Sustainable noise protection

100 % ecologically minded

Quick assembly

Stable, flexible, economical

Low-maintenance systems

Without constant irrigation

Innovative solutions

Can also be combined with photovoltaics

Graz has a special geographical location – the city lies in the Graz Basin, a valley widening on the south-eastern edge of the Alps, framed by the Schöckl in the north, the Plabutsch in the west and gentle hills in the south. This basin location not only shapes the climate, but also the spread of noise and pollutants. The issue of particulate matter has been on the agenda in Graz for many years, and noise levels can also linger in the air for longer in windless inversion weather conditions. Anyone who lives in Liebenau near the Magna plant, in the Eggenberg district on the A9 Pyhrn highway, or in Gries along the main traffic arteries towards the city center is familiar with the pollution. At RAU.bayern, we supply noise barriers from the Allgäu to Graz – to private developers, commercial enterprises, residential developers and municipal clients. Our focus is on green noise protection systems that perform several functions: They dampen sound, bind fine dust and bring vegetation into a city that tends to heat up considerably in summer. We advise you on site, look at your specific situation and develop a proposal that fits the situation – not a standard offer.

Your advantages at a glance.
  • Up to 12 m height
  • Without deep foundation
  • Quick assembly
  • Economic implementation
  • Greenable
  • Flexible lines
  • Suitable for tight spaces
  • Durable and robust

Noise protection in the Graz Basin - the basin location as an acoustic challenge

The Graz basin has acoustic characteristics that do not occur in flatter urban locations. In inversion weather conditions, which often occur in the fall and winter, a layer of cold air lies beneath warmer air – sound is then not conducted upwards as usual, but is partially reflected back and can propagate further in the plain. This is particularly audible with low-frequency sources such as industrial plants or heavy traffic on the A2 Süd Autobahn and the A9 Pyhrn Autobahn.

For noise protection in private homes, this means that a wall that is sufficiently effective under normal conditions can reach its limits in such weather conditions. We take this into account in our planning by deliberately dimensioning the height and design of the wall somewhat more generously and using absorbing modules that dampen the entire frequency spectrum – including the low frequencies that are particularly noticeable in inversion situations.

In the residential districts around the Magna plants in Liebenau and Thondorf, we often talk about walls between three and four meters high, which are intended to absorb mixed noise from plant and road traffic. In Mariatrost, Andritz or Gösting, where traffic noise tends to dominate, two and a half to three meters is often enough. For residential locations near the Mur, such as in Puntigam or Straßgang, there is also the factor of sound propagation over the water, which suggests a slightly higher wall.

We measure or estimate the levels in advance, talk about the expected effect and give you an honest assessment of whether the project makes sense before you decide – even if this means that in individual cases a wall alone is not enough and additional measures need to be considered.

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Travel to Graz and logistical handling

It is around 540 kilometers from Kaufbeuren to Graz. The route leads via the A7 to the north, the A8 towards Salzburg, then via the A10 Tauernautobahn to the south and from Salzburg via the A9 Pyhrn Autobahn through the Bosruck Tunnel to Graz. By truck, we expect the journey to take around five and a half hours, provided the Tauern highway is free. In summer and on travel weekends, we plan deliveries outside peak times, as traffic jams on the A10 can have a significant impact on logistics.

In Graz, the A2 and A9 junctions Graz-West, Graz-East and Graz-South are the most important access points to the urban area. Industrial areas in the south – around the Magna plants, in Werndorf or Kalsdorf – are easily accessible via the A9. For inner-city addresses, for example in the Schlossberg, Lend or Geidorf areas, we coordinate delivery times with the city of Graz and with you. In the old town of Graz, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the possibilities for articulated trucks are very limited; in such cases, we work with reloading stations on the outskirts of the city and smaller vehicles for the last leg of the journey.

For installation, we have partner companies in Styria who are familiar with the local conditions – with the topography, with the requirements of the Styrian building regulations and with the typical local requirements. For smaller projects, we use our own fitters from the Allgäu region, while for larger projects we coordinate with local construction companies. You always have a contact person at RAU.bayern who knows the system and supervises the project from start to finish. This combination has proved its worth for Austrian orders because it combines short implementation paths with clear responsibility on the part of the manufacturer.

FAQs:

The Province of Styria and the City of Graz offer support for noise protection measures in various contexts, especially where public noise sources such as federal highways or railroad lines are affected. The city of Graz also has programs for urban greening, in which green vertical surfaces may be eligible under certain conditions. For private developers without a direct connection to a public noise source, direct subsidies are less common, but noise protection can sometimes be included as a component in energy and renovation packages. We will provide you with the technical documents you need for an application.

Plants bind fine dust through their surfaces – that is undisputed. The effect of a single wall on your specific living situation cannot be expressed in a single figure; it depends on the location, plant mix, wall height and the main wind direction. In the urban microclimate – i.e. in your garden, on your terrace, in front of your living room window – a green wall can make the air noticeably better. It is a small component in the city-wide fine dust balance, but every component counts. We don’t promise a filter effect like an air conditioning system, but an honest contribution to the environment.

In inversions, cold, heavy air lies beneath warmer air. Sound that normally escapes upwards into higher layers of air then tends to remain in the layer close to the ground. A noise barrier works just as well under these conditions as it would otherwise – after all, its job is to interrupt the direct propagation of sound at ground level. What changes is the background noise, because sources further away become more audible. We take this into account in the planning by making the wall somewhat more generously dimensioned and using the absorbing properties in a targeted manner.

Graz’s climate is warm in summer, sometimes very warm, and cold in winter with foggy days. Plants for a green wall should be able to withstand both. Climbing plants such as various types of honeysuckle, wild vine or ivy in sheltered locations, combined with perennials such as bergenia, cranesbill or funkia, have proven their worth. We mix the planting so that vegetation structures remain visible throughout the year – i.e. not just one plant that dies back completely in winter. We advise you on specific planting lists, tailored to the location, light conditions and maintenance requirements.

This depends on the height. In Styria, noise barriers up to a height of around 1.8 meters are in many cases notifiable or only subject to notification; above this height, a permit is usually required in accordance with the Styrian building regulations. In addition, there are possible requirements from the zoning and development plan of your district. In the old town of Graz, which has UNESCO World Heritage status, stricter design requirements also apply. We recommend that you speak to the City of Graz or your architect at an early stage and provide the technical documents for an approval procedure.

The minimum distance to the property boundary is regulated by state law in Austria and depends on the height of the wall. In Styria, the following applies: walls up to a height of around 1.8 meters can stand directly on the boundary, higher walls usually have to maintain a corresponding distance or require the express consent of the neighbor. This is a simplified illustration; the specific requirement depends on your local building regulations and development plan. We recommend a clarifying discussion with the neighbor and the authorities before the project progresses – this will save a lot of effort later on.