Noise reducing elements filled with laminated safety glass (LSG) for use along railway lines

The main purpose of noise barriers is to shield the environment from unwanted sound. Along railway lines, noise barriers must also meet strict requirements for structural integrity, usability and fatigue safety. Furthermore, noise barriers should satisfy aesthetic criteria. Transparent noise barriers have less impact on the environment and are more widely accepted by the public. In Germany, PMMA (acrylic glass) is currently the only transparent material approved for railway noise reducing elements. Laminated safety glass (LSG) could be a viable alternative due to its high rigidity and transparency, comparatively low dirt accumulation and high chemical and physical resistance. However, it still needs to be demonstrated that LSG meets the strict requirements for use along railway lines. LSG is a type of laminated glass that has a splitter-binding intermediate layer of plastics. The multi-layered structure presents challenges regarding the proof of usability. MFPA Leipzig GmbH was commissioned by the German Centre for Rail Traffic Research at the Federal Railway Authority to develop and evaluate possible methods to prove the usability of LSG for noise barriers along railway lines. The paper presents the structure of the project, the main findings until now and the open challenges to be addressed.