Contact: Maureen Gibson
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GOOD WALLS MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS IN ANAHEIM

In Anaheim, a Noishield® Soundwall System similar to the one pictured here will both absorb rail bed noise and keep it from ricocheting from the soundwall into the neighborhood on the other side of the highway. The panel’s 16-foot lengths will reduce costs for both material and labor. Photo: IAC, Bronx, NY

Bronx, NY (June 8, 2004) – Oftentimes, soundwall systems designed to shield a neighborhood from roadway or rail bed noise can be a win for some members of the community and a loss for others. But the new Noishield® Soundwall System being installed along 2.3 miles of Route 90 in Anaheim is providing a three-way win for the neighborhood it is shielding, the Yorba Linda Hills neighborhood across the road, and the city’s coffers.

“One of the problems with installing soundwalls to shield a neighborhood is that if the right type of soundwall is not specified, the noise from roadways or rail beds actually ricochets off the barrier into an adjacent neighborhood,” said Michael Mancuso, president, IAC America. “In a situation where the noise bounces into an unpopulated area, absorption might not be as important. But without the absorptive properties of this soundwall, the benefit to the Anaheim neighborhood would have become a noise problem in the Yorba Linda Hills on the other side of the highway.” Virtually all of the contractors bidding for the project specified IAC’s NoiShield Soundwall System. The winning contractor was Peterson/Chase General Engineering Construction Company, Irvine CA.

The Noisheild-FS™ soundwall, will run along Route 90 between Yorba Linda Boulevard and Imperial Highway, part of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corridor. This stretch carries in excess of 100 trains each day. The soundwall will have an average height of 16 feet above the railroad rail, but will vary from 3 feet to 26 feet above the railroad rail to provide the necessary sound protection.

The Noishield Soundwall System is manufactured in 16-foot lengths; most products are 12 feet long. The soundwall panels are hung on steel uprights. “The fewer the uprights, the less costly the installation,” added Mancuso. “The savings are two-fold, less steel and less labor.”

Noishield soundwalls are low-weight and of rugged construction. They can withstand wind velocities of 110 mph. The barriers are finished with a tough, thermosetting polyester powder coating which is not damaged by the harsh cleaning chemicals used to remove spray-paint graffiti. A wide variety of standard colors allows complementary decorative schemes and attractive designs to reduce apparent wall height. Optional facings include brick, stone, stucco, wood, slate and more. And when necessary they are readily relocated.

IAC is a world leader in the manufacture of acoustical products and systems. Since its founding in 1949, the company has been recognized for both innovative solutions to unusual problems, and the creation of new or improved noise control and acoustical conditioning products. IAC’s Aero/Acoustic Laboratory provides the quality control testing necessary to ensure the accuracy of acoustical, aerodynamic, and mechanical ratings. IAC America is located att 1160 Commerce Avenue, Bronx, New York 10462-559. (718) 931-8000. Find IAC on the web at www.industrialacoustics.com

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