A noise barrier (also called a soundwall, noise wall, sound berm, sound barrier, or acoustical barrier) is an exterior structure designed to protect inhabitants of sensitive land use areas from noise pollution.

What type of barrier is noise?

Noise is one of the most common barriers in communication. It is any persistent or random disturbance which reduces, obscures or confuses the clarity of a message. Physical barriers are closely related to noise as they can obstruct the communication transmission process.

Why is noise a barrier?

The primary function of noise barriers is to shield receivers from excessive noise generated by road traffic. While the onus of mitigating road traffic noise lies with the road projects, noise barriers are considered the most reasonable noise mitigation measures available.