Development of a Soundproof System with Wind Load Reduction Mechanism for Railway Viaducts

Abstract

We have developed a new soundproof system which can reduce wind load in a strong wind. This system will be installed additionally on the existing wall of the viaduct to make it much higher without reinforcing the viaduct and improve the performance of decreasing the outside noise around the railway track. It is composed of metal frames and polycarbonate plates 8 mm thick as a noise insulation panel. In a strong wind, the panel opens for reducing the wind load transmitting to the viaduct, while it is closed in an ordinary state and works as soundproofing. In this study, the performances of noise insulation and vibration were measured when the panel was closed and the mechanical structure was verified in a wind tunnel test. As a result, we confirmed the sufficiency of the noise insulation performance and the efficiency of the mechanical structure for limiting wind load transmitting to the viaduct.