An innovative noise barrier made of precast elements protects the residents living along the Tauern Motorway from traffic noise. For the design and detailing of the curved noise barrier, the Leube company relied entirely on ALLPLAN Precast, the 3D BIM software for prefabrication from ALLPLAN.
The Austrian section of the Tauern Motorway is one of the fastest road links between Germany and Italy. However, the annually growing traffic volume leads to an ever increasing noise pollution for the local residents. In order to improve the quality of life of the residents again, it was decided to erect noise barriers.
Innovative noise barriers made of precast elements
Instead of an overhead noise barrier, the decision was made to use the "Great Arch", a curved noise barrier from Leube Betonfertigteile GmbH & Co KG. The company, based in Maishofen (Austria), is part of the Leube Group and offers a wide range of precast elements and special elements made of concrete. As a particularly innovative solution, a curved noise barrier made of precast concrete elements was created that spans the highway like a large arch. Compared to a traditional enclosure, the erection costs can thus be reduced by around 80 percent. The precast walls also offer massive advantages in terms of running costs: unlike enclosures, where considerable maintenance costs are incurred, the precast arches are completely maintenance-free. Another plus point is the resident-friendly rear side, which can be backfilled with soil and replanted. The materials used are all ecological and recyclable.
ALLPLAN Precast enables efficient design and detailing of precast elements
Leube faced numerous challenges in designing and detailing the curved noise barriers. In particular, the arch shape, the dimensions of the individual components and the structural requirements placed the highest demands on the planning team. For this phase of the project, the company relied entirely on ALLPLAN Precast, the BIM software for prefabrication from ALLPLAN. The software enabled precise modeling and planning of the precast concrete elements and supported the creation of the assembly and production plans with automated workflows. In meetings, the 3D model proved helpful in explaining details in a clear and understandable way for all participants.
Since part of the construction was undertaken in winter, the assembly of the precast elements at an altitude of over 1,100 meter above sea level was also extremely challenging. However, with the help of prefabrication, all precast elements could be assembled on time and in the highest quality. Thanks to the curved noise barriers, people and nature can now breathe again and enjoy the tranquility of the Alps.
