×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Precast Sound Walls

Precast Sound Walls

Precast Sound Walls

(OP)
Does anybody out there have any recommendations for the design of precast sound walls (the kind used to isolate residential areas from freeway vehicle noise)?

Typically, I have seen precast columns sitting on CIP piles, with the columns notched to receive a drop-in precast panel in between each column.

I am wondering about potential problems with the panels moving around, when you have a very long stretch of wall (say several miles long) and the temperature varies over summer to winter.  Walls could move around too much if they are too loosely connected, and they can do serious damage to the columns if expansion is restrained...

PS - If you haven't guessed it by now, I work as a design engineer for a precast manufacturer.  Although I did also spend 4 years in structural consulting, so I do enjoy reading the other threads!

PPS - JAE - you're awesome!  Too bad you don't work in the office right across from me, but with this site it's the next  best thing.

RE: Precast Sound Walls

Wouldn't the state highway departments have standard designs for sound walls?  There are a lot of them around, and you wouldn't want the reinvent the wheel.  But I think you are right to be concerned about the corners of the columns.

RE: Precast Sound Walls

You probably already know that the design of these are governed by the AASHTO Specification for Sound Barrier Walls.

Since the post spacing is usually limited to 24 ft or less, the amount of expansion in a given panel is pretty small.  If you are concerned, I would detail the post flange with a generous value to permit a good overlap with the panel edge.  If the flange extends 6 inches away from the web and there is a half inch between the end of the panel and the web of the post, everything should be fine.

There are a number of other wall systems that use steel posts attached to concrete foundations and even steel posts set into augered holes and backfilled with concrete.  In these systems, I am most concerned about post deflection and bracing against lateral torsional buckling.

Good Luck.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources