Noise is a concept that exists in all areas of our lives. It is getting harder with each passing day, especially in metropolitan cities. There are many reasons why noise occurs especially in metropolitan cities. Factors such as the increasing population rate in metropolitan cities, the increase in the number of vehicles in traffic, and the increase in musical entertainment venues make it difficult to combat noise. Besides, depending on the profession we choose, our struggle with noise is carried to a different dimension.

For example, the noise level we are exposed to in an office environment is not the same as the noise level we are exposed to in a factory. Therefore, working conditions are among the factors that make it difficult to combat noise in business life. Of course, factors such as the increasing population rate and the number of vehicles in traffic make it difficult to combat noise in business life.

For example; If you work for a company established on the highway side and the sound insulation systems in the company are not good, you will be exposed to a lot of noise. Noise barriers are a very effective solution to avoid noise exposure, especially in workplaces built on the sides of the highway.

Noise barriers are a type of barrier – known as highway noise barrier – that is usually installed on the side of the highway. This system, also known as the rubber EPDM sound barrier, absorbs the noise coming from the highway and does not reflect it to the environment we are in. Noise barriers, which are quite successful, are made by Hatko Sound Barrier in your area and installed. Do not forget that the easiest way to be protected from the harmful effects of noise is noise barriers.

Also, as Hatko Sound Barrier, we would like to examine different methods of combating noise in business life with you.

The Damages That Can Be Caused By Noise In Business Life

The working environment is actually an area where we spend most of our day. That’s why being peaceful in business affects the rest of the day. Damages that may occur if exposed to noise in business life are as follows;

• Occupational accident due to communication breakdown
• If the noise is too loud, hearing loss
• The decline in job performance
• Experiencing physical and psychological diseases due to these reasons

For the reasons we have mentioned above, if you are working in a very noisy environment, it is unlikely that you will be happy in business life. Because it has been explained by scientific data that noise causes many physical and psychological damages.

Therefore, the aim here is to ensure the satisfaction of the employees to increase the quality of the work. Because no employee wants to work in an environment that they are not satisfied with. If efforts are made to increase employment, noise should also be among the factors that make business life difficult. At this point, studies should be done and the health of the worker should be taken into consideration.

Also, if the environment you work in is a factory or workshop, that is, an area where the noise is very high, you should wear protective earmuffs. Because the biggest problem that can be experienced when exposed to noise for a long time is hearing loss. Work-life will be meaningless to you even after suffering a hearing loss. Therefore, it is necessary to wear protective earmuffs in workplaces where the noise level is very high.

Types of Noise in the Workplace

Types of noise in workplaces can be examined under 3 headings.

1. Continuous noise: It is a type of noise that continues non-stop. For example, generator noise is a continuous type of noise.
2. Variable noise: The noise generated during working in factories, especially in the industrial sector, is the variable noise. Sewing machine sound can be given as an example.
3. Instant Noise: It is a short-term noise type. It is the name given to the momentary noise created by objects touching each other.

In the table below, we have shown the noise levels you will be exposed to in some working environments.

In the table below, we have shown the diseases that can occur when exposed to noise in decibels.

Necessary precautions should be taken to prevent a noise-induced illness due to the above effects. At this point, the risk of noise should be evaluated and the equipment and machinery that emit noise should be controlled and necessary precautions should be taken.

There are 2 options at this point. One of them is to reduce the level of radiated noise. If this is not possible, the second option is to reduce the noise exposure level of the workers. The protective earphone is just one of these measures.

Measures To Be Taken To Reduce Noise

1. Using low-noise tools instead of loud tools
2. Using a wheeled transport vehicle instead of dragging things on the floor while carrying items in the workplace.
3. With the sound insulation material, the spread of the noise to the environment can be prevented.
4. If we want to provide a quiet office environment, a sound barrier application can be made on the roadside.

If you want to have happy employees as shown in the image, you should consider worker health first.

As you can see, there are many ways to block or reduce noise. The important thing is to reduce exposure to noise by considering worker health. If you want to get more information about the noise barrier, you can contact us.

Frequency, also known as the number of vibrations; is formed by the regular repetition of an event, movement in a certain time interval. To measure the frequency, repetitive movements are calculated at equal time intervals. In other words, the frequency can be explained as “the number of repetitions of a movement per unit time“. The time interval in which the movement is repeated is called a period. It is denoted by Period T. The frequency unit is shown in Hertz (Hz).

Waves that repeat within 1 second are called frequency. For example; If the time it takes for a wave to pass is seconds, the frequency is measured as 2 per second.

The wavelength of the frequency is measured by a device called an Oscilloscope. The frequency was discovered in the 19th century by the German physicist Heinrich Rudolf Hertz, and hence the frequency unit is denoted as Hertz.

How is Frequency Measured?

In this way, the frequency measurement formula is created. The formula used for frequency measurement is as follows;

F = 1 / T

Frequency can be measured using this formula. Terms such as megahertz (MHz) or kilohertz (kHz) can be used to describe very large frequencies.

What are the Types of Frequency?

Frequency is a term related to many different topics. At this point, the frequency types are as follows;

1. Radio Frequency: It is the type of frequency used in radio frequency communication technology known as electromagnetic waves and in which wireless signals are followed. The radiofrequency occurs between 30 and 300 kHz.
2. Light Frequency: It is the frequency type that expresses the color of the light. At this point, the high spectrum light frequency is expressed in blue, and the low spectrum light frequency in red.
3. Sound Frequency: It is the frequency type that expresses the pressure change within one second. The human voice can hear sound waves between 15 HZ and 20 kHz. Sound Frequency is measured in Decibels (Db).

Frequency Ranges:

• Low Frequency: It ranges from 300 kHz to 3 MHz. (Infrasonic)
• Medium Frequency: It is in the range of 3 to 30 MHz.
• High Frequency: Between 30 and 300 MHz. (Ultrasonic)

As Hatko Sound Barrier, we know that loud noise, in other words, has harmful effects on human health. That’s why we apply sound barriers or noise barriers to areas with high sound frequency. We aim to reduce loud noise, which has a high frequency such as traffic noise and causes deep damage to human psychology, thanks to the noise barrier, which is usually built on the side of the highway.

Therefore, we would like to give you detailed information about the sound frequency.

What is Sound Frequency?

There are sounds that the human ear can and cannot perceive. For example, while the human ear can perceive sounds between 20 and 20000 hertz, it cannot perceive sounds that are smaller than 20 and greater than 20000.

Each country has its own unique sound value. For example, this value Turkey alternating current at 50 Hz to 60 Hz as measured while in the United States.

Sound is actually a type of energy and it occurs when vibrations turn into energy. Sound is measured in Decibels and the strength of the sound is called loudness.

The most important substance necessary for the propagation of sound is air. Therefore, sound can’t spread outside the atmosphere. In other words, the sound does not spread in space. Sound propagates at different frequencies in different substances. For example, sound waves propagate differently in solid, liquid, and gaseous environments.

In solids; Sound propagating at 5000 m / s in water; It spreads at a velocity of 1453 m / s and 340 m / s in the air.

What Are the Sources of Sound?

Sound sources are divided into 2.

1. Natural Sound Sources

Natural sound sources are the names given to sounds that occur spontaneously in nature. For example, sounds such as rain, water, wind, thunder, and animal sounds are natural sound sources.

2. Artificial Sound Sources

Sound sources created by humans are called artificial sound sources. For example, sounds such as car sound, telephone sound, musical instrument sound are among the artificial sound sources.

Some of these artificial sound sources created by humans can be harmful to humans. For example, sounds that have a very high sound frequency and we call noise harm people. Today, many methods have been developed to prevent noise. While sound insulation systems were created for houses, sound barriers were created for highways.

The noise generated by the sound barrier, that is, the noise barrier, is ensured to be trapped in that area and the spread of the noise into the city is prevented.

In this way, the harmful factors created by artificial sound sources do not harm people. As Hatko Sound Barrier, we have been working for many years to reduce the noise of city life. For more information about the sound barriers, you can check our website and contact us.

EPDM Soundproofing barrier is a type of barrier used especially on highway edges with high noise rate. The purpose of using an EPDM sound insulation barrier is to protect people from the harmful effects of noise.

EPDM Stands For EthylenePropylene Diene Monomer: Ethylene Propylene Rubber is a material that is highly resistant to heat, oxidation, ozone, and atmospheric conditions.

Noise is one of the biggest problems of today’s city life. People live in big cities because their standard of living is higher. However, big cities have big problems. The most important of these problems is noise. Noise is a factor that negatively affects human life. In fact, noise is among the types of environmental pollution. Noise is a problem that threatens human health. Therefore, noise is a serious problem.

With the developing technology, measures are taken to reduce the noise problem. The best way to prevent city noise is to use the EPDM rubber sound insulation barrier. These sound insulation barriers produced using rubber material are very durable.

At Hatko Sound Barriers we produce the rubber sound barrier in different sizes and can be installed around areas such as highways, parks, gardens, and companies.

This system, also known as a heavy sound insulation barrier, is highly durable and long-lasting. It is a product used to provide sound insulation suitable for outdoor use. Its usage area is very wide. You can use EPDM heavy sound insulation barrier in any area where noise bothers you. Thanks to the strong sound insulation it creates, it protects you and your loved ones from disturbing sounds.

With the development of technology in big cities, the number of vehicles is constantly increasing. With the increasing number of vehicles, the traffic problem is increasing day by day and traffic noise is increasing accordingly. Noise Barriers, which are specially produced to prevent traffic noise, are specially designed to increase your quality of life.

How is EPDM Sound Insulation Barrier Produced?

EPDM Soundproofing barrier is very durable sheets produced using rubber material. These boards are produced with special technological machines and mounted in the area where they will be used. The rubber material is used in the production of noise barriers thanks to its durable and sound insulation feature. Rubber, which is highly resistant to impacts, is also suitable for use in outdoor conditions. In this way, these barriers can be used in different areas under external conditions for many years.

Noise barriers can be manufactured with wood, concrete, etc. It can be produced from different materials. However, today the most durable material to be used for noise barrier production is rubber. Therefore, it is recommended to use rubber.

Noise barriers are supported by concrete poles and mounted on the floor or wall. In this way, the resistance of rubber noise barriers against impacts increases.

Why Rubber?

Barriers produced using rubber material are very durable and robust. Because the rubber material is strong and resistant to wear due to its structure. One of the most important features that a sound barrier should have is its resistance to bad weather conditions.

• Rubber is a material resistant to bad weather conditions.
• It prevents the sound barriers from being damaged.
• Sound barriers look cleaner thanks to the rubber, which has a dirt-repellent feature.
• Thanks to its noise-canceling feature, it is a necessary material for noise barriers.

Rubber is especially used in the insulation industry. It is a material that can be used for a long time thanks to its durable and flexible structure.

• Also, rubber is an environmentally friendly material.

Since the materials used in it are completely recyclable, it does not harm the environment. Since it is a recyclable product, its use has increased in recent years. Recycled materials should be used in production and consumption to leave a better world for future generations.

We should also mention that the products used in the production of EPDM sound insulation barriers are not harmful to health and are produced using very high-quality materials. It is produced using stainless materials to adapt to external conditions. The poles used during the sound barrier assembly are also produced using stainless steel materials. In this way, we have long-lasting barrier systems that do not pose a threat to health.

Areas That Need Sound Insulation

You can use sound insulation barriers around every area where you need sound insulation. You can eliminate the damage caused by the noise by providing insulation with a sound barrier. Also, since it is an economical product, it does not harm your budget. And because it is long-lasting, you can continue your life without noise for many years with the peace it provides.

The easiest way to get rid of the noise emanating from entertainment venues, highway traffic noise, factory, and airline noise is to use sound insulation barriers.

The sound barrier, which takes up a minimum area, has a noise-canceling feature in the maximum area.

You can have the peace of city life with the noise barrier, which has an acoustic feature with its superior performance. You can create an acoustic environment with the noise barrier produced to reduce the sound level to the desired level.

Do not forget that the easiest and most technological way to protect from the harmful effects of noise is to have an EPDM sound insulation barrier. If you want to live a physically and psychologically peaceful life and want to get rid of the noise, which is one of the difficulties of city life, contact us.

As Hatko Sound Barriers, we strive to offer you a peaceful life. Are you ready to meet Hatko, the address of quality and trust? All you have to do is contact us.

Human ears can only perceive a certain amount of noise. The human ear, which is quite weak today compared to a dog or cat, only perceives sounds between 0 dB and 140 dB. In these ranges, sounds between 120 and 140 dB cause serious damage to the ear and cause pain. To understand the DBS stated here more clearly, we have given the average dB levels according to the environments. You can see it below:

• Average sound level in the library environment 35 dB
• Sound level in the bus or subway 85 dB
• Sound level in areas where construction activities are held 105 dB

As you can see, the harmful effect of noise on human health is increasing exponentially.

Is Noise Covered By Occupational Disease?

Did you know that noise is one of the occupational diseases?

Noise, which has very negative effects on human health, has been put into circulation as an occupational disease. And noise is a fairly common occupational disease. The number of people who experience hearing loss due to noise every year is over 200,000. Also, noise is a type of environmental pollution that affects our daily life very badly.

This problem, which is generally experienced in big cities, increases with the experience of technological developments, and the noise will continue to increase as automation increases.

Even in Europe, where most of the developed countries are located, more than 15 million people are exposed to noise every year. This noise above 65 decibels causes psychological disturbances in people. At the same time, this amount of noise decreases the tolerance level of people and affects human relations negatively.

If we list the negative effects of noise on our health;

• It causes us to have hearing problems.
• It causes both physical and psychological disorders in people.
• Decreases work efficiency.
• Especially if there is heavy noise close to schools, it affects students’ success negatively.
• It decreases the person’s perception level.
• Nervousness and stress are seen at very high levels in people.
• It increases the rate of a heart attack in people with sudden increases in noise.

The unit of sound that can be perceived by the human ear is measured in Hertz. Hertz is the number of vibrations generated by the phoneme, and this vibration frequency creates the frequency.

The amount of sound that the human ear can perceive has been determined as 20 to 20,000 Hertz. A sound tone below 20 is called infrasonic sound, and a tone above 20,000 is called ultrasonic sound.

If you do not want a sound to damage your hearing organ, you should stay away from noise between 85 Decibels, that is, 100 to 10,000 Mhz.

The high rate of noise, especially in hospital intensive care units, causes adverse effects on the patient. Therefore, the quieter the intensive care rooms are, the higher the rate of recovery of the patient.

Noise-induced hearing loss occurs when someone is exposed to noise above 85 decibels for an extended period (although it varies from person to person). Noise between 120 and 140 decibels can actually cause pain in the ears.

What are the factors that create noise pollution?

Because a very high noise level is a sound that harms the natural life balance for humans or animals, we define it as noise pollution. The annoying outdoor noise is largely caused by machinery, construction activities, and transport such as motor vehicles, airplanes, and trains. Besides, other city sounds such as clubs, leisure centers, and outdoor social events also contribute to noise pollution.

The oldest known definition of noise is unwanted noise. However, we must define noise as any sound that affects people’s health. This definition is more consistent with definitions of other types of pollution, including air pollution.

In most developed countries, water and air are cleaner than they were 30 years ago; however, noise pollution is increasing.

To reduce the bad effect of noise pollution on our lives, all we have to do is use a noise barrier.

Purposes of Noise Barrier

• Prevents road noise.
• It prevents traffic noise from spreading into the city.
• Protects residents from factory noise if installed around the factory.
• It prevents the person from getting tired physically and psychologically.

Of course, the most important point here is human health. Noise has a disturbing effect on the heart and nervous system. Therefore, people cannot be exposed to noise throughout their lives. People who are constantly exposed to noise have a more aggressive and irritable nature. This is a scientifically proven fact. Therefore, if we do not want to face such a bad situation, we can protect our homes and regions in the city from the harmful effects of noise.

Quiet and protective noise walls are a maintenance-free alternative in the noise-canceling industry. It is a great advantage that it does not require maintenance. Because it does not require an extra cost. With a single expense, you can protect your home, office, or environment from the noise of the city. Thanks to the sound insulation curtain, your life will become easier and stress-free.

As you can see, highway noise barriers are a good solution that can make your city life easier. Who wouldn’t want to have a more peaceful life at a lower cost? Thanks to the sound barriers, you will have this comfort and you will be able to catch the quiet environment you want in your work areas and at home. When you come home from work in the evening, you will not be tired more with the sounds coming from outside. This is the biggest of the advantages of sound barriers. For more information and the price of sound barriers, please go to Hatko Sound Barriers.

We are working to offer you a healthier and more peaceful life.

As we all know, noise is environmental pollution that disturbs the person a lot and causes some psychological diseases. Many technological methods developed to prevent noise are used.

Sound barrier, noise barrier, sound curtain, and similar technological barriers are very successful products that prevent noise from spreading into the city.

Besides, one of the easiest ways to block noise is plants. In addition to providing us with oxygen, trees also fulfill this important task.

Especially hard-leaved trees and evergreen trees are very effective in preventing noise. Experts state that the sound-canceling function of trees is frequently used in developed countries. Especially with the afforestation of city centers, a sound curtain is formed and thus noise propagation into the city is prevented.

This system is also frequently applied on the highway sides. By planting trees on the sides of the highway where the noise barrier is not used, the city center is beautified and helps to reduce the harmful effects of noise.

Well, let’s examine how much trees reduce the effect of noise.

How Many Decibels Do Trees Reduce?

Noise pollution caused by unplanned urbanization disturbs people living in the city. When the people of the city, who are tired of working all day, come to their home in the evening, they are very disturbed by the noise of the vehicle and are looking for solutions to prevent it. At this point, trees are the best helper for us.

Trees, which are so important in preventing noise, reduce the noise very strongly.

Trees reduce the noise level up to 10 decibels.

This is a fairly high sound ratio. The noise decreasing by 10 decibels may be enough to prevent the person from being disturbed by the noise.

However, there are some points to be considered here;

• Amount of city noise,
• In which areas of the city there is more noise,
• Which tree species should be used,
• Which direction should the trees be planted?

These details are important for trees to properly fulfill their role in noise blocking. At this point, it would be best to work with a landscape architect. At this point, municipalities should decide which areas will be afforested in line with the report they receive from the landscape architect.

Remember, you can always get the most accurate information from experts.

Choosing The Tree Species

Besides, we must be careful when choosing the types of trees used to prevent noise. Because thin-leaved trees that are easily affected by bad weather conditions are not suitable tree varieties to create a noise curtain. Therefore, wood varieties with hard leaves and resistance to harsh weather conditions should be preferred.

• The tree length should be high.
• The branch and leaf structure should also be dense.
• The leaves of the tree to be planted must be planted perpendicular to the direction of the sound.
• Trees planted one after another will cover each other and will not let the noise get into the background.

A collection of 7-8 meters wide trees to be created in this way will reduce the noise by at least 10 decibels. This is a very successful noise canceling method.

Besides, with the tree pile to be created, the pollution from the exhaust smoke will also decrease and another factor that creates environmental pollution will be prevented.

As you can see, trees are very important in our lives. It plays a major role in not only providing us with oxygen but also in blocking noise.

As Hatko Sound Barrier, we are aware of the damage that noise causes to our lives, so we strive to prevent noise in the most effective way. If you want to be protected from the harmful effects of noise and think that the trees will not be enough, you can choose a noise barrier.

You can provide 40 decibels sound insulation with the noise barrier. This shows that the noise barrier is a much more effective method than trees.

For the noise barrier you need, all you have to do is contact us. With the noise barrier, you will have a quality of life standard. You can check our website for environmentally compatible noise barriers.

Energy is the resources we spend to continue our lives. For example, activities such as turning on the light of a room, running the washing machine, and operating the television are energy-consuming activities. Energy resources are divided into 2 as sustainable energy and consumable energy. Sustainable energy sources; It can be listed as sun, tide, wind, geothermal energy. Consumable energy sources; It is known as oil, coal, natural gas, nuclear energy.

Why Is Energy Saving Important?

Saving energy is very important. Because we frequently use non-renewable energy sources as well as sustainable energy sources. We can even say that we use non-renewable energy resources more. That’s why we must minimize the use of consumable energy sources and fight for a sustainable world. To offer a healthy life to new generations in a more livable world, we must use energy resources correctly and save energy.

Also; saving energy will help you save your budget as well as the power to improve the world. Now below, what are the energy-saving methods, you can see how to save energy at home.

How to Save Energy at Home? 21 Tips

1. The refrigerator is constantly working white good. If you make the refrigerator temperature between 3-5 degrees, you will save energy.
2. You can use systems that produce hot water with solar energy.
3. Design your room so that you can make the most advantage of daylight.
4. Wait for the ready meals that you keep in the freezer to defrost by themselves instead of heating them using the microwave.
5. Keep the building doors closed in cold weather so that the cold outside does not enter the building.
6. Unplug any electrical device plugs (phone charger, etc.) that you are not using.
7. Use energy-efficient LED bulbs as the lighting system.
8. Have exterior insulation systems in your building.
9. Do not refrigerate food before it has cooled. Since the heat will spread to the refrigerator, it will cause your refrigerator to work harder.
10. By keeping your white goods clean, you can consume less energy.
11. If you use a ceramic plate while cooking in the oven, you can get the same efficiency with a lower cooking degree.
12. If you close the pot lid while cooking, your food will cook faster.
13. If you use the upper shelves while cooking in the oven, your food will cook faster.
14. Do not open the oven door constantly while cooking in the oven. You will experience a loss of energy.
15. Replace your old appliances with new ones and prefer models with better energy-saving classes.
16. Leave the radiator uncovered. In this way, the heat will spread to your home more evenly and heat loss will be prevented.
17. Turn on your natural gas at a low setting to lower the natural gas bill.
18. Rather than throw away plastic bags, collect and reuse them. Even if possible, reduce the use of plastic by using cloth bags.
19. Instead of leaving your computer turned on, turn on sleep mode, and leave it that way.
20. You can save energy by washing your clothes in cold water.
21. You can make your home warmer by airing your home during hours when solar energy is high.

As you can see, there are many ways to use energy efficiently at home. Saving energy is actually that easy. You can save energy with a few practical methods. We have listed practical suggestions for energy saving at home.

Now let’s examine how you can save energy in your workplace.

How to save energy in the workplace? 11 Tips

1. Systems can be used to minimize the use of electrical energy in the workplace. It is the simplest method to obtain electrical energy from solar panels.
2. Prefer computers and similar electronic products used in the office to be among the models with high energy saving.
3. Heating systems maintenance should be done regularly.
4. If there is air conditioning in the office, place it in the area that will be least affected by sunlight.
5. Make sure the doors are closed when the weather is cold.
6. Radiators should be clean to prevent heat loss.
7. If the office temperature is 20 degrees in winter and 24 degrees in summer, a healthier working environment is created.
8. Use energy-efficient LED bulbs.
9. You can avoid unnecessary electricity consumption by using lamps with sensors.
10. Turn off your office light when leaving the workplace.
11. Make the generator maintenance done regularly.

As you can see, saving energy is easy. Increase the use of renewable energy sources and save energy for a more livable world.

As Hatko Sound Barriers, we are happy to present you with the keys to a more livable world. If you live in big cities, you have many advantages that can save energy.

Noise Barrier is also a psychologically energy-saving system. It can be used anywhere in the cities. You can check our website for more information about noise barriers.

Noise barriers became a very crucial element of today’s modern city life, especially for those who live around highways. We have mentioned and gave useful information about noise barrier design which is very efficient in blocking noise where it occurs. Although you can use natural obstacles like trees, bush, or hills as a noise barrier; you can also use new-age materials like wooden fences, rubber, or plastics as barriers. These new-age materials may be petroleum-based rubber, polycarbonate (PC) sheets, or PMMA (acrylic).

So, what are the polycarbonate (PC) noise barriers and their distinctive features? Why do we use this material for noise barrier design? And, what are the benefits of PC noise barriers? At Hatko Sound Barrier Company, today we will talk about innovative products PC sheets and PC noise barriers.

What is the Polycarbonate (PC)?

Polycarbonate is a petroleum-based, formless, and transparent thermoplastic material. As polycarbonate is a transparent material, it is frequently used as a replacement for transparent and semi-transparent glasses. Areas or products that we use polycarbonate are;

• Bullet-proof glasses,
• Glasses,
• Automotive industry,
• Medical devices,
• Compact discs (CD),
• Greenhouses,
• Exterior Luminaire.

and many other applications. Polycarbonate is a very common material because it is durable against strikes and transparent.

The most important feature of the material is being thermoplastic. Thermoplastic materials are moldable when they are heated to a certain temperature and become solid again when they get cooled. Even after they are cooled, their features don’t change. So, it is possible to use them again after they change their shape. Also, this feature makes it recyclable.

Another important feature of polycarbonate is to be amorphous. Amorphous materials don’t melt instantly when they are heated. They change their shape slower, so it is easy to reshape amorphous materials.

When we consider noise barriers; transparency, durability, and absorbability features make polycarbonate a perfect material for them.

Definition of Polycarbonate (PC) Noise Barriers

Polycarbonate (PC) noise barriers are manufactured from the polycarbonate material that we mentioned about its features above. So, noise barriers that consist of polycarbonate sheets make it possible to benefit from sunlight in the best way. On the other hand, we construct this type of noise barrier by placing PC sheets between long posts with proper materials. It is possible to manufacture PC sheets in the desired length, thickness, color, and transparency level. So these barriers became in the standards of the hardest standardization criteria; European Standards (EN).

The Features of Polycarbonate (PC) Noise Barriers

Important and distinctive features of the noise barriers are;

• High level of durability against strikes,
• You can manufacture it in the desired thickness,
• Durability against all weather conditions,
• Distinctive edge shape with the desired thickness,
• Light transmittance up to 89%,
• Great reshaping ability,
• Easy manufacturing,

As we can understand from these features, PC sheets are very proper for noise barriers. But, two of its features seem more important than the others.

High-Level Transparency

As we mentioned before, the main aim of the noise barriers is to decrease the noise level of highways and railways and protect the nearby residents from the noise. And, by using PC noise barriers, it is possible to;

• Diminish the noise level,
• Using less steel on structures,
• High level of light transmittance,
• With the help of all these, the ability to make a comprehensive and aesthetic design.

With the help of transparent PC sheets, it is possible to prevent the “tunnel effect” which is a tiring effect on drivers. Also, PC sheets can provide safer visibility and driving ability by preventing black shades over the road. And also, PC sheets will be more successful not to make shades at the places near the highway.

Durability

Other than decreasing noise levels, PC sheets have the required durability and strength for highways.

As the Hatko Sound Barrier Company, we are manufacturing rubber noise barriers. But, we also follow noise prevention methods and technologies closely. And try to obtain new technologies for manufacturing techniques.

Noise pollution, as we can understand from its name, is a kind of pollution and an undesired thing. As we have mentioned so many times before in our posts, noise has some harmful effects on human health. But it is possible to restrain or at least downsize the level of noise.

The most popular and disturbing type of noise is highway noise or roadway noise or traffic noise.

Traffic noise happens with;

• The exhaust sound of the vehicles,
• Engine sound of vehicles,
• Traction sound between the wheel and surface of the road,
• Horns and sirens of vehicles.

As the densest traffic is on highways, the biggest noise pollution is highway pollution. If your home is closer to one of them, you can understand the impact of highway noise pollution. All the noises from the sources above propagate through the surroundings of the roads. So, whether your house is an apartment or detached house, you will expose to traffic noise. Even if you are lucky to have a backyard, if there are no blocks around it, you will have to live with the noise. But, fortunately, there are some effective methods of traffic noise reduction.

How Traffic Noise Occur and How to Prevent?

So how the traffic noise happens? Actually, there is no difference between the noise and the sound waves. Noise is also a sound and propagates in a medium. And if you can block it somehow, it won’t reach the receptors in your ear. This is the easiest way to explain how to prevent noise. There are some ways to achieve this. Some of them are at the source, some others are at your backyard or house.

Although planting some types of trees and thick bushes or shrubs is a kind of prevention method, this is not totally enough. Because there are holes or empty spots in plants, which makes it unsuccessful as soundproof. There is a way to try them if they are able. Apply some hose water to the bushes. If the water goes through the plant, the sound will also pass it. If you will use plants as a noise barrier, you should use at least one line of evergreen trees and an inner row of evergreen shrubs.

Actually, instead of building blocks or walls in your yard, you can prefer constructing a fountain or a decorative pond. By creating a pleasant sound, you will be suppressing noise.

Other than constructing a fountain, you can create white noise inside your house to mask the noise. White noise is a type of sound, just like the sound of a river, that contains all the frequencies that a human ear can receive. This way, you will not hear the noise.

Another way to beat noise is to use active noise-canceling headphones in your house. These devices detect the sound frequencies around you and create just an opposite frequency. As they neutralize each other, you hear nothing.

Are Highway Noise Barriers Exact Solution?

The most effective way of preventing highway noise or traffic noise is to build a noise barrier. You can build;

• Concrete wall,
• Brick wall,
• Masonry wall,
• Stonewall,
• Or a solid wood fence

as a noise barrier. A proper fence system is also capable of preventing noise. But you have to be sure that there will be no gaps inside the fence. An old saying “If you can see the source of the sound, you can also hear it” is somehow true. So, while constructing a noise prevention fence system, make it as high as the officials let. Also, be sure that it goes all the way to the ground.

Although noise barriers are the most effective method of noise reduction, they should have some important features. Regardless of their raw material; metal, wood, masonry, or plants, the effectiveness of the barriers depends on their density and rigidness. The best barriers are the ones that are tall and long ones with zero gaps in their structure. This is why, highway noise barriers should be very high, but on other roads, barriers may not be so high.

At Hatko Company, we are making researches on this topic for many years. The most effective products for highways are EPDM noise barriers or rubber noise barriers. At Hatko Company, we manufacture the best quality highway noise barriers. To accomplish a project, first, we make the measurements in the area. Then we simulate the to detect the best solution. And then we construct the barrier system to its designated place. You can contact us for more detailed information.

United States Federal Highway Administration (FHWD) defines noise as very simple; a sound that is not liked. Although there are so many different sources of noise, highway noise is the one that is the most inevitable and hard to deal with. And the most effective method is to use highway noise barriers. The interest in noise barriers increases every day because of the complication and hardness of modern daily life.

We have talked about the harms or bad effects of noise and its effects on our lives so many times before in our posts. So, aren’t there any benefits of noise? Can we gain something from it? Today, we prepared an interesting post about electricity generation from noise barriers to answering these questions.

Electricity Generation from Noise with Noise Barriers

Actually, we are not talking about a new thing while talking about generating electricity from noise. It is really possible to generate power from sound waves. A sound wave is a kind of energy and it is possible to transform it into electricity. But, we need so many powerful sound waves to do it. And, even with this, we can generate only a little amount of energy. So the generation of power from sound waves is not very feasible with today’s technology.

But the generation we are talking about is a classical solar energy generation with solar panels that are placed on or around noise barriers. Actually, it is a traditional photovoltaic (PV) system for solar energy. But the establishment methods and places of these panels is a topic that has been improving constantly.

Photovoltaic Noise Barriers (PVNBs)

Although very innovative, noise barriers and photovoltaic noise barriers (PVNBs) are not new things. Highway noise has been accepted as a problem since the early 1960s in the USA. So they built the first examples of highway noise barriers. Today, there is wide use of noise barriers. For example, there are more than 3000 miles of active noise barriers just in the USA.

The highway noise barrier is actually a kind of hurdle that is effective in blocking or changing directions of the sound waves. There are two types of obstacles; natural (little hills, soil, or trees) and artificial ones. Artificial hurdles are generally made from wood, metal, concrete, or some other proper materials. But today, the most improved noise barriers are, like we produce as Hatko, made of rubber. Rubber is very beneficial in noise or sound absorption.

The noise barrier construction process is very complicated and requires interdisciplinary coordination.

In order to install noise barriers we need;

• Transportation planner,
• Landscape exper and architect,
• Acoustical engineer,
• Structural engineer,
• Construction engineer

to work each other closely.

City planners should consider so many different issues and aims while planning noise barriers. The barriers should adapt to the environment, and be cost-effective while reducing the sound level. To provide cost-efficiency, innovative missions planned for them for many years like air pollution reduction, stormwater retention, and electricity generation.

Electricity Generation with PVs

Photovoltaic Noise Barriers (PVNBs) is a kind of combination of noise barrier and traditional PV system. Actually, the system is so simple. Management establishes noise barriers generally to a wide area because of the nature and features of the panels. Also, they are suitable for PVs because outside events can’t easily affect the panels. So, the logic is; noise barriers are there standing under the sunlight for many years. It will be cost-effective to generate electricity and earn money from them.

Actually, as we mentioned before, this idea is not new. Officials tried this in Switzerland for the first time in 1989 and succeeded. Today, there are so many PVNBs around the world and they generate electricity. What is more, there are new ideas and researches to improve this. Some of the new ideas are;

• Thin PV film,
• Semi-transparent PV,
• PV glass,
• Luminescant Solar Concentrators (LSCs) 

We will talk about these new technologies in another post.

At Hatko Company, today we manufacture the best quality noise barriers. We, not just manufacture, also follow all the new ideas and innovations in the sector and improve ourselves with R&Ds. The need and expectations from the noise barriers constantly on the rise. To catch up with them, we guide ourselves and our customers to better and more quality.

Noise and sound, are both about what we hear. But what is the difference between sound and noise? Is the distinction the same for everyone, or are there some discrepancies from people to people? Today our topic will be about these two terms. First, we will talk about their definition, and then the simple difference between them.

What is Sound?

We hear about sound all the time. So, what is the definition of sound? We can make their definition differently according to physics and psychology or physiology. From the view of physics; the sound is a kind of vibration. This vibration propagates as a wave through a transmission environment. The three types of transmission environment or mediums are;

• Solid,
• Liquid,
• Gas.

The important thing is, these sound waves can propagate only in these environments. It is impossible to radiate without medium, like space.

On the other hand, according to human psychology or physiology; the sound is receiving of these waves from an organ (ear), and the way our brain defines is called sound.

So, the sound is a wave and for humans, if you can’t hear it or define it, you will not call it sound. This is very important because we may not want to hear or get disturbed by them. Actually, this disturbance is related to noise. So, how we don’t hear a sound? It is all about the level of frequency. The human can receive, or actually define sound levels between 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

The measuring unit of the sound level is the decibel (dB). There is a big difference between 1 dB and 10 dB. If a sound level decrease from 10 to 1 dB, the decrease level of sound will be 50%. These are important knowledge about preventing high-level or disturbing sound.

What is Noise?

The most general definition of noise is; unwanted sound. So yes, noise is a sound. But, to define a sound as noise is about a disturbance. If someone or something gets disturbed by a sound, we can define it as noise. Also, noise is about the level of sound. In most cases, the sound level should be very high to be classified as noise. And the important issue about noise is the harm that it could give to the living forms.

Noise has two types of harms; psychological and physiological. Physiological hazards can be hearing loss or in some severe cases, losing totally the ability of hearing. These are very serious problems and people should be very careful about them. On the other hand, psychological hazards are also very important. Because long endurance to high noise levels or even constant noise in daily city life may cause some mental problems. Stress is defined as the modern world’s disease and one of the biggest causes of it is noise.

So, we can understand that noise is a big problem and should be considered seriously.

Differences Between Sound and Noise

As we can understand from the definitions, noise and sound are almost the same things. In fact, noise is also a type of sound. But noise is a little bit more about perspective. Because while some sounds can be noise for someone, some others may not define them as noise. Even though, they may like it. For example, some people like high-sound rock music, while some others who don’t like it can call it noise. So, most of the time, the difference is about disturbance and perspective.

Noise is a modern problem of not only individuals but also officials of management. Most of the time, government-level precautions are implemented to prevent it. If the source of noise is small or temporary, you can prevent it with individual decisions. But if the source is high; like highways, railways, or airports, these require bigger actions. And the most efficient way to prevent high-level noise is noise barriers.

At Hatko Company, we are producing high-technology highway soundproof walls for many years. You can see our different solutions for different cases on our website. For more assistance, you can always contact us.