Vegetative barriers can indeed be combined effectively with sound-absorbing materials or solid noise barriers to achieve better noise reduction outcomes.
How Vegetative Barriers Work for Noise Reduction
Vegetation reduces noise pollution by absorbing, deflecting, and scattering sound waves. Different parts of plants contribute to this effect:
- Leaves and branches scatter sound waves and reduce noise intensity. Trees with dense canopies and broad leaves are especially effective.
- Trunks and bark absorb sound through their rough surfaces, preventing sound waves from bouncing and amplifying noise.
- Understory vegetation and soil help absorb lower-frequency sounds and stabilize soil, contributing further to noise dampening.
Combining Vegetation with Sound-Absorbing Materials or Solid Barriers
Research shows that combining vegetative barriers with solid noise barriers or sound-absorbing materials provides superior noise and pollution reduction relative to either approach alone.
- Combination barriers, which include both solid sound walls and vegetation, have been found to reduce noise as well as near-road air pollution more effectively. Vegetation complements solid barriers by enhancing pollutant removal and improving air mixing downwind of roads.
- For the combination to be effective, the vegetation should ideally extend at least 1 meter above the top of the solid barrier. This height difference allows airflow through and over the plants, maximizing pollutant and noise reduction benefits.
- Incorporating thick strips of vegetation along with landforms or solid barriers can reduce highway noise by 6 to 15 decibels, indicating significant potential improvement when vegetation is paired with other sound-absorbing structures.
- Multi-layered vegetation (trees, shrubs, ground cover) mimics natural forest ecosystems and improves noise absorption across different frequencies, providing further enhancement to solid noise barriers or sound-absorbing materials.
Summary
Combining vegetative barriers with sound-absorbing materials or solid noise barriers yields better noise reduction than using either alone. Vegetation adds ecological benefits and improves the overall effectiveness of noise mitigation by scattering, absorbing, and deflecting sound waves, especially when it extends above solid barriers to optimize air flow and pollutant removal.
This strategy leverages the complementary strengths of engineered materials and natural vegetation to create more effective, sustainable noise reduction solutions in urban and roadside environments.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/can-vegetative-barriers-be-combined-with-sound-absorbing-materials-for-better-noise-reduction/
