Forum Acusticum 2026

Session

A21.05 Noise barriers and mitigation techniques for road traffic and railway

A21.05

11 Sept 2026, 10:20

Conveners

A21.05 Noise barriers and mitigation techniques for road traffic and railway: S155

• Andreas Fuchs (AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH)

4640. From European Compliance to National Approval: New Legal Requirements for Noise Barriers in Germany (FA2026/469)

Marco Conter (TÜV SÜD Rail GmbH)

11/09/2026, 10:20

A21 Transportation Noise and Vibration

During the last 20 years new in-situ methods have been developed for testing the acoustic properties of noise reducing devices (mainly noise barriers) under real-life condition (e.g. on-site, and not only in the laboratory). The main relevant properties are called sound reflexion and airborne sound insulation, and specific standards were developed by the European Committee for Standardisation...

4641. Technically effective, socially acceptable – new approaches to highly absorbent noise barriers with a clear view (FA2026/467)

Jan Lederer (DB Bahnbau Gruppe GmbH)

11/09/2026, 10:40

A21 Transportation Noise and Vibration

Noise protection measures are a central component of modern infrastructure planning; however, they are increasingly subject to a tension between acoustic effectiveness and societal acceptance. While conventional noise barriers meet the technical requirements for sound, they often give rise to conflicts with urban planning, landscape integration, and social demands. Massive structural designs...

4642. Integrated Photovoltaic Noise Barriers For Infrastructure Applications (FA2026/870)

Itziar Aspuru Soloaga (Fundación Tecnalia Research & Innovation)

11/09/2026, 11:00

A21 Transportation Noise and Vibration

Mitigating environmental noise from transport infrastructure remains a major challenge in densely populated areas. At the same time, the transition towards low-carbon energy systems requires large-scale deployment of solar photovoltaics (PV). In this context, Photovoltaic Noise Barriers (PVNBs) offer a multifunctional solution combining noise mitigation and renewable electricity generation...

4643. High-Fidelity Wave-Based Simulation of Traffic Noise in Complex Urban Environments (FA2026/941)

Ken Mattsson (Uppsala University)

11/09/2026, 11:20

A21 Transportation Noise and Vibration

Reliable prediction of environmental noise in urban areas remains challenging due to the combined effects of atmospheric variability, irregular terrain, buildings, and noise barriers. Most engineering models currently used in practice are based on ray-tracing or simplified energetic approaches, which may have limited accuracy at low frequencies and in geometrically complex environments.In this...

4644. Evaluation of a Noise Barrier Project: Achieved Noise Reductions and Residents’ Perceived Benefit (FA2026/826)

Jakob Fryd (Danish Road Directorate)

11/09/2026, 11:40

A21 Transportation Noise and Vibration

Noise barriers are widely used to reduce road traffic noise, yet the relationship between calculated noise reduction and residents’ perceived benefit remains unclear. This paper presents a before/after evaluation of a noise barrier project comprising approx. 8 km of 6–9 m high barriers along the E45 (North Jutland Motorway) in Aalborg, affecting more than 2,000 dwellings. The evaluation...