A jury study of noise isolation between condo units incorporating QuietZone® acoustic wall framing in the common wall

Abstract

Two identical side-by-side two-story condo units with basements were built in the newly built Owens Corning Building Science and Innovation Center. These units incorporated modern features such as multistory great rooms with adjoining kitchens. Home offices, bedrooms, and basements were located on opposite sides of the common wall. It is common practice to use double-stud walls between adjacent units in multifamily construction. It is also good practice to have a noncontiguous floor plate between units. Instead of a double-stud wall, these units incorporated QuietZone■ acoustic wall framing (resilient stud), and other Owens Corning recommended noise control measures. The wall transmission loss characteristics were measured in the field and in the laboratory. A laboratory jury study was conducted to investigate the adequacy of perceived noise isolation between the units for various source and background noise types and levels.