How Important Are Acoustics In Building Design?
When it comes to interior design and occupant comfort, your focus may be on visuals, air quality and ergonomics. But what about acoustics? The amount of sound that moves through a space can make a drastic difference in overall experience, and optimizing for acoustic performance can help reduce noise while meeting building requirements.
What's Inside
This eBook discusses the role acoustics play in a variety of different building codes and design standards. Some of the specific topics include:
- Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings
- How acoustics can help with LEED v4 certification
- Understanding ASHRAE & ICO standards
- The role of doors and openings in acoustic specifications
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Acoustic building design expands beyond office and government facilities. The acoustic design of classrooms and schools is key in creating a productive learning environment, just as controlling noise pollution is vital in creating a comfortable space in hospitals and hotels.
This Acoustics eBook will inform you about the importance of acoustic construction and offer a comprehensive look at how treatment solutions are driven by building codes and design standards.
Acoustic building design expands beyond office and government facilities. The acoustic design of classrooms and schools is key in creating a productive learning environment, just as controlling noise pollution is vital in creating a comfortable space in hospitals and hotels.
This Acoustics eBook will inform you about the importance of acoustic construction and offer a comprehensive look at how treatment solutions are driven by building codes and design standards.
Sound transmission reduction relies on two main principles – sound absorption and sound insulation. Sound absorption is when materials are used to soak up the transmission of sound within a room. Sound insulation prevents the transmission of sound waves by introducing a barrier like walls or doors.
When a barrier is added between the source room and the receiving room, the resulting change in decibel (dB) level is the sound transmission loss and that barrier is said to have a Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating.
The higher the rating number, the lower the transmission of sound. The STC rating is roughly equal to the decibel reduction a barrier can provide. In a sound test, an assembly will be tested for two STC ratings. The first is called the “sealed-in-place” rating.
This is an assembly where a door is placed within a frame and acoustic putty is then applied to the four sides of the door (top, bottom and jambs). It is then placed into a test chamber between the source room and receiving room and is subjected to sound waves.
The resulting “score” is the best possible STC rating the opening can achieve. The next rating is called the “operable” rating. This same assembly is used with perimeter gaskets, door bottoms and sills and re-tested. Operable STC ratings are always equal to or lower than the sealed-in-place ratings. The best performance rating on the operable test is a “zero drop” in the assembly’s STC rating. For example, a door with an STC 45 rating can only achieve an operable STC of 45 at its very best; it can never achieve a STC 50.
Understanding Sound Transmission Class (STC) Ratings
Additional Acoustic Solutions Resources
Acoustical Doorway Solutions
Sound Transmission Control for Any Facility
Codes and Compliance: Demystifying the Door Opening
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