EN 1794 scope and structure
EN 1794 has two parts. Part 1 defines intrinsic performance characteristics: impact resistance by soft body and hard body impact tests, mechanical resistance to wind load, and the behaviour of noise barrier & acoustic barrier products under simulated vehicle impact. Part 2 defines non-acoustic intrinsic durability: resistance to ageing by heat, moisture, frost and UV radiation, and resistance to chemical agents including de-icing salt. The standard is referenced in the Technical Construction File (TCF) for CE marking of noise barrier & acoustic barrier products and must be read in conjunction with EN 1793.
Impact resistance: soft body and hard body tests
EN 1794-1 defines two impact tests. The soft body impact test uses a 50 kg sandbag dropped from 2.0 m height onto the noise barrier face to simulate a pedestrian-thrown object or low-velocity debris impact. The hard body impact test uses a 3 kg steel ball dropped from 1.5 m to simulate a small stone or other hard debris impact. After each test the panel must remain structurally intact, must not exhibit rattling or loose components, and must not have suffered damage that would significantly impair acoustic performance. Yukings noise barrier panels in all depths pass both soft-body and hard-body impact tests at minimum.
Mechanical resistance to wind load
EN 1794-1 requires noise barrier panels to resist wind loads corresponding to the EN 1991-1-4 design wind pressure. The panel is installed in its normal support configuration and subjected to increasing wind pressure until either the design pressure is achieved or failure occurs. The failure criterion is either structural collapse or permanent deformation exceeding 1/50 of the span. Yukings designs all noise barrier panels to resist a minimum wind pressure of 1.2 kN/m2 (corresponding to approximately 140 km/h wind speed) with higher values available on request for typhoon-prone regions.
Yukings Expert Service
For every project quotation Yukings provides complimentary technical support covering panel depth selection, acoustic simulation to EN 1793, structural design to EN 1794/EN 1991-1-4, and corrosion protection to ISO 12944.
Contact our engineering team for a free project-level consultation and quotation.
Environmental ageing and UV resistance
EN 1794-2 tests the non-acoustic durability of noise barrier materials under environmental ageing by heat, moisture, frost and UV radiation. UV ageing is particularly important for galvanized steel outer sheets because UV exposure accelerates surface oxidation of the zinc coating. Yukings uses a high-grade zinc coating of at least 275 g/m2 (minimum 85 microns) on all galvanized steel outer sheets to ensure long-term UV and corrosion resistance. PC transparent windows incorporate a UV-stabilized co-extruded surface layer to maintain optical clarity and mechanical properties over the 25-year design life.
Chemical resistance: de-icing salt and industrial pollutants
EN 1794-2 also requires testing the noise barrier material against de-icing salt spray exposure and other chemical agents. For highway noise barriers de-icing salt spray is the most relevant test because salt is routinely applied on motorways in cold climates. Yukings galvanized steel panels pass the 2,000 hour neutral salt spray test to ISO 9227 with no red rust. For coastal and marine-industrial environments we provide additional powder-coat or paint systems to ISO 12944 class C4-M or C5-M on request.
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