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Structural Design and Optimization of Highway Noise Barrier Panels

Author(s)

Zhilu Liu, Linguo Lu*

Affiliation(s)

Shandong Transportation Institute, Jinan, Shandong, China *Corresponding Author

Abstract

To effectively mitigate the impact of highway traffic noise on the surrounding environment, this study conducts a systematic investigation into the acoustic characteristics, structural design, and material optimization of noise barriers. The noise reduction mechanism and key influencing factors of noise barriers are analyzed based on the principles of sound diffraction, transmission, and reflection. Particular attention is given to the effects of barrier height, length, installation position, and structural configuration on acoustic performance. According to engineering application requirements, design principles, and parameter optimization methods for noise barriers are proposed. Comparative analyses of the sound absorption properties of four panel materials—aluminum plate, steel plate, aluminum foam, and concrete—indicate that aluminum foam and concrete barriers exhibit superior broadband sound absorption performance in the low- and mid-frequency ranges, effectively improving the acoustic environment of highway traffic. The findings provide a theoretical basis and engineering reference for highway noise barrier design and material selection.

Keywords

Highway; Noise Barrier; Noise Reduction Design; Acoustic Performance; Material Optimization

References

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