Evaluation Of Sound Insulation Research Articles

System of national standards for measuring and evaluating sound insulation

The features of international standards being introduced in the Russian Federation in the field of measurement and rating of sound insulation are considered. It has been noted that over the past eight years, on the basis of international standards, a system of fundamental national standards of Russia has been created to measure and evaluate sound insulation in buildings and elements of buildings and structures. The system includes five standards that establish technical methods for laboratory measurements of airborne and impact sound insulation, a standard that establishes approximate methods for field measurements of airborne and impact sound insulation, two standards for a single-number assessment of airborne and impact sound insulation, a standard that sets the rules for determining and application of the uncertainties of sound insulation measurement. In 2018, 2019, on the basis of international standards, drafts of two national standards were prepared on the methods of field measurements of sound insulation of building facades and their elements and sound insulation of airborne sound between two rooms in a building.

Evaluation of Sound Insulation of Intense Sources of Pulsed Noise by Building Structures in Natural Conditions

Evaluation of Sound Insulation of Intense Sources of Pulsed Noise by Building Structures in Natural Conditions

Development of high-precision, high-efficiency sound insulation evaluation technology using computational mechanics

Development of high-precision, high-efficiency sound insulation evaluation technology using computational mechanics

Effect of Boundary Condition on Element Specimen for Sound Insulation Evaluation

Effect of Boundary Condition on Element Specimen for Sound Insulation Evaluation

A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SOUND REPRODUCTION SYSTEMS FOR LISTENING TESTS USED IN THE SUBJECTIVE EVALUATION OF SOUND INSULATION

This article does not present an in-depth overview but is meant to serve as an introduction to the newcomers to this field of acoustics. A brief explanation is given for different sound reproduction formats (Ambisonics and binaural), together with some of the standards, and listening test tools used in the design of listening tests. Primarily the listening tests in the field of subjective evaluation of sound insulation and acoustic comfort have been discussed.

Indoor sound level spectra of public entertainment premises for rating airborne sound insulation.

Public entertainment premises are significant sources of urban noise pollution. In this paper, indoor sound level spectra for different types of entertainment premises have been analyzed. While most of the spectra lie between two standardized curves proposed by the ISO 717-1:2013 (The International Organization for Standardization) standard, spectra recorded in discotheques show a pronounced spectral level below 160 Hz as a result of an intensive use of subwoofers. This indicates potentially inappropriate rating of sound insulation against such specific low-frequency noise by standardized spectrum adaptation terms. A modified spectrum adaptation term for a single-number rating of sound insulation under such circumstances has been proposed.

Introduction in the Russian federation of international standards in the field of measurement and evaluation of sound insulation

The features of the introduction in the Russian Federation of international standards for measurement and evaluation of sound insulation are considered. Over the past eight years, a system for measuring and evaluating the sound insulation of buildings and their elements has been created on the basis of international standards. In 2012, a series of international standards ISO 10140 for methods of laboratory measurements of airborne and impact sound insulation was introduced as the national standards of Russia GOST R ISO. In 2016, the standards ISO 717 were introduced as modified national standards GOST R 56769-2015 and GOST R 56770-2015, setting the rules for single-number rating of airborne and impact sound insulation. In 2018, the international standard ISO 12999-1 was introduced as a modified national standard GOST R 57900-2017 for determining and applying the uncertainties in measuring sound insulation. In 2019, a draft national standard was prepared for field measurement of sound insulation of facades and their elements, which is a modified edition of the ISO 16283-3. Single-numeric parameters of airborne and impact insulation determined using these standards are subject to comparison with the normative values regulated by the national regulatory document—the set of rules SP 51.13330.

Test and rating method comparison between Japan and the U.S. for airborne sound insulation in buildings

The Japanese test methods for laboratory measurement of airborne sound transmission loss for building partitions are basically the same as the American test methods. However, the two countries’ field test methods for airborne sound insulation in buildings differ. The octave band sound pressure level difference between two rooms is the most significant value for the field evaluation of sound insulation in Japan, whereas the apparent transmission loss for a partition installed in a building is the most popular value for the field evaluation of sound insulation in the US. Why is the octave band sound pressure level difference popular in Japan? It is the basic way of thinking in Japan that an acoustical engineer should take responsibility for the total spatial sound insulation performance, including sound absorption and flanking transmission from the design stage to completion and the field test and evaluation method as the completion inspection should be simple. If the insulation performance does not meet th...

Satisfaction with sound insulation in residential dwellings – The effect of wall construction

AimThe aim of this study was to compare the acoustic satisfaction in residential multi-storey buildings with different wall constructions with a similar weighted sound reduction index R′w: Heavy construction (monolithic concrete walls) and Light construction (staggered double walls). Light constructions are known to have a lower sound insulation especially at low frequencies. Our research question was does this difference affect the overall acoustic satisfaction among occupants. Materials and methodsFour and two residential multi-storey buildings were chosen to represent building types Heavy and Light, respectively. A questionnaire was distributed to each dwelling. Seventy-two and eighty-seven respondents were obtained, respectively, with response rates of 62% and 54%. Some sound insulation measurements were carried out for verification purposes. ResultsAs expected, the airborne sound insulation was worse below 160 Hz in building type Light, while the R′w values were nearly equal, 56–57 dB. The satisfaction with sound insulation did not differ between the two building types. All neighbour noise sources were rated equally disturbing in both building types. The building types did differ from each other with respect to the effects of noise on sleep. ConclusionsThe results suggest that when the airborne sound insulation is close to 55 dB R′w, the construction type does not necessarily affect the acoustic satisfaction. The results also suggest that R′w explains better the subjective rating of sound insulation than R′w + C50–3150.

Wooden windows: Sound insulation evaluation by means of artificial neural networks

Windows are the weakest part of a façade in terms of acoustic performance: the weighted sound insulation index (Rw), measured according to ISO 140-3, is the fundamental parameter to evaluate the façade acoustic insulation.The paper aims at developing an artificial neural network (ANN) model to estimate the Rw value of wooden windows based on a limited number of windows parameters; this is a new approach because acoustic phenomena are non-linear and affected by a plurality of factors and, therefore, usually investigated through experimentation.Data set is taken from experimental campaigns carried out at the Laboratory of Acoustics, University of Perugia. A multilayer feed-forward approach was chosen and the model was implemented in MATLAB. On the basis of the results obtained by means of a preliminary training and test campaign of several ANN architectures, five main parameters were selected as network inputs: window typology, frame and shutters thickness, number of gaskets, Rw of glazing; Rw value of the window is the network output. Different ANN configurations were trained and a root mean-square error less than 3% was obtained, comparable to measurement uncertainty.This approach allows to develop a model which, with input parameters varying within appropriate ranges, can easily estimate the acoustic performance of wooden windows without experimental campaign on prototypes, saving both money and time. If the training data set is large enough, the presented approach could be very useful for design and optimization of acoustic performance of new products.

Rating of Sound Insulation at Present and in Future. The Revision of ISO 717

The paper presents the background and the current proposals for the revision of ISO 717. This standard defines procedures to determine so-called single-number value results from measured sound insulation spectra, regarding not only physical aspects, but also aspects of psychoacoustic impact (like annoyance or privacy) on exposed people. The upcoming revision of ISO 717 will take the great chance to simplify the system of characterising sound insulation ― grown during decades ― and to incorporate new research on noise effects on dwellers. The effect on uncertainty by including low frequencies is discussed. Many comparisons between 'old' and 'new' single-number values for building products are presented. A new concept to describe impact sound insulation like in airborne sound by sound reduction indices is briefly presented here. The details can be found in [1].

Uncertainty of airborne sound insulation index measurement in laboratory conditions

In buildings, airborne sound insulation is used to define the acoustic quality of walls between rooms. However the evaluation of sound insulation is sometimes difficult or even ambiguous, both in field and laboratory measurements, in spite of the fact that there are some unified measurement procedures specified in the ISO 140 standards. There are problems with the reproducibility and repeatability of the measured results. Some difficulties may be caused by non‐diffuse acoustic fields, non uniform reverberation time or large spread of the reverberation time measurements especially in low frequency band. Some minor problems are also posed by flanking transmission and the S/N ratio. In the present work partial uncertainty analysis has been carried out for all the above mentioned factors and their influence has been evaluated on the combined uncertainty in 1/3 octave bands and the Rw index, using the uncertainty propagation law

Effect of Acoustic Characteristics of Gases on Transmission Loss of the Double-wall Structure

The dependence of transmission loss (TL) of a double-wall structure on the characteristics of the gases between the walls was investigated. The relationship between acoustic impedance, acoustic velocity, and TL was calculated by using the transfer matrix method. The results indicated that characteristics of the internal gases have two effects on TL. One is a change in the double-wall effect, and the other is a change in the reflection coefficient. Gases that have slower acoustic velocities or lower acoustic impedance than air increase the double-wall effect. Gases that have faster acoustic velocities increase the reflection coefficient. The calculated results for TL with air, helium, and carbon dioxide agreed well with experimental measurements. Finally, The rating of sound insulation (Rw) defined by JIS A1419-1 (ISO-717) was introduced, and the relationship between Rw and the characteristics of the gases between walls was investigated. The results indicate that gas with a low molecular weight and large ratio of specific heat is more effective to increase the TL.

Rating of Sound Insulation of Wall Impact Sounds in Buildings

The standards for rating airborne sound insulation of walls in buildings have been established. Refer to ISO 717/1, ASTM E413, JIS A1419-1, and CNS 8465 A1031. However, there is no standard for rating of sound insulation of wall impact sounds in building. This research has been conducted to develop it. At first, levels of wall impact sounds were measured by hitting lightweight walls in an acoustics laboratory and recording the resultant sound spectra. Those curves were divided in two groups, soft impact curves and hard impact curves. In addition to recording impact sound sources, people living in houses were invited to complete one questionnaire. Subjective responses were then compared with those of daily activities, including watching television, reading, listening, sleeping, and talking. Finally Soft Impact Curves (SIC) and Hard Impact Curves (HIC) were drafted for rating of sound insulation of wall impact sounds, and index of wall impact sound were recommended.

Rating of sound insulation associated to different climates in Spain. Dwellings located in Mediterranean subtropical climate

The purpose of this paper is to correlate the sound insulation of dwellings with its location in different climatic zones existent in Spain. Dwellings situated in a region with Mediterranean subtropical climate were analyzed in this stage. Fifty dwellings situated in Malaga, south of Spain (36 43N, 4 25W) were selected. These dwellings are representative of the type of construction used in this area. To characterize the airborne conduction of noise, 150 measurements of airborne sound insulation of facade were carried out, following ISO 140-5 standard. In living rooms and bedrooms, R45w was obtained, following ISO 717-1 standard. Finally, a correlation was found between the apparent sound insulation and the different type of construction of the different type of facade.

Measurement and rating of sound insulation of ab-sorotive louver

Measurement and rating of sound insulation of ab-sorotive louver

Strategy policy of ISO/TC43 ‘‘Acoustics’’

The scope of ISO Technical Committee 43 ‘‘Acoustics,’’ together with its Subcommittees ‘‘Noise’’ and ‘‘Building Acoustics’’ comprises standardization in the whole field of acoustics, i.e., the measurement of sound, its generation, transmission, and reception as well as its effects on Man and the environment. Close liaison is maintained with related international and regional standardization committees, especially IEC/TC 29, which is responsible for electroacoustic standards. ISO standards elaborated by TC 43 are equally addressed to a variety of parties, such as industry, regulatory authorities, trade and consumer groups, research institutes, testing laboratories and consulting engineers, health and safety inspectors, audiologists, and communication experts. Representatives of these groups from 24 different countries contribute actively to its work. More than 120 standards have been published so far and the present program of work includes nearly 80 projects for new or revised standards. In the past few years, major emphasis was laid on the measurement of machinery noise and the measurement and rating of sound insulation in buildings and of building products, both in the context of recent regional legislation. Fields like environmental noise, transport noise, noise prediction, and simplified measurement methods for building acoustics are considered to be future priority areas.

New international standards for building and room acoustics

The revisions of existing building and room acoustics standards and the elaboration of new ones, based on widely different national standards, that have been promoted by the Vienna Agreement on cooperation between the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) are almost completed. CEN was mandated by the European Commission to facilitate trade by harmonizing those standards. There are about 20 standards available now, as recently revised versions, published versions, or in their final draft stage. They concern (a) material properties, (b) reverberation time measurements, (c) measurement and rating of sound insulation, (d) noise from water installations and from service equipment in buildings and (e) the estimation of the acoustic performance of buildings from the performance of component products. Standards for measurement of flanking transmission and of sound intensity are being developed. Standards on the application of new techniques such as MLS are under discussion. The EC has granted some support for this activity through project funding.

International standardization on the methods for measurement and evaluation of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements (<special issue>)

International standardization on the methods for measurement and evaluation of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements (<special issue>)

The measurement of the transmission loss of single leaf walls and panels by an impulse method

The standard methods of measurement and rating of sound insulation of panels and walls are generally time-consuming and require expensive and often bulky equipment. In addition, the methods establish only that there has been failure to comply with insulation requirements without indicating the mode of failure. An impulse technique is proposed for the measurement of walls and partitions in situ. The method requires the digital capture of a short duration signal generated by a loudspeaker, and the isolation of the direct component from other reflected and scattered components by time-of-flight methods and windowing. The signal, when transferred from the time to frequency domain by means of fast Fourier transforms, can yield the sound insulation of a partition expressed as a transfer function. Experimental problems in the use of this technique, including those resulting from sphericity of the incident wave front and concentric bending excitation of the partition, are identified and methods proposed for their elimination. Most of the results presented are of single leaf panels subjected to sound at normal incidence, although some measurements were undertaken at oblique incidence. The range of surface densities considered was 7–500 kg/m2, the highest value corresponding to a brick and plaster wall of thickness 285 mm. Measurement is compared with theoretical prediction, at one-third octave intervals in a frequency range of 100–5000 Hz, or as a continuous function of frequency with a typical resolution of 12·5 Hz. The dynamic range of the measurement equipment sets an upper limit to the measurable transmission loss. For the equipment eventually employed this was represented by a random incidence value of 50 dB.