Cutting down noise

A research team from NUS and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has developed jagged edge noise barriers that can reduce noise levels at construction sites by up to 30 per cent. The team’s innovative design helped them clinch the Merit Award at the Minister for National Development’s Research and Development Awards 2017 on 29 June. The project was led by Associate Professor Lee Heow Pueh and Associate Professor Lim Kian Meng from NUS Mechanical Engineering.

The new noise barrier design incorporates jagged edges, and has been implemented at the construction sites along the East Coast stretch of the upcoming mass rapid transit Thomson-East Coast Line. There are plans to implement the new design at other work sites in the future too.

While existing barriers have already been increased from 6m to 12m, they cannot be raised further due to space and safety considerations. The NUS-LTA team’s project overcame these constraints by modifying existing noise barriers. The jagged or serrated edge design creates more interference to the sound waves, thus reducing noise levels.

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