This report covers the development of the Blade Barrier: A sound barrier constructed using decommissioned wind turbine blades.
The ever-growing wind industry faces a composite waste problem. Wind turbine blades only last a few decades, and are difficult and therefore not economically desirable to recycle.
One proposed solution to this issue, is to repurpose the blades. Over the last years, several small-scale projects (such as playgrounds and urban furniture) have been realised that show how these high-end objects can serve new purposes successfully.
As the wind industry has grown exponentially over the last two decades, the resulting composite waste stream is expected to follow this same growth in the coming decades. For this reason, more impactful solutions are required.
To this end, the Blade Barrier is proposed by Blade Made, a spinoff startup from Superuse Studios. A roadside sound barrier has the potential to incorporate a large number of blades into its construction, and extend their life-in-service for another two to five decades, simultaneously eliminating the need for virgin materials.
The blades represent the starting point of the project, while the sound barrier is the final goal. The project is about connecting these two points through various research and design methods. Analysing the blades offers an understanding of the opportunities and limitations of the material, while research into sound barrier design yields insights into what makes a well-performing barrier. Throughout the project, the expertise of experts has been consulted to be able to expand this understanding and make well-grounded design decisions.
Based on this research a design vision is formulated, focussing on aesthetics, circularity and scalability. After the creation of three concepts, the idea for a green urban corridor was selected. This concept has the potential to transcend the simple idea of a sound barrier, and fulfil multiple purposes. It could offer a cleaner and more biodiverse urban area, and create an enjoyable surrounding on the resident side of the barrier.
Through an iterative process, this concept was further developed. The result is a design that is adaptive to the availability of blades and the requirements of the barrier location. Acoustic simulations are used to validate the performance of the design, and physical prototyping steps were taken in order to elaborate upon the production process. Vegetation is incorporated into the design to enhance its aesthetics and acoustics, and to stimulate biodiversity.
The design is applied to a location in Rotterdam to show how it integrates within the urban environment. The flexibility of the design enables it to be constructed in various different locations with varying types of blades. This way, it offers a solution to the blade waste problem anywhere on the planet.
The design was presented to the wind industry at the 2022 WindEurope conference in Bilbao. The design was received well there, and several parties are currently in touch with Blade Made to explore the possibilities for the construction of a Blade Barrier.
To this end, the report concludes with several recommendations toward the realisation of the design.