Acoustic
screen at Wielwijk on Highway A16
Dordrecht
1994-1997
Acoustic screen
with a height of 9,5 meter and approximately 1 km in length
Materialized in concrete, steel and panels of clear acrylic
Commissioned by Bouwdienst Rijkswaterstaat, Tilburg
The residential neighbourhood Wielwijk close to Dordrecht lies near
the Highway A16 between Rotterdam and Breda. Lowering noise levels
and improving air quality was imperative since here some housing estates
are as close as 30 feet to the road, and in some 700 apartments the
noise level was way over acceptable standards. Sound barriers combined
with a sophisticated planting scheme reduce noise and air pollution.
The extreme vicinity of housing to the highway precluded a conventional
vertical screen. This situation demanded a curved surface that covered
at least two car lanes. Daylight still reaches the homes and a transparent
design obstructs the view as little as possible.
The bent trusses are made of prefabricated concrete with a slender
contoured look. The steel space frame girders in between contain translucent
acrylate sheeting. An undulating shape at both ends accentuates the
clear lines of the mile long screen in between.
|