This sounds kind of cool, and I appreciate the innovative ideas coming from ODOT, but I would think it might be more cost effective to put up a concrete wall, and then plant vines or ivy to climb the wall. If that won’t work, maybe it would if there were some kind of lattice structure in front of the wall. Just a thought though. I hope this works, since it seems that Wisconsin had some trouble.
Sound wall made of vegetation to be studied by ODOT as alternative to concrete wall
Published: Sunday, July 18, 2010, 9:00 AM
Karen Farkas, The Plain Dealer Karen Farkas, The Plain DealerIt’s an idea that could take root in the Buckeye State.
The Ohio Department of Transportation will test a 12-foot-high wall of stacked, 70-pound bags sprouting plants and grass as an innovative way to muffle highway sound.
The 400-foot Green Noise Wall, to be built this fall on westbound Interstate 70 east of Columbus, is ODOT’s attempt to develop an alternative to concrete sound barriers.
And it appears to be only the second stab at eco-friendly noise abatement since 1996, when the Wisconsin Department of Transportation removed a sound wall made of plastic forms filled with soil and plants after the plants died, weeds flourished and a portion of the wall collapsed.
ODOT hopes to have better luck.
Researchers who submit the best proposal for the experimental project are required to work with Deltalok USA, a Washington state company that has used its patented bag system across Europe, Asia and the U.S. to control erosion, repair slopes and protect stream banks.
“It is like a Chia (Pet) wall – basically filling bags with dirt and seed, watering it and watching it grow up and out,” said ODOT spokesman Scott Varner. “And much like the novelty plant on the windowsill, it will take some care in the beginning and ongoing maintenance.”
Vines tend to destroy masonry walls–they might look nice for a time, but they root and break apart the concrete. Also, many vines (like, say, ivy) are invasive and should not be introduced intentionally.
Thanks for the comment Adam.
I was thinking more like a solid concrete wall, not bricks or concrete masonry units with mortar between them. I’m not sure if the roots would get into a solid concrete wall or not. I suppose if you wait long enough it would. I’ve also seen plastic or wood retaining walls that could work.
I agree with you on the invasive species issue, but I’m not a plant expert, so I don’t know which species are invasive or native offhand.