Noise Barrier - Tradeoffs

Tradeoffs

Disadvantages of noise barriers include:

• Aesthetic impacts for motorists and neighbors, particularly if scenic vistas are blocked
• Costs of design, construction, and maintenance
• Necessity to design custom drainage that the barrier may interrupt

Normally, the benefits of noise reduction far outweigh aesthetic impacts for residents protected from unwanted sound. These benefits include lessened sleep disturbance, improved ability to enjoy outdoor life, reduced speech interference, stress reduction, reduced risk of hearing impairment, and a reduction in the elevated blood pressure created by noise that improves cardiovascular health.

With regard to construction costs, a major factor is the availability of excess soil in the immediate area which could be used for berm construction. If the soil is present, it is often cheaper to construct an earth berm noise barrier than to haul away the excess dirt, provided there is sufficient land area available for berm construction. Generally a four-to-one ratio of berm cross sectional width to height is required. Thus, for example, to build a 6-foot-high (1.8 m) berm, one needs an available width of 24 feet (7.3 m).