Japan brings noise reduction glass on the highway to Vietnam

Japanese highways have just been installed with tempered glass panels to reduce noise thanks to advanced technology from Nippon Steel & Sumikin Metal Products (NSMP).

This type of glass called 'Lite Wind' has also been used in the aircraft cabin, with easy-to-observe characteristics, impact resistance and weather resistance. In the future, NSMP will develop this product to Southeast Asia market, including Vietnam.

In Japan, the mechanization process took place immediately after the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. At the same time, the government had a law regulating noise standards in areas near the main road.

Noise level lower than 65dB at night is the standard the authorities want to achieve to ensure the living environment, helping to protect human health. Soundproof walls made of steel were installed on highways near urban areas.

The polycarbonate plastic panel is also used in part because of its translucent properties. However, after 20-30 years of use, these panels gradually become opaque due to the effect of ultraviolet rays outdoors.

Meanwhile, toughened glass is the type of glass that has been strengthened through the process of handling chemicals after production. Glass will be soaked in a tank containing potassium nitrate. This causes sodium ions in the glass to be replaced by potassium ions from the soaking solution.

This ion replacement process causes the glass surface to be pressed into tightening, increasing resistance to wind pressure, scratch resistance and dust on the glass.

This type of glass has been used to produce aircraft cockpit glass and is now widely used in cell phones, scanners and copying machines.

The NSMP has produced 'Lite Wind' glass panels in cooperation with many companies, with glass panels up to 2 meters wide.

When conducting the test, people used a 300kg heavy pendulum to hit the glass. At that time, the glass appeared cracks like spider webs, but not broken.

When broken, the glass will break into small pieces weighing less than 1 gram, thereby ensuring safety regulations. In addition, the 'Lite Wind' glass is as light as normal glass, making it easy to handle and transport.

An estimated 1,400 1mx4m glass panels have been used in Kanagawa Prefecture as part of the Inter-city Highway project, which was opened on March 30, 2013.

This number of glasses is equivalent to 5,300m2. 700 glass panels of 2mx4m size were also transferred for use in Kyoto in the framework of the highway project running through Kyoto, opened on April 21, 2013. This number of glasses is equivalent to 5,300m ^{2 of} assembly.