Prospects of the treatment of acoustical insulation in building codes of México.

Abstract

The acoustical insulation of dwellings in order to protect them from environmental noise is an issue not yet addressed in building regulations in Mexico, but the Federal Government, through the National Housing Commission (CONAVI), has promoted the development of a Building Code for Dwellings, which in the future could include provisions about this subject. So far, authorities have focused their attention on the problems of energy efficiency and thermal insulation of public buildings. On the subject of housing, they have proposed levels of thermal insulation that could be adopted as standards and have also promoted the study of constructive solutions appropriate to those standards. The levels of acoustical and thermal insulation that are produced by various constructive solutions used by housing developers in the metropolitan area of the city of Puebla, Mexico, are analyzed in this work in order to compare their performance with international standards. A more comprehensive regulatory framework is needed in Mexico, and the results of this research will produce recommendations on acoustical insulation capacities that the National Housing Commission could include in its code. [Project supported by funds from CONACYT and CONAVI.]