Noise barrier mats can be installed by one person without any tools. What determines their effectiveness is a gap-free, taut fixing – every gap lets sound through and costs several dB. This guide shows how to install the mats on construction site fences, scaffolding and containers.
Installation on a construction site fence – step by step
- 1. Secure the fence: Couple the panels with fence clamps, weigh down the fence feet with ballast and fit bracing struts – the type and quantity of ballast and bracing follow from the fence manufacturer’s assembly and use instructions for closed (clad) panels as well as from the wind zone, location and fence height. If in doubt, have the erector provide proof of structural stability.
- 2. Hang the mat: Align the mat with its top row of eyelets against the upper fence rail; the mat hangs on the side facing the noise or – if screening from view is also wanted – on the outside.
- 3. Fix the top: Pull a cable tie through every eyelet and around the upper fence rail, loosely at first.
- 4. Align and tension: Pull the mat smooth, tighten the cable ties, then fix the sides and bottom at every eyelet.
- 5. Overlap the joints: Overlap or butt adjacent mats by 5 to 10 cm and close the joint with cable ties through both rows of eyelets.
- 6. Corners and ends: Run the mats around the corner panel without a gap; wrap the mat ends around the post.
Installation on scaffolding
On scaffolding, the mats are fixed to the outside of the scaffold ledgers – just like scaffold sheeting, with cable ties or scaffold sheeting clips. The wind load on enclosed scaffolding is considerably higher; the anchoring must be adapted in line with the scaffold manufacturer’s assembly and use instructions. For facade work we recommend our acoustic sheeting for scaffolding; safety guidance is provided in the BG BAU (German construction trade association) information sheet on scaffold cladding.
Installation on containers and walls
On site containers, timber walls and hall walls, the mats are fixed with screw hooks, ratchet straps or to a fence panel placed in front. For enclosing generators and similar equipment, a free-standing frame made of fence panels works well (see noise control for generators).
Removal and storage
Cut the cable ties, take down the mats, give them a rough clean, let them dry and store them folded or rolled on pallets – dry and protected from direct sunlight. That way the mats are ready for immediate use on the next project.