SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Noise barriers muffle the transmission of traffic noise and constitute a relevant factor in urban action plans. However, their effectiveness varies according to multiple factors. The new green noise barrier developed by two researchers from the School of Building at UPM [(Universidad Politécnica de Madrid)] use the raw material resulting from the pruning of plants and gardens. The combination of this vegetable waste with a local substrate and water result in a new mixture of suitable acoustic and structural characteristics for these types of barriers.
Today, the commercial noise barriers are made of different materials such as concrete, brick, wood, and glass that consume material resources in the manufacturing process and generate a large amount of waste at the end of their useful life.
Researchers have now developed barriers made of recycled elements that reduce the use of materials and reuse carpet waste, scraps of paper and fibrous materials. In this study, the raw materials used by UPM researchers come from garden waste, specifically palm leaves. Using local materials provides savings for both transport and environmental impact, offering a solution to the excessive amount of waste.
This one comes with electrolytes.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday July 20 2018, @01:42PM
I liked the part about using local waste to form them. The Tri-State area has landfills that are full. Most of the garbage gets sent out to the Third World on barges. More recycling would help (NYC recycles, but Nassau County on Long Island barely does). Separating food waste and composting that would be a triple win, because it would save space in the landfills, cut down on the methane gas they generate, and produce rich new soil that gardeners and farms always demand.
Still, there are elements like the rug scraps and things the article cites that have no use. If they can reprocess that into highway sound barriers, then great.
Washington DC delenda est.