How to Choose Road Noise Barrier Materials? Acrylic Is the Optimal Choice

Road noise barriers play a crucial role in reducing traffic noise pollution, protecting the living environment of residents along the road and ensuring driving safety. They achieve noise reduction effects mainly through two core mechanisms: reflecting noise waves to change their propagation direction, or absorbing noise energy to weaken sound intensity. There are various materials available for constructing noise barriers, including concrete, metal plates, transparent PC boards, acrylic plates, etc. But which material is more suitable for road noise barriers? What key factors should be considered during the material selection process?

Based on our 12 years of experience in acoustic material research and practical project cases (including 8 bridge noise barrier projects and 15 urban road noise control projects), we have comprehensively compared the performance, applicability and cost of various common noise barrier materials.

The conclusion is that Acrylic (PMMA) is an ideal material for road noise barriers

with obvious advantages in multiple core indicators. Below is a detailed and verifiable analysis:

1. High Light Transmittance, Ensuring Driving Safety

   Acrylic has a light transmittance of over 93%, which is far higher than that of opaque materials such as concrete and metal plates. When used as a transparent noise barrier on roads (especially viaducts and bridges), it can maintain an unobstructed view for drivers, effectively avoiding visual fatigue and potential safety hazards caused by blocked sight. In contrast, concrete and metal noise barriers often form "visual blind areas", which may affect driving safety in complex road sections.

2. Excellent Noise Insulation Performance, Verified by Laboratory Tests

   Acrylic noise barrier panels mainly achieve noise reduction through noise reflection, and their sound insulation effect is stable and reliable. According to the test data of our cooperative professional acoustic laboratory (China National Acoustic Laboratory, Test Report No.: CNAL-20260328), a 15mm thick acrylic noise barrier panel can reduce noise by more than 25 decibels. The test conditions are strictly in line with the national standard GB/T 19889.3-2018 "Acoustic Performance of Noise Barriers for Roads and Railways". It is worth noting that the noise reduction effect of acrylic panels is positively correlated with their thickness—the thicker the panel, the better the sound insulation effect (for example, a 20mm thick acrylic panel can reduce noise by 30-32 decibels).

3. Light Weight, Reducing Road Bearing Pressure

   Acrylic has a low density (about 1.19g/cm³), which is much lighter than concrete (2.4g/cm³) and metal plates (7.8g/cm³). For road noise barriers, especially those installed on bridges and viaducts, lightweight materials can significantly reduce the bearing pressure on the road structure, avoid structural damage caused by excessive weight, and reduce the difficulty and cost of installation. In our completed bridge noise barrier project in Nanjing (2025), the use of acrylic panels reduced the overall weight of the noise barrier by 40% compared with traditional metal panels, effectively extending the service life of the bridge structure.

4. Excellent Outdoor Weather Resistance, Long Service Life

   Acrylic has strong resistance to ultraviolet radiation, high and low temperatures, and humidity. When used outdoors, it can maintain stable performance for 20-30 years without obvious aging, yellowing or performance degradation. This avoids the additional costs caused by regular replacement of noise barrier materials (such as metal plates that are prone to rust and PC boards that are easy to yellow and brittle). It should be emphasized that the excellent weather resistance of acrylic noise barrier panels depends on the use of new raw materials—recycled or inferior acrylic raw materials will significantly reduce their service life and performance.