Sound wall with ultra-lightweight foamed glass aggregates

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for a highway sound wall system comprising a sound wall panel assembly filled with loose foam glass aggregates. The highway sound wall may further comprise a pair of spaced apart vertical members. The vertical members may be H-beams having a flange portion and a body portion. The highway sound wall may further comprise a pair of spaced apart mesh members extending between and retained within the vertical members, thereby forming the sound wall panel assembly. Each of the vertical members may have at least one stop block attached to the flange portion and at least one stop block attached to the body portion. At least one vertical edge of the mesh members may have an attached bar which engages both stop blocks. The sound wall may be temporary or permanent.

1 . A highway sound wall, comprising:
 a sound wall panel assembly filled with loose particles of foamed glass aggregates.   
     
     
         2 . The highway sound wall of  claim 1 , further comprising a pair of spaced apart vertical members. 
     
     
         3 . The highway sound wall of  claim 2 , wherein the vertical members are H-beams having a flange portion and a body portion. 
     
     
         4 . The highway sound wall of  claim 2 , further comprising a pair of spaced apart mesh members extending between and retained within the vertical members, thereby forming the sound wall panel assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The highway sound wall of  claim 2 , wherein each of the vertical members has at least one attached stop block. 
     
     
         6 . The highway sound wall of  claim 5 , further comprising a pair of spaced apart mesh members extending between and retained within the vertical members, thereby forming the sound wall panel assembly, wherein at least one vertical edge of the mesh members has an attached bar which engages the at least one stop block. 
     
     
         7 . The highway sound wall of  claim 3 , wherein each of the vertical members has at least one stop block attached to the flange portion and at least one stop block attached to the body portion. 
     
     
         8 . The highway sound wall of  claim 7 , further comprising further comprising a pair of spaced apart mesh members extending between and retained within the vertical members, thereby forming the sound wall panel assembly, wherein at least one vertical edge of the mesh members has an attached bar which engages both stop blocks. 
     
     
         9 . The highway sound wall of  claim 1 , wherein the sound wall panel assembly is greater than 6 feet tall. 
     
     
         10 . The highway sound wall of  claim 1 , wherein the sound wall panel assembly is greater than 8 feet tall. 
     
     
         11 . The highway sound wall of  claim 1 , wherein the sound wall panel assembly is greater than 10 feet tall. 
     
     
         12 . The highway sound wall of  claim 1 , wherein the sound wall panel assembly is greater than 4 feet wide. 
     
     
         13 . The highway sound wall of  claim 1 , wherein the sound wall panel assembly is greater than 6 feet wide. 
     
     
         14 .- 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A method of constructing a highway sound wall system, comprising:
 providing a pair of spaced apart soldier beams;   trapping a pair of retaining grids between the soldier beams, wherein trapping comprises:
 providing a stop block on a flange portion of each of the soldier beams; 
 providing a bar along a lateral edge of each of the retaining grids; and 
 sliding the retaining grids into place from above, such that the stop blocks engage the bars, trapping the retaining grids in place; and 
   filling space defined between the retaining grids and soldier beams with loose particles of foamed glass aggregates.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the retaining grids are hot-dipped galvanized mesh panels. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the foamed glass aggregates are prepared from recycled glass. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising providing the stop block on a body portion of each of the soldier beams for engaging the bar on a different face from a face of the bar engaged by the stop block on the flange portion of each of the soldier beams. 
     
     
         22 . A highway sound wall system, comprising:
 a pair of spaced apart vertical members, each vertical member comprising an H-beam having a flange portion and a body portion;   a pair of spaced apart mesh members extending between and retained within the vertical members, wherein a space defined between the pair of spaced apart vertical members and the pair of spaced apart mesh members is filled with loose particles of foamed glass aggregates.   
     
     
         23 . The highway sound wall system of  claim 22 , wherein each of the vertical members has at least one attached stop block, and wherein at least one vertical edge of the mesh members has an attached bar which engages both stop blocks. 
     
     
         24 . The highway sound wall system of  claim 23 , wherein each of the vertical members has at least one stop block attached to the flange portion and at least one stop block attached to the body portion.