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Eco Sound Barrier provides significant savings on transportation projects

Federal criteria for TIGER II projects will require strategies that improve quality of life

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced the availability of $600 million in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) II grants for capital investment in surface transportation projects. Like the first round of TIGER grants, the new program is expected to generate overwhelming demand for transportation funding nationwide.

TIGER II grants will be awarded to projects based on several criteria, including environmental sustainability and the mitigation of negative quality of life impacts. The boost in transportation projects under the TIGER program draws attention to the need for more environmentally sustainable and cost-effective sight and sound barriers.

Eco Sound Barrier, a composite sound barrier system that provides the industry’s most innovative combination of affordability, sustainability and architectural flexibility, offers an environmentally friendly alternative to precast concrete sound barriers.

Precast concrete sound barriers remain the standard for state department of transportation (DOT) agencies. However, states that have approved Eco Sound Barrier — such as Pennsylvania — have seen the product’s advantages over precast.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission chose Eco Sound Barrier over precast when making improvements to a stretch of the turnpike in 2008. The project required an 1,800-foot-long by 15-foot-high sound barrier, which took only five days to complete and required no lane closures. A similar precast sound barrier would have taken nearly four weeks to install. The original estimate called for 45 trucks to transport the precast sound barriers to the jobsite, but at just 4.25 pounds per square foot, Eco Sound Barrier’s lightweight panels required only six trucks, lessening the carbon footprint by an estimated 31.96 metric tons of CO2. For this project, Eco Sound Barrier led to an estimated $385,000 in savings.

Despite its potential cost savings and environmental benefits, many state DOT officials have been slow to prequalify Eco Sound Barrier.  This prevents engineers from specifying the technology and contractors from proposing the technology when they bid on new transportation projects.

“We’re continually working with state DOT officials to make them aware of the environmental and cost benefits of Eco Sound Barrier,” said Todd Padezanin, product manager of Eco Sound Barrier. “Once we get state approval, contractors can win bids with the cost savings, DOTs can save money, and we can all reduce the impact to the environment.”

With a high level of competition for the available TIGER II funds, an applicant’s project must demonstrate a strong focus on fostering livable communities and environmental sustainability. Sight and sound barriers will be key components in developing livable communities, so choosing barriers made of environmentally sustainable materials will be advantageous. Because Eco Sound Barrier is the industry’s only Cradle-to-CradleCM-certified road product, is 100 percent recyclable, and can provide significant cost savings, it could be a valuable feature of an applicant’s grant-winning project proposal.

About Eco Sound Barrier: A product of CENTRIA, Eco Sound Barrier is a revolutionary highway sound barrier that can be fabricated and installed at significant cost savings compared to traditional precast options. In addition to 20 color options and an unlimited number of custom colors, there are multiple textured and patterned finishes, giving Eco Sound Barrier panels aesthetic appeal. The panels can be customized for any project and contribute to sustainable building requirements. Eco Sound Barrier is the right sound-management choice for highways, freeways, and residential communities. For more information about Eco Sound Barrier, call 412-299-8100 or visit