Measurement of sound insulation

In room acoustics one of the most important factors is sound insulation, which is defined by the capacity of the material to resist vibration produced by the noise emitted in that space. Before designing any given solution, we assess the effectiveness of the current sound insulation of the wall, ceiling or floor. In doing so, we are able to optimise the design and reduce the necessary investment in order to meet the set objectives.

 

Nowadays, almost all standards and regulations relating to noise pollution require a minimum level of airborne and impact sound insulation between premises and covered areas including building façades. Equally, the CTE’s Documento Básico contra el Ruido (Basic Document regarding Noise Protection) also requires a minimum level of insulation between two spaces that make up a building. The assessment of the required insulation should always be carried out using on-site measurements.

 

dBplus acoustic consultants take the necessary measurements of airborne and impact sound insulation in order to guarantee compliance with current standards and regulations as well as providing acoustically pleasing environments: crucial factors to ensure the smooth running of any business activity within the premises. All insulation measurements carried out by dBplus comply with the established National and International regulations defined in the UNE EN ISO 140.

Noise transmission via a separating element between two premises occurs via the separating element itself (direct path) and other elements that make up the premises
i.e. the walls, ceilings or shared floors (indirect paths). The contribution of all of these paths defines the final level of insulation required between two spaces. The best way to define the true level of insulation in a separating element is via measurements that take into consideration all existing transmission paths.

 

dBplus carry out the measurement of airborne sound insulation between premises following the highest quality standards as specified by UNE EN ISO 140-4, Acoustics. Measurement of sound insulation in buildings and building elements. Part 4: On-site measurement of airborne sound insulation between premises. The assessment of the measurement results is carried out according to the UNE EN ISO 717-1 standard, “Assessment of airborne sound insulation in buildings and building elements”.

 

By means of measurements of airborne sound insulation between premises, dBplus offer the possibility of on-site assessment of compliance with State, Regional and Municipal requirements; the results of which is the best solution design with minimum financial investment.

 

The predominant source of noise in an urban environment is traffic, the likes of which largely depends on the type of road, density of traffic and positioning of the buildings, amongst other factors. For this reason, the majority of environmental noise standards and regulations, as well as the Código Técnico de la Edificación, require a minimum level of airborne sound insulation for the façade which varies according to noise levels from the road on which it is situated.

 

Airborne sound insulation of a building’s façade essentially depends on the elements from which it is made up e.g. windows, doors and roller shutter encasements. The best way to determine the actual insulation level of a separating element is via measurements, thus taking all existing transmission paths into consideration.

 

dBplus carry out measurements of airborne sound insulation between premises following the highest quality standards as specified by UNE EN ISO 140-5, Acoustics. Measurement of sound insulation in buildings and building elements. Part 5: On-site measurement of airborne sound insulation in building façades. (ISO 140-5:1998). The assessment of the measurement results is carried out according to the UNE EN ISO 717-1 standards, “Assessment of airborne sound insulation in buildings and building elements”.

 

By means of measurements of airborne sound insulation of building façades, dBplus offer the possibility of on-site assessment of compliance with State, Regional and Municipal requirements; the results of which allow for the best solution design in order to achieve the maximum level of comfort indoors.

 

Impact noise can best be described as noise resulting from the direct impact of an object on a building element which could be, for example, a ceiling, wall or floor. This impact generates vibrations which quickly propagate through the whole structure with little loss of energy, generating a level of sound pressure in that space which we perceive as noise. This noise transmission, generally caused by footsteps, objects falling or movement of furniture, mainly affects the premises situated immediately beneath or adjacent; for this reason the measurements are taken on the floor of the receiving rooms.

 

dBplus carry out the measurement of impact sound insulation of the separating element between two adjacent premises following the established procedures defined in
UNE EN ISO 140-7, “Acoustics. Measurement of sound insulation in buildings and building elements. Part 7: On-site measurement of sound insulation for impact noise on floors. (ISO 140-7:1998)”. The assessment of the measurement results is carried out according to the standard UNE EN ISO 717-2, “Acoustics. Assessment of sound insulation in buildings and building elements. Part 2: Impact sound insulation. (ISO 717-2:1996)”.

 

By means of impact noise insulation measurements between premisses, dBplus offer the possibility of on-site assessment of compliance with State, Regional and Municipal requirements; the results of which are optimal solutions that provide the maximum level of comfort indoors.

 

El Código Técnico de la Edificación (CTE) is the primary set of standards used to regulate the construction of buildings in Spain since 2006. They establish the basic safety and habitability requirements in construction and play an important part in all phases of the project including construction, maintenance and conservation.

The basic noise protection requirements that buildings must comply with are established in the Documento Básico de Protección Frente al Ruido DB-HR (Basic Document regarding Noise Protection). The purpose of which defines the minimisation of risk from noise disturbance and illnesses derived from noise exposure.

This document also defines the minimum requirements a building must have in order for its elements to have the appropriate characteristics to reduce airborne and impact noise transmission and limit the reverberation time in a premises according to its purpose. These minimum requirements must always be assessed using the appropriate measurements.

dBplus carry out the measurement of airborne and impact sound insulation as well as reverberation time according to the requirements established by the CTE DB-HR, thereby always ensuring that the project complies with these requirements.