Before any conversation about a specific tender or project, a client should know exactly who they are dealing with. Not in marketing terms, but operational ones: what Ekopres makes, to what performance specifications, who certifies it, which general contractors we work with, and what single-point accountability actually means on a construction site. That is what this article covers.
At a glance: EKOPRES Group combines the engineering expertise of EKOPRES S.A. with its own MATI manufacturing facility, providing a single point of accountability for acoustic analysis, design, panel manufacturing and installation. With over 15 years of specialization, ITB / TZUS / CE certifications and a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty, the Group has delivered projects with Strabag, Warbud and Eurovia, as well as directly for GDDKiA.
Ekopres S.A. (engineering, design, construction management) + MATI Production Facility (aluminium noise barrier panels and timber anti-glare systems)
over 15 years in design and delivery of acoustic systems for road, rail and industrial infrastructure
1,000 m² production hall, automated CNC machinery, capacity up to 20,000 m² of panels per month
ITB · TZUS · CE. Manufacturer’s warranty on panels: 10 years
single-sided absorptive A4/B3 · double-sided absorptive A4/B3 · reflective B3 · timber anti-glare C24
Poland and European projects; technical documentation available in English
Over 15 Years in a Single Specialism
Ekopres S.A. has been building acoustic protection systems for over 15 years. Acoustic infrastructure was our focus from the start, covering road, rail and industrial applications.
Over that period the industry has changed several times. Standards tightened: since January 2024, panels require CE marking with a Declaration of Performance. Client expectations shifted: GDDKiA and major general contractors increasingly want a single entity responsible for analysis, design, manufacture and installation — because splitting those functions across three separate subcontractors creates too many liability gaps. Project volumes grew: the Polish motorway programme and the National Railway Programme have generated larger acoustic screen orders than at any point in the past two decades.
Ekopres adapted to each of those shifts. The integration of Ekopres S.A. with the MATI production facility was s a deliberate response to observing that firms controlling the full chain – from acoustic analysis through to panel manufacturing and on-site installation – consistently produced better acoustic outcomes and fewer problems at technical handover.
Two Entities, One Contractual Accountability
Ekopres Group is built from two entities that function within a single accountability structure. Ekopres S.A. is the engineering and contracting firm: it carries out acoustic analyses, produces structural and executive design documentation, and manages on-site construction. MATI is the production facility: it manufactures aluminium noise barrier panels and timber anti-glare barrier systems.
This distinction has practical implications for how a contract works. In a typical market arrangement, a client or general contractor coordinates three separate parties: a design office, a panel manufacturer and an installation firm. If a panel arrives on site and does not match the acoustic design, each of those parties can point responsibility at the others. Disputes run on, construction stops.
In the Ekopres model that problem does not exist structurally. One entity is accountable for the analysis, the design, the panel and the installation. If something does not match, we know before it becomes a site problem, because the engineers who calculated the acoustic performance also know what panel will be produced and how it will be installed.
The MATI Facility: What It Means for Delivery and Consistency
A 1,000 m² production hall, automated CNC machinery and a nominal output of up to 20,000 m² of panels per month. These figures have a direct bearing on two parameters that matter most to a general contractor managing a construction programme: delivery schedule and performance consistency.
On scheduling: a disruption to panel supply can stop acoustic screen installation for weeks, and at a road contract with liquidated damages clauses, that carries serious cost consequences. In-house production, with order scheduling managed within the group, provides predictability that an external supplier serving several dozen clients simultaneously cannot guarantee.
On consistency: a panel’s acoustic performance – its DLα and DLr values – depends not only on design but on manufacturing precision: uniformity of mineral wool infill, joint integrity between sheets, dimensional accuracy. Automated CNC production minimises batch-to-batch variation. Every batch is subject to quality control, and the results form part of the technical documentation handed to the client at project close.
production hall floor area
maximum panel output per month
manufacturer’s warranty on every panel
quality and compliance certifications
Automated CNC machinery · full RAL colour range · anti-graffiti coatings on request · manufactured in Poland to European standards
Acoustic Analysis and EIA: Where Every Project Starts
Clients sometimes treat an acoustic analysis as a regulatory formality, a document required by the environmental authority that sits in a file once produced. That approach tends to generate problems at technical handover.
For Ekopres, acoustic analysis is a design tool. Baseline noise measurement results, computer modelling output (calculated to ISO 9613 or ray-tracing methodology) and post-construction noise level forecasts, these three inputs determine which panel class is required (A2, A3 or A4), what screen height is optimal, and whether the site geometry demands single-sided absorptive, double-sided, or whether a reflective configuration is acoustically sufficient. Running this analysis after the panel type has been selected – rather than before – is a design error that typically surfaces at post-installation measurement.
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for new road or rail infrastructure contains the minimum acoustic performance requirements for the project. These flow into the Environmental Decision issued by the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection (RDOŚ), and from there into the technical specification in the tender documents. Ekopres participates in this process from the analysis stage, which avoids situations where a tender specification demands performance levels that are geometrically unachievable at the available screen height.
Design Documentation and the Design-and-Build Model
Structural design and executive design for an acoustic screen must satisfy the requirements of three different audiences: the administrative authority issuing the building permit or approving the works notification; the client verifying compliance with the environmental decision; and the installation crew that executes the documentation on site.
In a design-and-build framework, Ekopres produces the full documentation chain:
- structural design (including static and structural calculations for support posts and foundations),
- executive design (with material specifications and installation requirements)
- workshop drawings – detailed construction drawings for each post, each foundation and each non-standard element specific to the site geometry.
Workshop drawings are frequently omitted by firms that manage a project without executing it. Their absence means improvisation on site, and improvisation on site means deviations from the design that can compromise acoustic performance.
For projects delivered as subcontracts to a general contractor, Ekopres aligns documentation formats and schedules to the standards required under the main contract. GDDKiA, PKP PLK and individual general contractors operate under different format and reporting requirements – building those constraints into the design process from the outset eliminates expensive revisions at a late stage.
On-Site Installation: Posts, Panels and the Base Seal
Acoustic screen installation has several stages, each with its own bearing on final acoustic performance.
The critical stage, frequently underestimated,
is sealing the base zone: the gap between the lower edge of the screen and the ground surface. Post-installation measurement programmes have established that an unsealed base is the single most common reason a completed screen fails to meet the required attenuation, even when the panels themselves meet specification. Ekopres treats base zone sealing as a standard item in the works scope and the handover inspection, not an optional detail.
Installation sequence:
- post foundations (depth determined by geotechnical investigation results and ground category)
- panel installation from bottom to top,
- base zone sealing,
- fitting of end closures and any diffraction elements on the upper edge
After installation, as-built documentation is produced, including revised installation drawings and – where required by the environmental decision – post-installation noise measurements confirming that the required attenuation level has been achieved.
ITB, TZUS and CE: What Each Certificate Confirms and Why It Matters in a Tender
Three certifications, three distinct functions.
ITB. The Polish Institute of Building Technology is the national technical assessment body whose approval is required for construction products used in Polish infrastructure projects. An ITB technical assessment confirms that the product is approved for use in Polish construction and meets national requirements – providing clients with an independent national-body evaluation, not only a manufacturer’s declaration.
TZUS. Technický a zkušební ústav stavební Praha is a Czech notified body recognised within the European system. TZUS certification is widely accepted across Central European markets and confirms compliance with European construction product standards. For contracts involving European general contractors or for panel export outside Poland, this certificate is an important qualification document.
CE. CE marking has been a legal requirement since January 2024. Every acoustic panel sold into the EU market must carry a Declaration of Performance (DoP) declaring DLα and DLr values in accordance with EN 14388:2015. A DoP is issued per batch and must correspond to the actual performance achieved by that specific batch. A panel without a DoP, or with a DoP whose values do not match the environmental decision requirements, will not pass a formal technical handover inspection.
10-Year Warranty and Expected Service Life
Ekopres offers a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty on aluminium noise barrier panels. This commitment appears rarely in industry marketing materials, most manufacturers choose not to take it on formally. For a client, it represents concrete protection across a meaningful portion of the asset’s operational life: any material or manufacturing defect that becomes apparent within ten years of delivery is covered by the manufacturer’s liability.
The principal maintenance requirements are base seal condition checks and periodic inspection of coating integrity. Aluminium does not corrode in the conventional sense, is resistant to road salt, vehicle exhaust and atmospheric weathering, and requires no repainting, compared to timber or concrete panels.
Colour Range, Anti-Graffiti Coatings and Long-Term Appearance
Acoustic screens stand for decades. Over that time, they become part of a local landscape, often adjacent to residential neighbourhoods or designated nature areas where appearance carries weight alongside acoustic function. Clients increasingly specify colour explicitly, and some local planning authorities or design review bodies have a formal role in approving barrier aesthetics for significant projects.
Ekopres panels are available across the full RAL colour range. Colour specification is agreed project by project and does not affect the declared DLα and DLr acoustic performance values. Anti-graffiti coatings are available on request, substantially reducing cleaning costs and maintenance interventions over the full operational life of the barrier, a particular consideration for installations in urban or peri-urban environments.
Our Partners and What That List Represents
The Ekopres partner list is specific. These are companies with whom we have delivered projects: Warbud, Colas, Strabag, Eurovia, Aldesa, Mostostal Warszawa, PORR, NDI, Mirbud and also GDDKiA.
Strabag, Warbud and Eurovia are among the largest construction companies operating in Polish infrastructure. Working with each requires meeting the quality, scheduling and documentation standards imposed by their contract management systems, standards calibrated to the most demanding public procurement frameworks in Europe. GDDKiA’s presence on the list indicates that Ekopres has worked directly for the Polish national road administration, not only as a subcontractor. Every collaboration on this list is a completed project that can be verified.
Poland and European Projects
Panels manufactured at MATI carry CE marking and meet European standards, which allows their use on EU infrastructure projects without additional product certification. Ekopres is available for projects outside Poland and serves European clients looking for a noise barrier manufacturer with in-house production capacity and general contracting capabilities.
Technical documentation is available in English. Ekopres’ office in Poland coordinates with English-speaking clients and is set up to work with design offices or general contractors regardless of where the principal client is located.
How Collaboration Starts: Three Entry Points
Every acoustic screen project begins with the same set of questions: what is the site, what is the noise source, what does the environmental decision or tender specification require. The earlier Ekopres enters that conversation, the better the outcome, both acoustically and in terms of budget management.
- Pre-tender stage – an investor or road authority wants to understand what panel classes are needed for a planned investment and what the order-of-magnitude costs look like. Ekopres can conduct a preliminary acoustic analysis and define minimum performance parameters before the tender specification is drafted.
- Tender stage – a general contractor or consortium is looking for a noise barrier subcontractor to include in their bid. Ekopres prepares a costing against the technical specification; in a D+B framework, we develop the technical concept as part of the bid submission.
- Post-award stage – the contract is placed and the project moves into design, manufacturing and installation. Ekopres takes on the full delivery scope and coordinates all stages within the group.
An initial technical review – answering whether and how a project can be delivered – is part of standard pre-contract dialogue and carries no cost.
Have a project to discuss?
Contact us. We will respond with specifics: whether we can deliver the project, on what timeline, and what documentation you need for the tender or pricing exercise. We work across Europe.
Ekopres Group: Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ekopres Group and how is it structured?
Ekopres Group combines engineering firm Ekopres S.A. with the MATI production facility. Ekopres S.A. handles acoustic analyses, design, technical documentation and on-site construction management. MATI manufactures aluminium noise barrier panels and timber anti-glare systems. Together they operate under single-point contractual accountability covering every stage of an acoustic infrastructure project.
What noise barrier panel systems does Ekopres Group manufacture?
Four systems: single-sided absorptive (A4/B3: DLα 20 dB, DLr 26 dB), double-sided absorptive (A4/B3 double-sided: DLα 12 dB, DLr 25 dB, fire B-s1 d0), reflective (B3: DLr 30 dB) and a timber anti-glare system in C24 softwood with S235 steel access doors.
What is the output capacity of the MATI production facility?
1,000 m² production hall, automated CNC machinery, output up to 20,000 m² of acoustic panels per month. Certifications: ITB, TZUS, CE. 10-year manufacturer’s warranty on all panels.
What certifications do Ekopres panels hold?
ITB (Polish Institute of Building Technology), TZUS (Czech EU notified body) and CE. CE marking has been mandatory since January 2024 and must be accompanied by a Declaration of Performance (DoP) declaring DLα and DLr values per EN 14388:2015.
Which general contractors and clients has Ekopres worked with?
Projects delivered in collaboration with: Warbud, Colas, Strabag, Eurovia, Aldesa, Mostostal Warszawa, PORR, NDI, Mirbud and directly for GDDKiA (Polish National Road Administration).
What does single-point accountability mean in practice?
Ekopres takes on the full scope of an acoustic infrastructure project: acoustic analysis and EIA, structural and executive design within a D+B framework, workshop drawings, panel manufacturing at MATI with stage-by-stage quality control, structural and barrier installation. One entity is accountable from the initial analysis to the technical handover protocol.
Are panels available in custom colours and with anti-graffiti coatings?
Yes. Aluminium panels are available across the full RAL colour range. Anti-graffiti coatings are available on request. Colour specification is agreed project by project and does not affect the declared DLα and DLr acoustic performance values.