Precast concrete sound walls have many advantages over wood, masonry and metal paneling. Precast concrete walls and pilasters can be manufactured in a wide variety of finishes, textures, patterns and colours. Panels can be finished on both sides to present a finished appearance to the roadway and the protected properties behind. Precast sound walls can be installed quickly in any weather.

Precast concrete is environmentally friendly - you do not have to cut down a single tree or use toxic wood preservatives. Precast sound walls are manufactured locally. They have excellent resistance to wind, seismic, snow plows and vehicle impacts. Precast sound walls resist corrosion and vandalism. Panels can be sealed to ease the removal of graffiti.

Costs can be a major factor, particularly when calculations include a material's entire life cycle - from production to manufacture to disposal. A Colorado study assumed a service life of 15 years for wood, 30 years for masonry and 40 years for post and panel precast sound walls.

Sound reaching a residential area will be limited mainly by diffraction over the top of the wall when there are no significant sound leaks and the wall has a mass exceeding 20 kg/m2. Contact your local CPCI members to discuss sound walls.