Chia Wall' To Muffle Highway Sound

A giant Green Noise Wall is coming to I-70, east of Columbus, Ohio. The concrete barrier alternative will be constructed from bags of dirt and seeds, making it a second major vegetation highway wall attempt in the U.S. Officials are hoping this one fares infinitely better than an earlier one in Wisconsin, which ended badly.

Concrete sound barriers have been around for a while, usually erected to protect residents nearby from the roar of vehicles passing on the highway. The problem is twofold: concrete is an enormous source of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, and existing barriers have varying levels of sound-blocking effectiveness. Sure, some are made from bricks and even wood, but those are often not substantial enough. And, I'll just say it, these walls are ugly. So when the Ohio Department of Transportation began cutting down trees along I-70 for a new concrete sound barrier, locals pushed for something more aesthetically and environmentally pleasing.

Back in 1994, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation put up a 520-foot wall consisting of a plastic frame packed with soil and plants, according to Karen Farkas at the Plain Dealer. It was a disaster. She cites a report that says nearly 5,000 of the plants died and about half actually fell out of the structure, along with dried soil. Weeds took over and then part of the frame came down. The $396,000 structure was a complete bust.

In Ohio, the plans are radically different. The Canada-based civil engineering products company Deltalok came up with an original design for a wall that the Ohio DOT will be testing over the course of two years. Deltalok specializes in patented anti-erosion bags made from permeable fabric. The DOT has opened up the design to outside researchers and is currently seeking proposals (Download PDF) for a test wall that incorporates Deltalok's bags.

In Ohio, the plans are radically different. The Canada-based civil engineering products company Deltalok came up with an original design for a wall that the Ohio DOT will be testing over the course of two years. Deltalok specializes in patented anti-erosion bags made from permeable fabric. The DOT has opened up the design to outside researchers and is currently seeking proposals (Download PDF) for a test wall that incorporates Deltalok's bags.

The experimental phase will allow the DOT to look at a variety of factors, including how much water and maintenance a growing wall of vegetation might need. A research team will try out bags containing several different grass varieties that are stapled, tied, and sewn together. A rep from the Ohio Department of Transportation told Farkas that the bags will work like a Chia Pet: just add water and watch it grow.