Noise can significantly reduce the comfort of staying indoors. It also has a negative impact on the health and well-being of people experiencing it. No wonder that designers and building contractors decide to perform acoustic measurements in order to ensure the best possible living and working conditions. How do measurements of noise penetration through partitions look like in practice?
Measurements of noise penetration through partitions - are they necessary?
Noise carries over the result excitation to vibration air particles or solid materials. This may be due to the impact of airborne sounds (arising and spreading in the air) as well as impact sounds (arising as a result of stimulating the ceiling to vibrate during its use).
According to Art. 323 of the Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure of 12 April 2002 on the technical conditions to be met by buildings and their location, rooms in residential buildings, collective housing and public utility buildings must be protected against noise:
- external, which penetrates into the interiors outside the building,
- produced by installations and devices that are technical equipment of the building,
- air and impact, the sources of which are users of other flats, premises and utility rooms,
- reverberation, which is created as a result of the reflection of sound waves from the partition.
One of the effective ways to protect the interior against the spreading noise is appropriate design and construction of building partitions. Considering their location in the building, they are divided into two categories.
- External partitions – they separate the room in the building from the outside environment. It is assumed that they are located in a free acoustic field, which is characterized by the lack of returning and reflected waves (if we are talking about the external side of the partition, which is located directly from the incoming noise).
- Internal partitions – they separate individual rooms inside the building. According to the theory, they are usually affected by a diffuse sound field, which is characterized by the presence of many waves reflected from different directions.
In order to properly design and build building partitions in a facility, it is necessary to calculate them sound insulation. This is done in the laboratory, taking into account i.a. the pressure level on both sides of the tested sample of the partition and the size of the sample. Acoustic insulation can also be measured in the field - after the partition has been completed on a specific construction site.
Noise penetration through building partitions and sound insulation
Laboratory tests of noise penetration through samples of building partitions are often commissioned by developers and owners of shopping centers. They allow you to design the building so that it is in accordance with the standards set out in the law and ensured the comfort of use.
Acoustic insulation is a parameter used for assessment of the effectiveness of the building partition in limiting the flow of noise. The greater the transmission loss value of the baffle, the more effectively it fulfills its role and is a better barrier to unwanted sounds. According to the literature on the subject, two types of acoustic insulation can be distinguished - against airborne and impact sounds.
Importantly, in addition to measuring noise penetration through building partitions, the following tests can also be carried out:
- acoustic background,
- communication noise,
- environmental noise,
- noise at the workplace,
- noise in machine cockpits.
By choosing a reliable measurement contractor, you can save not only time but also money. Employed specialists should have knowledge, experience and professional tools. In Ekomeritum we offer much more, e.g. consultations to find a solution to the problem if the test results turn out to be non-compliant with the standards. All noise measurements are made in an accredited laboratory, which ensures their correctness.
