SECTION 800 NOISE BARRIERS
801 INTRODUCTION
During Stage 2 Phase of a project a
determination is made regarding the need to
provide noise barrier walls. This information
is contained in the Environmental Impact
Document.
When noise barriers are necessary, the
required noise barrier height, length and
location(s) will be furnished to the Design
Agency by the Office of Environmental
Services.
The Office of Structural Engineering
maintains a list of approved noise barrier
suppliers which are in conformance with this
Manual and the Departments "Noise Barrier
Design" plan insert sheets. This list is
incorporated as part of the plan insert sheets.
Noise barrier panel material types currently
approved include steel, wood, vinyl, fiberglas,
concrete and brick or masonry.
Preliminary and detail design plan reviews
will be administered during the appropriate
review stage by the Department.
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802 PRELIMINARY DESIGN
Preliminary design submittals shall include
two (2) sets of the following:
 Design drawings showing plan and
elevation views.
 Beginning and ending stations for each
noise barrier section.
 Offsets from a centerline of roadway to
centerline of noise barrier for beginning,
ending and all intermediate stations.
 Elevations for the top and bottom of the
noise barriers for each panel.
 Location of the finished grade line at each
noise barrier section.
 The Design Agencys foundation design
 A copy of the Office of Environmental
Services letter specifying noise barrier
wall locations.
 A copy of the Subsurface Investigation
Report.
SECTION 800 NOISE BARRIER - METRIC
 The Departmental or Local Political
Authoritys selected noise barrier panel
type(s) to be specified for this project (i.e:
Concrete, Wood, Fiberglas, Steel, Vinyl,
Brick or Block Masonry).
 Special project requirements, such as
placing noise barriers on a bridge
structure, avoiding interference with
utilities, and specifying special wall
colors, textures or finishes.
The District Production Administrator should
be contacted for the approved noise barrier
material types, suppliers, alternate bid
requirements, and special features in
accordance with the Departments Noise Wall
Policy 417-001(P). A copy of the letter from
the District Production Administrator
stipulating the information in this paragraph
should be part of the preliminary design
submittal.
802.1 N O I S E B A R R I E R
FOUNDATIONS
The Design Agency shall perform a
subsurface investigation at all noise barrier
sites. The subsurface work shall be in
accordance with the Specifications for
Subsurface Investigation, (September 1996),
with the following revisions:
2.3 Planning
 Borings shall be located approximately on
the centerline of the noise barrier at a
frequency, approximately, of 45 to 60
meters. Generally a minimum of three
borings should be obtained for each noise
barrier wall section.
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SEPTEMBER 1998
 Borings for noise barriers shall be
considered as structure borings, except
that the requirement of penetrating 10
meters into relatively stiff or dense
material is waived.
 Borings shall be 7.5 meters deep. If
bedrock is encountered within the 7.5
meter depth the boring may be terminated
after 1 meter of penetration into sound
bedrock or 3 meters of penetration into
soft bedrock.
4.0 Testing Program
 Consider obtaining a press sample and
performing laboratory tests for strength
parameters when cohesive soils are
encountered.
5.0 Subsurface Investigation Reports
 Drawings shall be 559 x 864 mm in
conformance with Section 100 of this
Manual. Report format shall follow that
specified in section 5.2 of the
Departments Specifications for Structure
Subsurface Investigations, (September
1996).
803 DETAIL DESIGN
Detail design submittals shall include two (2)
sets of the following:
SECTION 800 NOISE BARRIER - METRIC
 All noise barrier project plan sheets
 All necessary dimensions, to adequately
describe the required position of the noise
barrier relative to the centerline of
roadway,
 The length and height of barrier
 Generic post spacing dimensions
 Top of barrier sound line
 The finished ground line
 A noise barrier general summary
containing all bid items and any required
noise barrier material type alternate bids,
 Plan notes,
 Special plan details required to show
features such as locations of utilities,
special access for fire hydrants,
termination at structures, (such as bridges,
culverts, overhead sign supports) and
details not covered by the Departments
"Noise Barrier Design" plan insert sheets,
 Subsurface investigation plan sheets
 Department plan insert sheets
incorporating the foundation design
depths for the project
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SEPTEMBER 1998
 Revised Departments "Noise Barrier
Design" plan insert sheets, listing only
approved suppliers for the material noise
barrier types authorized for the project and
any alternate bid noise barrier material
types authorized for the project.
 Special considerations authorized for the
project such as color, texture, pattern or
brick style.
804 STRUCTURAL DESIGN
CRITERIA
Designs should conform with the information
provided in the ODOT "Noise Barrier Design"
plan insert sheets, latest revision. When
possible, noise walls should not be mounted
on bridge structures. When a bridge mounted
noise barrier design is to be used, the
Departments "Noise Barrier Design" plan
insert sheets should be followed for design
items such as: material selections, loadings
and bridge mounted post details.
Structural Design of Noise Barriers shall
conform to AASHTO "Standard
Specifications for Highway Bridges",
AASHTO "Guide Specifications for Structural
Design of Noise Barriers", the Departments
"Noise Barrier Details" plan insert sheets and
this Manual.
804.1 STRUCTURAL DESIGN
 Design of Posts
Steel and Reinforced Concrete - Load
Factor Design
SECTION 800 NOISE BARRIER - METRIC SEPTEMBER 1998

Timber and Glulam - Working Stress Structural Steel

Design ASTM A572M or A588M
fy = 345 MPa
 Design of Foundations
Working Stress Design Prestressing Strands
fs = 1860 MPa
 Design of Panels Initial stress(stress relieved) = .70 fs
Initial stress (low lax) = .75 fs
 Manufacturers standards on materials
used - Structurally designed to AASHTO Timber
or other nationally recognized standard fb = 10.3 MPa
subject to review and approval by the
Office of Structural Engineering. Wind pressures

 Reinforcing Steel Roadway barriers = 1.2 kPa.

ASTM A615M, A616M or A617M Bridge mounted barriers = 1.4 kPa

Grade 420 - Fy = 420 MPa

Reinforcing steel in noise barrier, if bridge 804.3 ACOUSTIC DESIGN

mounted, shall be epoxy coated. REQUIREMENTS

804.2 STRUCTURAL DESIGN DATA Reflective noise barriers

 Minimum TL(Transmission Loss) = 22

Concrete - Class C dBA
fc = 27.5 MPa
unit stress = 9.1 MPa Absorptive noise barriers

 Minimum TL(Transmission Loss) = 22

Concrete Prestressed dBA
fc = 34.5 MPa
fci = 27.5 MPa
 Minimum NRC (Noise Reduction
unit stress 15.2 MPa compression
Coefficient) = 0.70
unit stress 3.1 MPa tension
Any barrier material submitted shall be
Concrete strength reduction factors acoustically tested at an independent
Flexure = 0.90 laboratory capable of performing the
Shear = 0.85 following tests:
axial compression = 0.70

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SECTION 800 NOISE BARRIER - METRIC SEPTEMBER 1998

ASTM Standard Test Method for Sound ASTM E423 and E795 (Latest editions)
Absorption and Sound Absorption
Coefficients by Reverberation Room Method ASTM E90 and E413 (Latest editions)

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