Questions You Should Know about Noise Barrier Panel

The effects of frequent loud noise can be extensive; increasing stress, interfering with sleep and much more. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends outdoor sound levels of 50 dBA to prevent people becoming ‘moderately annoyed’, but many of the noises we encounter on a daily basis exceed this recommendation.

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Incorporating acoustic barriers can reduce the amount of noise pollution in an area, either through reflecting or absorbing sound from the source. To help you understand what to expect from acoustic fencing, we’ve answered the most common questions about it here:

What kind of sound reduction can I expect?

First of all we would strongly recommend contacting a qualified sound engineer who will specify the type, length and most critically, the correct height of the barrier to ensure optimum performance is achieved. There are a variety of factors which should be taken into consideration before purchasing your acoustic barrier, which include the surrounding environment, the proximity of the noise source to the barrier and the receiver. A realistic dB reduction could be between 9-15 decibels – this reduction to the human ear represents a halving of sound. If you consider road traffic rates as 70dB and conversational speech at 60dB, that’s a dramatic drop in volume! Be aware that although the term 'sound proof fencing' is often used, a fence cannot completely sound proof an outdoor space, but it will make a considerable difference.

What makes an acoustic fence different from a normal fence?

There are a host of factors that differentiates a certified acoustic fence from a normal domestic fence but the key differences are the following

An acoustic barrier requires a minimum surface mass density of at least 10kg per M2. This is because a mass of this weight will start to reflect noise back, rather than allowing it to simply travel straight through– a domestic fence produces circa 4kg per M2 whereas the Jakoustic barrier produces 25kg!

An acoustic barrier needs to be completely imperforate so sound cannot travel through – a domestic fence by nature will generally have some gaps throughout it’s design, after all, it’s designed for screening only and not to reduce noise.

An acoustic barrier should have a life of at least 20 years. Be sure to check that the fence actually comes with a guarantee and not just an expected lifespan. Fortunately for our customers' peace of mind, all of Jacksons products, regardless whether it’s an acoustic fence or not, are guaranteed for 25 years against rot, insect attack, and manufacturing defects.

Is sound reduction guaranteed with an acoustic fence?

As long as acoustic fencing meets certain requirements, it will provide sound reduction. The effectiveness of an acoustic fence is determined by five main factors:

Material density: greater mass provides greater sound reduction.

Barrier construction: good structural integrity is critical to performance. Gap-free construction eliminates direct paths for sound through the barrier.

Barrier height: Sound barriers create an acoustic shadow in which the free flow of sound waves is blocked. Higher fences change the direction of sound by the greatest angle and increase the size of the ‘shadow zone’.

Distance between noise source and receiver: A certain amount of noise is diffracted by acoustic barriers, most audible to anyone standing in such a way that the barrier is an equal distance between them and the noise source. To avoid the effects of this diffraction, acoustic barriers should be built as close as possible to either the noise source or those being protected from the noise.

Relative height of source and receiver with respect to barrier: Ultimately, taller walls reflect and absorb sound better. It’s also important to consider the height of the noise source; the lower a source sits, the greater the angle of reflection will be, increasing the shadow zone.

Is planning permission required for an acoustic barrier?

Acoustic fencing doesn’t have any special planning permission requirements except those that apply to regular fences. For example, if a fence will be over one metre high and next to a highway or footpath next to a highway, or if it will be over two metres high, regardless of location, you need to apply for planning permission. No matter the height of your fence, it is always best to consult the local authority before installation.

Acoustic panels, acoustic baffles, sound panels, and acoustic boards. The list of names continues. Call it whatever you prefer, just like many manufacturers do. For sake of clarity, we stick to acoustic panels in this guide. Despite the descriptive name, you will find various interpretations, both wide and narrow along with different use cases.

Therefore, in this guide, we will dive into the basics of acoustic panels. More specifically, we will answer the following questions:

1. What is an acoustic panel?
2. When to use acoustic panels?
3. Where to apply acoustic panels?

To get the most out of this guide, make sure to check one of our other guides, The Basics of Noise Reduction, where we zoom in on the essential terminology of acoustics.

What is an acoustic panel?

The category of acoustic solutions is growing, and within this segment, you will find a range of different solutions, including acoustic panels. These are not limited to acoustic baffles suspended from the ceiling. To treat acoustic problems in your office, studio, and meeting room, there are plenty of other solutions available—some of which we will present to you in this guide.

For more information, please visit Noise Barrier Panel.

But, first things first. Let’s define what an acoustic panel is.

An acoustic panel is a sound-absorbing panel used to mitigate background noise and reduce the reverberation and echo in a space. When we talk about an acoustic panel, we refer to it in its broadest sense including vertical and horizontal panels.

When to use acoustic panels?

With a better understanding of what acoustic panels are, we can now move on to the next question: when to use acoustic panels?

As mentioned earlier, vertical and horizontal panels can be characterized by different features related to their acoustic performance. However, we can specify it even further.

— Mitigate sound transfers with vertical acoustic panels

In general, vertical panels help mitigate sound transfers in a space, preventing that sound travels from one end of the room to the other. Vertical panels may also aid in lowering background noise to an acceptable level. For instance, in many modern open-space offices, the noise levels range from 60-80 decibels, while the recommended level is 45-55 decibels.

Therefore, if the goal is to reduce background noise and the reverb time, possible vertical solutions include:

• Freestanding panels, such as BuzziScreen, BuzziFrio, and BuzziBlinds.
• Ceiling-suspended panels, such as BuzziLoose and BuzziGrid.
• Wall-mounted panels, such as BuzziMood or some of the latest launches BuzziDish, BuzziTab Soft and BuzziKey Soft.

Alternatively, opt for sound-absorbing wallpaper, such as BuzziSkin Printed, to bring dull walls back to life! 

In order to remove background noise completely, ideally, you have to build floor-to-ceiling partitions or remove yourself from the noise source. Yet, vertical panels can go a long way to help reduce sound transfers.

— Improve direct absorption with horizontal acoustic panels

Horizontal panels, on the other hand, are primarily used for direct absorption. To stop sound waves from spreading, absorptive panels must be used to convert the sound energy into heat through friction. Made from sound-absorbing materials or soft acoustic foam, all our horizontal panels are performing well in terms of absorption.

Examples of possible solutions for direct absorption include a range of ceiling-suspended panels such as BuzziLand, BuzziDonut, BuzziBlox, and BuzziPleat.

Check out another guide providing more in-depth recommendations for which acoustic solution might be best to solve your acoustic problem. Read it here.

Where to apply acoustic panels?

Whether you want to limit sound transfers, reduce background noise and reverb time, it’s crucial to determine the location of the acoustic panels to achieve the best performance. Finding the ideal positioning depends on several factors, including

• room type,
• the activity of the space,
• existing furniture, and
• materials in the space (e.g. glass, plastic, wood).

Here, we will primarily share general advice on where to apply acoustic panels. For specific recommendations and simulations, we suggest you get in touch with our acoustic help desk. Generally speaking, we can define a few guidelines for placing acoustic panels. The first step involves asking yourself: What is the size of the space? Are you dealing with a small or big space?

In smaller rooms, for instance, meeting rooms, designated focus areas, and private offices, sound waves will typically first bounce against the walls. Why? These are usually the hard surfaces closest to the sound source. As a consequence, you should be looking into using wall-mounted acoustic panels. These will help absorb the sound, reducing the number of waves that are sent back into the room. Examples include BuzziPod, BuzziSkin, BuzziMood, and BuzziBlox.

In bigger rooms and large spaces, sound waves behave differently. Sound energy propagates in any space, but in larger spaces, less sound energy is bouncing back into the room as the original sound sometimes drops dead before even reaching a hard element.

Yet, often sound waves do hit a hard surface before dropping dead—typically the ceiling rather than the walls. In these cases, horizontal ceiling-suspended acoustic panels can help improve the sound of the space considerably. When suspended from the ceiling, horizontal panels absorb undesired sound waves. For improved acoustic performance, install the panels in different suspension heights. The air pockets between the panels will capture sound waves, preventing them from traveling even further in spaces with high ceilings.

Examples of possible ceiling-suspended panels include BuzziZepp, BuzziDonut, BuzziGrid, and BuzziPleat. Some of these acoustic panels also come with an LED option for improved functionality. This way you can turn your acoustic panels into acoustic lighting and combine two features in one.

Want more information on Double Wire Fence? Feel free to contact us.