‘dobber’ concept, sound barrier design by brandes en meurs

dutch industrial design firm brandes en meurs have received first prize for their ‘dobber’ concept in the create a barrier of silence competition for amsterdam’s schipol airport.

the ‘dobber’ concept can be described as a floating dynamic sound barrier that changes between a flat and an upright position by manipulation of buoyancy and balance. this is done by adding or removing water ballast to and from the floating structure. compared to a static barrier, ‘dobber’ can be located much closer to the source of the sound enabling an effective noise reduction while consuming a minimal of materials and space. by letting it float on the water and allowing it to wave freely with gusts of wind, the construction can be kept light and deep foundation becomes unnecessary. photovoltaic cells on the upper surface are expected to produce more than three times as much energy as the system consumes, making it a net energy producer. finally the water basin in which the barrier floats contributes to the needed water storage capacity in the area.

when sound reduction is necessary eight large water pumps fill ballast tanks inside the barrier’s structure. this changes the centre of gravity causing the structure to stand up. it takes up to four minutes for all of the 103 sections of the wall to rise to a height of 13 meters above ground level. when sound reduction is not necessary the water inside the ballast tanks is released through exhaust valves causing ‘dobber’ to rotate towards the flat position again.

http://www.brandesenmeurs.nl

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