Physical Properties and Environmental Impact of Sound Barrier Materials Based on Fly Ash Cenosphere

Traffic noise and solid waste pollution are two major problems that restrict urban development and affect urban environments. In this study, a new kind of cement-based material for sound barriers was prepared using industrial waste fly ash cenosphere to explore the material ratio of the sound absorption, sound insulation, and composite layers and to optimize the material’s properties. The research findings showed that the compressive strength had significant effects on the material properties of the sound absorption layer, with the optimal compressive strength range being 0.2–0.4 MPa. At 0.4 MPa, the material with an aggregate-to-binder ratio of 1.0 had the best comprehensive properties. The sound insulation layer had the best compressive strength of 29.00 MPa at a 45% fiber admixture. The composite had the best sound insulation when the thickness ratio of the sound absorption and insulation layers was 60:40, and the sound transmission loss was 38 dB. The embodied carbon (EC) and embodied energy (EE) of the new fly ash cenosphere across the whole life cycle were 57.57 kgCO2e and 477.08 MJ, respectively, which were 4.8−52.9% and 53.2−82.3% lower than other traditional sound barriers, respectively. Thus, they were environmentally friendly and had satisfactory energy-saving and environmental protection values.

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