The effects of horizontal shading device orientation and surface material and the use of a compact silencer in forming acoustical barriers for a ventilated glass double skin facade

Abstract

Acoustical discomfort due to traffic noise transmission via operable windows is a significant environmental stress for building occupants in urban areas. A ventilated double skin facade, DSF, can potentially address the issue of noise transmission and operable windows. A hypothetically designed glass DSF mock-up was constructed in the opening between the reverberation rooms at the University of Kansas to determine the noise reduction of the DSF mock-up based on the orientation and surface materials of the horizontal shading devices and the use of a compact silencer in place of a typical ventilation grille in the outer skin opening. The compact silencer provides natural ventilation by allowing outside air to flow within the cavity of the DSF. For these laboratory tests, the horizontal shading devices with sound absorbing material were oriented at 0, 30, 60, and 90 degree angles. The laboratory noise reduction measurements are presented for the mock-up with the several shading device orientations and materials and for the use of a compact silencer.