dB TL; < half the typical weight; field test data

• The single barrier layer transmission loss data plot* shows the class-leading performance of the materials this is particularly impressive given the light weight of the barriers (5.8kg each – wet or dry compared with the more typical 12 – 15kg…). It is even more impressive when you consider that this is field data.
• However, note that the field performance of barriers on site is almost invariably determined by the installed geometry. In the rare cases where geometry is not the determining factor, Echo Barriers are uniquely designed to allow for a second layer to be very easily added locally to the source, increasing the attenuation by a factor of up to six times.
• Field test data: measured insertion loss of barriers, 1m source/receiver, 4m in front of reflecting surface, natural leakage paths. Lab test T. Loss data to BS EN 717 / 345 / 2750 is misleading as these tests are not designed to measure the performance of barriers as fitted. They test the TL of an artificially sealed material sample in a concrete test chamber.

Unique Tuned Acoustic Absorption

Soaks up to 100% of the sound without soaking up water

• The high-tech acoustic absorbent composite has been designed and tuned to provide high absorption over the key 250Hz – 1kHz frequency range to maximize the field performance of the barriers. It also avoids the fiber shedding / mechanical handling safety problems associated with traditional fiber materials.
• Conventional absorbent materials soak up rainwater. This substantially increases the weight of the barriers, creating handling issues and a host of other practical problems that are associated with pools of water inside vehicles and storage areas. A unique feature of the Echo Barriers is that their class-leading performance has been achieved without retaining water, so no weight increase and no mess.

0208 850 5658 | info@psmhire.co.uk | www.psmhire.co.uk

References

• PSM Plant & Tool Hire Centres Ltd

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