engleski

RUCONBAR – innovative noise protection solution made of recycled waste tyres

Ever increasing public demand for reduction of traffic noise levels in urban environment generates a growing demand for better noise protection solutions. Road and railway noise barriers are the most common and cost effective choice. Construction of noise barriers is possible out of various materials such as wood, steel or concrete, but due to strict market conditions and demands for durability and static stability concrete noise barriers are most frequently used across Europe. In order to achieve better sound absorption, concrete panels incorporate expanded clay or wood fibres as a noise absorbing layer. In order to replace expanded clay or wood fibres for the production of concrete noise barriers, Faculty of Civil Engineering University of Zagreb developed a new approach for forming the absorbing layer. Instead of using natural resources, whose usage degrades the environment and natural balance, it incorporates rubber granules - a product of end-of-life tyre recycling. Tested and applied solution is the innovative type of ecologically sound concrete noise barriers - Rubberized Concrete Noise Barriers or RUCONBAR. Namely, concrete can incorporate rubber granules from recycled tyres to form a porous noise-absorptive layer. Paper describes a process of product development together with optimal concrete mixture and design preparation and market analysis. Market analysis investigates its strong points and weaknesses compared to similar products on the market. Functionality aspect clearly demonstrates that RUCONBAR rubber concrete, expanded clay concrete and wood fibre concrete can be consider equal in terms of functionality. They share similar acoustic properties, the same durability and maintenance requirements, and excellent static stability. They however differ in the environmental aspect which gives RUCONBAR a competitive advantage over the conventional noise barriers by incorporation of 40% recycled rubber and only 40% of natural resources (aggregate). Furthermore, the paper presents the first implementation of RUCONBAR as a noise protection solution for Zagreb ZOO.

recycled rubber; concrete barriers; noise protection; absorption

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