Acoustic Barriers vs. Hoarding

Upon considering noise attenuating barrier products like Echo Barrier, you may ask yourself: “I’ve been using hoarding for years, isn’t that blocking noise anyway?” Certainly, a small amount of sound is being prevented from passing through to the other side; however, not only is this amount a fraction of that reduced by Echo Barriers, but it is dangerously reflecting sound back toward the noise source and people exposed internal to the perimeter.

Furthermore, the cumbersome nature of heavier objects used in hoarding make installation, disassembly, and reuse far more difficult.

An example of typical wooden hoarding.

Echo Barriers, on the other hand, are capable of absorbing up to 100% of noise across some frequencies, removing that noise from the environment completely. They are also much lighter and designed with ease and of use in mind, making them far more portable, reusable, and ultimately more cost effective.


Let’s take a closer look at the performance of typical hoarding materials and Echo Barrier.

Read: A Guide To Correct Use Of Echo Barriers

Types of hoarding and their ability to attenuate noise

Hoarding is a temporary, solid structure erected around construction sites as a means of worksite health and safety and security, shielding the sites from view and preventing unauthorized access. They are effective to this end, but contrary to what many may believe, they fail to also effectively reduce excessive noise.

To determine the acoustic performance of a given material, the Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) is a reliable figure to measure. A material with an NRC of 0 will perfectly reflect noise, and an NRC of 1.0 means absolute absorption (note: due to the testing methodology of NRC, measurements of above 1.0 are obtainable). NRC ratings across various frequency bands are measurable, helping to determine where a material performs best, acoustically.

Steel hoarding is an effective security measure and visual obstructor, however it cannot usefully reduce the impact of noise, and is heavier and more difficult to apply than available alternatives.

10mm plywood has an NRC 0.23, maxing at NRC 0.3 at 250 Hz. This means that the vast majority of sound that reaches the plywood surface will be reflected back onto the worksite, impacting the health of workers. 1.5mm of stainless steel has the same NRC as 10mm plywood, rendering it not only ineffective, but potentially dangerous on a noisy worksite.

Echo Barrier acoustic and all-round performance

Echo Barrier portable acoustic barriers are designed for all-round performance, with a series of benefits that them market-leading products. In terms of sound absorption, no product weighing as little will remove as much noise from the work environment, with the H10 model boasting an overall NRC of 0.7 and a coefficient measuring over 1.0 at 500 Hz, while weighing only 14 lb per barrier (6’9” x 4’1”) – lighter and safer than both plywood and sheets of stainless steel. 

Furthermore, Echo Barriers serve as a visual barrier with positive messaging and branding so that the user is reflected in a positive light of responsibility and concern for public health and safety. Echo Barriers can also be rolled up for easy installation, high mobility, and usability.