Kinematic Sound Screen: Unique Solution to Highway Noise Abatement

A new noise barrier, known as a kinematic sound screen, that also has see-through properties, has been designed and tested by Engineering Corporation of America. Preliminary tests, conducted on a full-scale working model of the barrier, demonstrate the feasibility of the design, and show that it is capable of providing significant noise level reduction. The kinematic sound screen's noise attenuation properties compare favorable with other known sound barriers. In addition to its esthetic qualities, ease of construction, cost, and see-through properties, it has added advantages to the user or installer. The tests conducted to date have been unsophisticated but do verify the mathematical data on which the design was based. An actual computer study, using the TSC method, developed for the Department of Transportation, shows that the sound screen's properties are equal to those of a solid barrier.