Laboratory and acoustic tests

Created to support testing and research activities, the laboratory operates in accordance with UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018 and is accredited, for the most significant tests, by Accredia (certificate no. 0424L).

Mechanical and material characterization tests

The machinery of the AISICO laboratory is able to determine the mechanical and chemical characteristics of the materials making up the products subject to testing (steel, concrete and plastics), on which it is possible to determine the characteristics of strength, hardness, chemical composition and durability.

• Rockwell hardness tests (UNI EN ISO 6508-1)
• Chemical tests (UNI EN ISO 14284-1) (AST ME415-17, UNI EN 14726)
• Tensile tests on steel (UNI EN ISO 6892-1:2016)
• Compression test
• Resilience tests (Charpy pendulum) (UNI EN ISO 148-1)
• Sclerometric tests (UNI EN 12504-2:2012)
• Salt spray (UNI EN ISO 9227:2017)
• Shore hardness (UNI EN ISO 2815:2015)
• Tensile tests on rubber (UNI EN ISO 527-2:2012)
• TLF (Fragility Limit Temperature) on rubber (UNI ISO 812:2017)
• Bucholz hardness / UNI EN ISO 2815
• Ash residue on rubber (UNI EN ISO 3451-1)
• Scratch test on coatings (UNI EN ISO 1518-1)
• IR spectrum (UNI ISO 4650)
• Average fiber diameter (UNI 6484:1969)
• Pull out (UNI EN 12504-3:2005)
• Security Glazing (UNI EN356 – 2002)

Acoustic tests / Mechanical tests on acoustic devices

Several equipment and instrumentation for the execution of acoustic and mechanical tests on anti-noise systems in order to obtain the Conformity Certification according to EN 14338.

Tests on noise barriers are aimed at determining:

• the sound diffraction in situ (CEN/TS 1793-4);
• Sound reflection and sound insulation in situ (EN 1793-5, EN 1793-6);
• Mechanical performance and stability requirements (EN1794-1);
• general safety and environmental requirements (EN 1794-2);

In addition to the acoustic analysis of the sound absorption or sound insulation performance of acoustic barriers, AISICO also performs physical and chemical laboratory tests to determine the strength of the materials of construction of such devices.

Adrienne tests

Sound reflection under direct sound field conditions and sound insulation.

A test that measures the inherent characteristics of sound reflection and airborne sound insulation values of noise reduction devices designed for roads under non-reverberant conditions. It can be applied both to qualify products to be installed along roadways and to verify compliance of installed noise reduction devices with respect to design specifications.

AISICO holds EN17025 accreditation to perform noise tests according to EN1793 parts 5 and 6.

Acoustic testing in reverberation chamber

Sound Absorption

A test that allows the measurement of the intrinsic sound absorption performance of devices for the reduction of traffic noise under diffuse sound field conditions.

Acoustic Insulation

A test that measures the airborne sound insulation performance of road traffic noise reduction devices under reverberant conditions and that includes evaluation of the intrinsic performance of barriers that may be mounted within the installation, as outlined in EN ISO 10140-2 and EN ISO 10140-4.

Mechanical testing of panels (EN 1794-1 and 2)

AISICO as a Notified Body laboratory for the following tests issues the DoP – Declaration of Performance. The system is of type 3, the manufacturer himself makes the self-declaration. Mechanical testing of panels (EN 1794-1 and 2)

Wind Load

The method consists in demonstrating the product’s ability to withstand wind load and passing vehicle load.

Own weight

The self-weight of acoustic elements is used in two different ways. If the elements are capable of absorbing water, the soaked weight is an important consideration in the design of both elements and support structures.

Impact of stones

Noise abatement devices located along roadways are susceptible to impacts from stones raised from the road surface. It is essential that such devices are able to withstand such impacts, suffering only superficial damage. The normalized laboratory test simulates minor impacts, such as those caused by stones lifted from the road surface.

Vertical load

The test method consists in subjecting a representative panel to a vertical load in order to evaluate the capacity of the panel to support the wet or reduced wet load (as the case may be) and the appropriate wet load of the elements that may be laid on them.

Snow load

The test method is to demonstrate the product’s ability to withstand the dynamic load caused by snow cleaning.

Stain fire resistance

The objective of the test is to subject a representative panel of a vertical acoustic barrier under normal exposure to bush fires at the roadside.

Falling fragments

The test method consists in causing the impact of a relevant mass in the center of the most sensitive point of the specimen or of other element or system under test.

Light reflection

The method consists in carrying out reflectivity measurements in different positions and provides a classification system of possible risks for drivers.

Fatigue tests on components and products

The tests aim at verifying the structural suitability of anti-noise systems, consisting of: acoustic panels, gaskets, support pillars, connections, following the installation methods indicated in the project.

The procedure may involve successive loading phases: in one phase the elements are subjected to cycles of bending loads, in another phase the same acoustic elements are subjected to cycles of torsional loads, which simulate the effects imposed on the device for aerodynamic loads produced by the passage of heavy vehicles or trains.

Tests on vertical road markings

At the AISICO Test Center, tests are carried out for the visual and physical performance of permanent vertical road signs including transilluminating obstruction markers, edge markers and reflective devices in accordance with UNI EN 12899.

• Wind thrust
• Dynamic load from snow
• Flexural and torsional loads on supports
• Colorimetry tests
• Reflectance tests
• Concentrated loads
• Corrosion resistance
• Resistance of reinforcements and attachments

Static tests on barrier posts

The static test takes into account the provisions of prEN1317-5 and UNI/TR 11785.

We compare the forces acting on the pole in the same crash configuration performed both on the ground of the test field – of known and homogeneous characteristics – and in the installation site, at the occurrence of a certain horizontal displacement. According to the calculated moment, the characteristics of the ground can be defined. Since the thrust velocity imposed on the post is low and the contributions given to the resistance by the inertia, the viscosity of the soil and the stain-rate effect of the steel are not taken into account, the static tests are able to evaluate only the resistance of the soil.

As indicated in the standard UNI/TR 11785:2020 “Technical support document for the preparation of the manual of use and installation of road restraint devices on embankment” for a correct assessment of the functionality of the barriers in place the best way to proceed is the characterization of the system “post/soil” through the execution of dynamic tests.