Overview

Noise barriers have been around for many years. They have become much more prevalent and useful in the recent past as traffic and population density have increased. A large percentage of new shopping malls, highway projects and other real estate developments will require some noise barrier.

The simplest noise barrier is a mound of dirt that can be landscaped. It is effective and low in cost if materials from the site are available and most importantly if there is plenty of space at the site. A typical dirt berm will require at least 20 feet of space for a barrier that is effectively eight feet high. Depending on the climate the right landscaping to hold the berm together may add substantial cost.

Another long used noise barrier is a forest. For a forest to be effective as a noise barrier it must be dense enough that the sound is blocked line of site from the noise generator to the noise receiver by tree trunks . This is very difficult to achieve. Leaves, needles or fronds will not stop noise. The reason is that in order for sound to be effectively blocked the material doing the blocking must weigh at least four pounds per square foot.

Standard picket fences of vinyl or wood will not work as noise barriers due to their relatively low weight per square foot. These basic fences can be made to perform as noise barriers by sandwiching material such as insulation between two fences. Of course this more than doubles the cost of the fence and fences of this type will not handle strong winds.

Wood fences manufactured from tongue and groove pressure treated 2 X 6's or larger have the weight to offer some noise mitigation for a while. Wood invariably warps or twists with the grain to create cracks. Typically the natural movement in wood will cause substantial degradation in the performance of such a barrier in less than two years.

Barriers manufactured from sandwiched plywood and other composite materials can be effective. When properly constructed they can be effective but are slow to install and will require a great deal of effort to clean if graffiti is painted on them.

Metal barriers usually have an absorptive element that may be useful in rare applications. They tend to be expensive for the basic installation. These walls will rust at some point in their useful life and are difficult to maintain.

Noise barriers are also manufactured with plastic. These barriers offer a wide price range from extremely expensive clear or translucent barriers to the lowest installed cost available for barriers manufactured from recycled plastic. Plastic barriers offer many advantages with good to excellent performance and extremely easy maintenance.

How the most popular materials compare to the EverQuiet Wall

Ease of Installation

• The EverQuiet Wall (EQ) offers the easiest system for installation of any on the market. Once columns are set it takes less than 15 minutes to install 12' X 12' section with two laborers using nothing but ladders. With consistent dimensions just set the boards in place and snap them.
• Pressure Treated Wood (PTW) is very time consuming to install, as dimensions are not consistent. Once columns are set each heavy board must be carefully bolted in place by laborers typically taking over 2 hours to install a 12'X12' section.
• Concrete is the most difficult to install. Once columns are set it requires large crane and operators typically over 45 minutes for a 12X12 section, crane clearance needs may cause traffic delays.

Cost Factors - Material and Installation

• The EverQuiet Wall offers the lowest cost for installation of any on the market. Typically if the EverQuiet Wall costs X then PTW will cost 1.1X and Concrete will cost 3X.

Cost Factors - Maintenance

• The EverQuiet Wall offers the lowest cost for maintenance of any on the market. This is because it retains a tight fit and graffiti is easily removed with simple pressure washing with water for a like new appearance for years.
• PTW is highly susceptible to warping, rotting and fading. It requires painting to deal with graffiti.
• Concrete may crack, mottle and requires painting to deal with graffiti.

Environmentally Friendliness

• The EverQuiet Wall is extremely friendly to the environment. It is made from over 95% recycled plastic. This saves tons of plastic from landfills and incinerators. No chemicals leach into groundwater, no hazardous materials and low energy is used to produce, transport and install EQ. EQ is a formally listed “green” material that helps qualify projects for LEEDs credits. The material can be recycled again.
• Pressure Treated Wood can leach chemicals into ground, hazardous materials are used in manufacturing PTW and it is considered hazardous waste at end of life.
• Concrete requires very high-energy cost to produce, transport and install. Hazardous materials are used in its production. Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions over 150 and 200 million metric tons respectively pollute the air from total concrete manufacture every year in the U.S.

Useful Life

• The EverQuiet Wall comes with a 30-year warranty and will typically last much longer.
• Pressure Treated Wood typically lasts 10 -18 years but the warranty requires yearly staining.
• Concrete has a life over 30 years typically but offers no warranty.

Design Elements

• The EverQuiet Wall has very consistent dimensions for ease of design and is available in a variety of colors. EQ can be designed to over 34 feet high and capable of handling 150MPH winds.
• Pressure Treated Wood only is available in one color typically, cannot be easily built over 24 feet high.
• Concrete has the ability for extra cost to add design elements and even colors. It is rarely used for heights above 16 feet

Effectiveness

• The EverQuiet Wall offers noise reduction in exterior applications so that the sound is perceived as half as loud.
• Pressure Treated Wood offers noise reduction in exterior applications so that the sound is perceived as half as loud.
• Concrete offers noise reduction in exterior applications so that the sound is perceived as half as loud.