The effect of the angle upper edge in shaped noise barriers with a T-shaped upper edge

Background and Objective: Efforts to improve the effectiveness of noise barriers have been made, including shape, aesthetics, form and gender. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the angle upper edge in shaped noise barriers with a T-shaped upper edge. Materials and Methods: A 2D boundary element method (BEM) was used to predict the insertion loss of the tested barriers. The results obtained from the angular obstructions of the upper edge with the upper T-face were compared. Results: The design of the angular barriers of the upper edge in the shape of the barrier caused a significant increase in the insertion loss performance, especially in the low frequency range, as compared to the upper T-shaped face. The highest amount of insertion loss in the angular barriers of the upper edge in the shaped barriers was estimated to be 3.79 dB (A) above the upper edge of T, which usually depends on the relative dimensions and position relative to the source and location of the receiver. The results of this study showed that among the tested models to determine the efficiency, the best noise barrier for controlling the traffic noise was the angular barrier with a high angle of 19 degrees compared to the other higher angles and a simple T barrier at a frequency of 315, 400, 500, and 630 Hz was obtained. Conclusion: The performance of the barriers  in the case of applying the angle at the upper edge on the T-shaped barrier surface is improved in comparison with the use of a simple T-barrier in lower frequencies. In this regard, the best form for applying angular obstructions with a high angle was about 19 degrees from the horizon.. The cause of this effect was the presence of a failure and reflection of the angled edges in the direction of transmission of sound wave from source to receiver. All angular barrier are able to increase the barrier performance at a specific frequency range, especially at low frequencies.