GREEN INSTEAD OF GRAY!
ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS AT THE TUNNEL ENTRANCE
In connection with the traffic-related renovation of the Baden schoolhouse square, two high retaining walls were provided with a green noise barrier. For many road traffic structures, concrete is the material of choice and thus gray. Concrete is not only an excellent building material but also has design potential. In terms of noise, however, “naked” concrete generates a relatively strong reflection. To reduce this source of noise, modern noise protection offers excellent possibilities, as the example shown demonstrates.
“Green noise protection” here produces a cooling and purifying effect in addition to the design effect. (An important climatic function in cities because of the heat island effect and for dust binding). The city of Baden took advantage of a good opportunity here and commissioned a general planner to supplement the two retaining walls east and west near the Schlossberg Tunnel with a green noise barrier.
GREEN “FACADE” OF BUILDING COMPONENTS
In terms of dimensions, the new wall structures are up to 58 meters long and ten meters high. Their total area is around 340 square meters. The new noise barriers are made of wall elements (0.5 m x 4 m x 0.15 m). Vertical steel rails and brackets (Halfen) serve as the load-bearing substructure for the elements.
Narrow strip sheets cover the element joints on the front side. On the inside, too, a strip sheet serves as a stop for the wall modules, which have been inserted between the sheets from above and are thus immovably “fixed” in their position.
Between the greened wall sections (1.5 m to 3 m high) there are plant troughs, which can be watered centrally if required. The installed substructure was specially developed for this project and used as such for the first time.
EFFECTIVE NOISE PROTECTION REQUIRES QUALITY
Noise protection is about achieving sound insulation and absorption appropriate to local conditions. This requires appropriate materials, products and systems.
The Kohlhauer Planta noise protection elements used here, whose core consists of highly compressed rock wool, are characterized by very high material and technical quality and have proven themselves in numerous applications. In this case, the troughs were planted with ivy and wild vines, which are characterized by their robustness and durability.
The construction of the impressive work in 2018 was made possible not only by a progressive authority (client: Canton CH-Aargau/City CH-Baden) but also by committed planners and craftsmen on site.