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(logo whooshing)

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- [Narrator] During construction
of noise or retaining walls

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problems can occur when utilities,

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construction phasing conflicts,

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and inadequate access are not considered.

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The issues are seen nationwide

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but research on possible
best practices is limited.

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The Texas Department of Transportation

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and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute

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looked at ways to
provide guidelines on how

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and where walls are placed,

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saving time and money in the process.

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- So, when building noise
walls and retaining walls,

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issues with utility conflicts
and construction activities

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and access issues can arise.

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Previous manuals and design documents

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didn't really address these.

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So the purpose of the research

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is to address constructability
and maintenance issues

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with walls by looking at
sequencing and placement.

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- In the environmental division, my part,

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we have a federal rule

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that when there's impacts from a project,

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we have to be able to build a noise wall,

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and then there's it becomes
the theoretical wall

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that we can build and what
actually can be built.

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And that's what designers
know and project people know.

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So, the coordination and
sequencing of the projects

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to get that built,

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knowing whether utilities
underground is critical.

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- We did a lot of
interviews with personnel

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who are involved with noise walls

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and retaining walls design

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and constructability and maintenance.

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So what that was very
important for our research.

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Looking at those interviews
and getting that feedback

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from people who were
involved in that process.

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It was also important

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for us to look at active
TxDOT construction projects

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and seeing what issues

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that they were encountering
with noise walls

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and retaining walls during
that construction process

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and how those issues could be alleviated

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in the design phase by
looking at sequencing

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and placement of those noise
walls and retaining walls.

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- The big thing that we got out of this

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was a guidance document

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with more precise guidance
for our various areas.

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So, that goes into standards
and specifications,

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how to do that sequencing,

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recommendations on placement of barriers.

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- We've also come up with
recommendations for updates

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for TxDOT manuals, so
those can be incorporated

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and it'll help with the process also.

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That'll alleviate issues with
highway construction projects

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that incorporate noise
walls and retaining walls,

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which will reduce issues for TxDOT

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and also the traveling public.

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- The recommendations of the report are

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to try to look at those utilities

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and possible impediments
earlier in the process

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and add it to the
schematic at the beginning

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just so that people are even thinking

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there could be a barrier here.

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So really it's just streamlining,
making things easier.

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- For our our next steps for this research

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we'd like to work with the TxDOT districts

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and incorporating the
guidebook that we've produced.

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And the guidebook provides recommendations

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and best practices for sequencing

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and placement noise walls
and retaining walls,

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and those would most be
beneficial to be incorporated

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during the design phase.

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Some of them can be incorporated

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during construction phase as well.

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- [Narrator] For more information

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and to find the publications
for this project,

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please visit the TxDOT Research Library

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at the link shown below.