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Is Precast Concrete The Best Option For Noise Reduction?

by Menlo Lippowski

There is constant demand for noise reduction within internal areas such as homes, restaurants and office buildings. Though it may be hard to imagine, the kinds of wall or fence material you use can have a huge impact on whether or not noise is deterred. One of the building type of materials that is subject to many differing perspectives is that of precast concrete.

There are many studies that we will be covering in our new concrete fence wall blog that have shown that any kind of concrete wall simply echoes the noise and can potentially likely increase it. However, there has been research that has shown that precast concrete provides the highest sound transmission loss value when compared to other noise wall products. This research has shown that the noise reduction from these insulating barriers requires a considerably smaller footprint compared with earth beams.

One benefit of precast concrete is that it can be manufactured and inspected prior to installation, which can reduce yours or a contractor's construction timeline. You will find a wide variety of textures and finishes with precast concrete and because it is produced in a controlled environment, it is constructed with a high quality and uniformity.

There is virtually an endless amount of aesthetic options that come with precast concrete, which can be beneficial for a noise reduction. This allows you to design and style up the walls that you plan on placing noise barriers in. You will find that many buildings and offices take advantage of this opportunity to capture a theme across the rooms.

The reason it is capable of adjusting so easily is because precast concrete barriers have a low water-to-cement ratio. By utilizing this low ratio, higher strengths and lower permeability can be achieved. With air voids within the concrete, there is additional space for freezing water to expand. Essentially the results is that this minimizes the potential for scaling and deterioration of the concrete.

When researching in newspapers or magazines, you will find contradicting discussions over whether or not precast concrete is the right material to use for noise reduction. There have been reasonable claims for both cases, but it is hard to go against the research stated above. It is up to you to draw your own conclusion whether or not precast concrete is the superior choice for noise reduction, and doing further research can better support your decision.

Craig Lewis is CEO of Artisan Precast, Inc., the innovation and customer-care leader in concrete fence walls and high quality fences and installation services to assure the efficient execution of your landscape project. Since 1982, tehirr brands- Woodcrete®, Brickcrete®, Fencestone®, Cedarcrete® and Woodcrete® Rail,- have become widely accepted by architects, landscape designers, engineers, residential, commercial and industrial developers, utility companies, government agencies, and others in the construction industry.

Published July 9th, 2007

Filed in Environment, Home