Sound Barriers and Suppliers
Sound waves will propagate well in open air but physical obstructions can block their progress. A heavy obstruction, such as a wall, will not vibrate significantly itself, so waves srtiking the surface will reflect. If a barrier is lightweight, such as windscreen, the barrier will vibrate and conduct some of the energy through the fabric and reflect a portion.
When attempting to reduce sound levels, a barrier of sufficient weight per square ft. or square yard, which is usually at least 1/8 pound per sq. ft, will block a majority of the sound power but the truye effectiveness of a barrier is also determined by the fact that a portion of sound power will diffract over and around a barrier. All of these portions will add together and result in an ultimate sound power that is the sum of the soudn travelling multiple paths.
A highly reflective sound barrier, such as heavy mass-loaded vinyl, is effective in reducing the power pasiing through a barrier, often to less than 1% of the incident power. That same barrier may reflect 99% of the incident power, causing the sound level of pickleball and voices to increase in the direction of the sound pource. There are barriers available that can “absorb” a significant portion of the incindent power. These barriers usually have a soft surface and an absorbing mat erial under athin soft cover, such as fibergalss batting, that vibrate and effectively burn up the sound power.
PSL has worked with about ten high quality sound barrier suppliers. They each offer different products and they are located geographically all over the US. We encoirage you to determine the type and weight barrier your site needs and that you then contact one or more of the names on the list shown to the right.
