Discover how Soundim’s railway barriers offer a green solution to track-side noise reduction.
Soundim’s low height railway barriers are known for their ability to block noise at the source without restricting passenger views, but were you also aware of the solution’s green credentials?
Firstly, it’s worth noting that if or when needed, the whole Soundim structure can easily be removed and placed in a new location – providing the ability to reuse or ‘recycle’ the barriers in their existing form.
But when the barrier does eventually reach the end of its useful life, many of its elements can be recycled without any special measures.
This is because Soundim’s noise-blocking railway barriers are made from three key materials: aluminium, steel and Ewona insulation.
“Sustainability is key to us, I like the fact that we use recycled materials wherever possible. Our unique sustainable design also means that production costs have been proven to be half those of traditional sound barriers – a saving that’s passed on to our customers.”
“We’re actually located in Ewona’s production facility in Haukipudas, Finland, and Soundim’s owner is also a partner in Ewona. These close ties mean we can access the insulation material quickly and at low cost, enabling us to provide a great value, fully Finnish-made solution.”
What is Ewona Insulation?
Ewona insulation panels are made of polyester fibres bonded together with heat. They are a popular solution in Finland for sound and heat solutions and is used in settings including but not limited to swimming pools, cinemas and theatres, offices, industrial facilities and music studios.
The company uses environmentally friendly, additive free recycled materials to manufacture its insulation panels.
Depending on their use, they can be made of up to 85% recycled polyester. In this scenario, one 10 metre2 panel can represent a CO2 emission reduction of 23 kilogrammes.
Furthermore, when the insulation does reach the end of its useful life, it can be sent to a textile recycling facility.
It’s also worth noting that Ewona has been awarded the use of the Allergy, Skin and Asthma Association symbol, with its products granted an m1 emission classification.
This means installing Soundim’s barriers is a dust-free task and workers don’t need to wear protective equipment to protect their skin or lungs from irritation.
Green Doesn’t Have to Mean Compromise
Being green doesn’t mean you have to compromise in other areas such as quality, and Soundim’s solutions continue to be praised for their noise reduction capabilities, flexibility, ease of use and durability.
For example, not only does the Ewona insulation have a high resistance to moisture and fire (it’s classified as Fire class B-s1, d0) it also offers longevity.
This is because the soundproofing panels Soundim uses for its barriers are 50% made from recycled PET bottles and won’t absorb water, so they don’t provide a breeding ground for moulds or other microbes. This means they won’t become brittle during the lifetime of the noise barrier, and their ability to block sound can remain unchanged for up to 50 years.
And the standard of noise reduction is high. Soundim’s low height noise barriers have been proven to reduce noise from wheels and rails by a minimum of 50% due to their excellent absorption (13 dBA / Class A4) and insulation (30dBA / Class B3), especially those high frequency sounds which can be the most annoying.
From an environmental standpoint, the barriers offer a sustainable solution to noise reduction on railways. Soundim is keen to hear from any rail operators interested in discussing how the company could create a bespoke rail noise barrier solution to fit their specific needs.
For more information on Soundim and its railway noise barriers, please visit www.soundim.fi.
