Low Cost Noise Barriers for Mitigation of Rail Noise

Noise barriers are a widely used mitigation measure for rail noise, particularly for new rail line developments. Precast concrete barriers are typically used for rail noise mitigation as their high mass allows them to effectively mitigate low frequency noise from sources such as freight locomotives. However, there are considerable capital costs associated with the design and the construction of concrete barriers due to the large scale earthworks required for barrier footings and vegetation clearing. As such, there exists an opportunity to reduce the cost of noise barriers by optimising their design to suit the particular noise characteristics at each site.This paper presents an approach for the design of low cost noise barriers for the mitigation of rail noise. This approach involves: Categorising the type of rail noise at the target location. Categories include locomotive noise, squeal noise, rolling noise, bunching and stretching etc. which reflect the frequency content of the noise at the site. Designing the barrier to treat the specific noise type at the site (i.e. specifying barrier material, height and length). Examining the cost components of each barrier design using a life cycle methodology that considers all costs associated with design, construction and maintenance of the barrier. As an illustration of how this design approach can be applied, this paper presents two case studies showing the low cost noise barrier design at two locations on the Sydney Trains Network which experience squeal noise and locomotive noise, respectively. Each design considers the predicted performance and costs of the designed barriers and compares them with industry benchmarks.