As cities grow and densify, the amount of traffic in and through settlement also increases. Horizontal surfaces are increasingly disappearing in favor of housing and infrastructure. This leads to increased noise levels and increased emissions in both residential and green belts. Where exploitation cannot be adapted in any other way, or where natural shielding against noise cannot be achieved, noise screens are often erected to minimize noise propagation from roads and railways. The most commonly occurring noise screen today consists of wood, but given its prerequisites, the study intends to investigate whether noise screens in concrete can be a better alternative. The purpose is thus to design and dimension noise screens in concrete. The study is carried out in collaboration with Butong AB, which since 2009 has developed and constructed plant walls in concrete. The objective is to construct and dimension a self-supporting noise shield, with integrated substrate for plants to grow and germinate, based on Butong's existing plant walls. To achieve the report's objectives, different types of matrices and designs have been evaluated with respect to strength and mechanical properties. The calculations made are numerical and performed in SolidWorks. The results from the numerical tests have been used to produce a noise shield with intended dimensions and where loads have been applied according to current eurocodes and SIS standards. The conclusion indicates that green noise screens in concrete maintain a high competitiveness against noise screens in wood. The long span, good mechanical properties and aesthetically pleasing design are some of the factors that support the conclusion.

The company Butong is based on a patented process of casting concrete between two layers of bubble wrap, resulting in panels of translucent concrete. This material is mainly applied as panels in vertical gardens and light installations. Today, the business is based on projects that require custom made designs. Alongside these projects, products with a standardised manufacturing process are desired to extend the company towards the consumer market and fill the workflow gaps existing in their current production. Through strategic branding, this project aimed to create a new business segment of standardised design products and the framework needed for Butong to enter the consumer market. From analysing the company and its values, understanding the possibilities and limitations of the material and from investigating the opportunities on the market, the brand position for the segment was determined. A strategy to establish the business on the targeted market was developed, including a brand identity and design guidelines for the new segment. To exemplify the usage of the guidelines, several concepts were produced, of which one was further developed to be the flagship product of the segment. The segment was directed to target both Butong’s current market and the consumer market in order to facilitate its establishment and to reach a larger public. It is developed to consist of products that clearly display the properties of the material and are aligned to the identity of the brand. Following the set guidelines, the developed concepts confirm its value and potential by communicating coherency and the expressions desired. With a standardised manufacturing process, the production can be engaged at any time to make use of the existing workflow gaps and complement Butong’s existing business without obstructing it. / Företaget Butong bygger sin verksamhet på sin patenterade tillverkningsmetod av att gjuta betong mellan två lager av bubbelplast, vilken resulterar i paneler av translucent betong. Detta material används framförallt till att skapa vertikala trädgårdar och effektfulla ljusinstallationer. Idag är verksamheten projektbaserad vilket kräver skräddarsydda lösningar. Ett sortiment bestående av produkter med en standardiserad tillverkningsprocess skulle kunna komplettera den befintliga produktionen genom att fylla de luckor som uppstår i det projektbaserade arbetet. Ett sådant sortiment ses även som en möjlighet för att utöka den nuvarande verksamheten mot en konsumentmarknad. Genom strategiskt varumärkesbyggande var målet med detta projekt att skapa ett nytt affärssegment bestående av standardiserade produkter och det strategiska ramverk som krävs för att kunna etablera Butong på konsumentmarknaden. Av att analysera företaget och dess värderingar, förstå materialets möjligheter och begränsningar samt undersöka marknaden, kunde positioneringen av segmentet bestämmas. En strategi skapades för att etablera segmentet på den tänkta marknaden tillsammans med en varumärkesidentitet och riktlinjer för produktutvecklingen inom segmentet. För att exemplifiera användandet av dessa riktlinjer skapades flera koncept, varav ett vidareutvecklades som en första produkt att representera varumärket med. För att underlätta etableringen av segmentet och utöka verksamheten, valdes både Butongs nuvarande marknad och konsumentmarknaden som målgrupp. Produkterna inom segmentet har ett formspråk som både demonstrerar materialets egenskaper och följer företagets nuvarande identitet. Värdet och potentialen i de framtagna riktlinjerna bekräftas av de uttryck och det genomgående formspråk som de skapade koncepten kommunicerar. Med en standardiserad produktion, kan tillverkningen av produkterna tas vid när som helst och ta till vara på luckorna i arbetsflödet och på så sätt komplettera Butongs nuvarande verksamhet utan att påverka den.