An acoustic barrier and method of pile driving

摘要

An acoustic barrier 40 for use in a pile driving method in which a pile 10 is driven into the ground 60, the acoustic barrier 40 comprising: an acoustic dampening layer (42, fig 3) and a magnetic element 46; wherein the acoustic barrier 40 and the acoustic dampening layer (42, fig 3) are arranged to be at least partly wrapped around the pile 10, and wherein the magnetic element 46, which may be formed of a plurality of elongate arrays 44 of magnets 46, is arranged to releasably secure the acoustic barrier 40 to the pile 10. The acoustic barrier 40 may be flexible so that it can curve. The acoustic barrier 40 is wrapped around an axial portion of a pile 10, an axial length of the pile 10 is driven into the ground, and the acoustic barrier 40 is detached, with a hook and loop closure 48, 50, or repositioned, so that in use noise from the pile driving assembly is reduced. There is also disclosed an acoustic barrier for a pile driving hammer having a support frame which can be detachably attached to the hammer.