Research and Application of Noise Barriers in Highway Construction

In recent years, with the rapid development of highways, traffic noise has become a risk source in the environment, and noise control has attracted wide attention. As an economical and effective method, highway noise barriers were the best way to reduce traffic noise and protect residents’ acoustic environment. At the same time, considering the various surroundings in selecting suitable materials (sound-reflective or sound-absorbing materials), types (such as concrete, organic glass, foam metal and photovoltaic noise barriers) and structures (such as vertical, T-shaped, Y-shaped, and inverted L-shaped) could greatly improve the sound reduction performance of barriers. This paper summarizes the current development of noise barriers from perspectives of the material, type and structure to introduce a variety of noise barriers and provides a reference for relevant research. With these analyses, it is possible to design more cost-effective and appropriate noise barriers for particular areas.