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- Sound Transmission Properties
- Sound Absorbtion
- Noise Reduction Coefficients
- Sound Transmission
- Masonry vs. Steel Stud
Lightweight ConcreteINFORMATION SHEET |
No. 8Revised 3-87 |
 EXPANDED SHALE CLAY AND SLATE INSTITUTE - SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 84117
SOUND TRANSMISSION PROPERTIESThe control of sound in rooms of buildings may be classified with respect to the origin of the sound-namely. sounds originating within the room and sounds originating outside the room. Efficient and economical control of sound is dependent not only upon its origin. but also upon the design of the enclosure and type of occupancy. For reduction of sound originating within a room, the sound absorption qualities of the walls, ceiling and flooring as well as furnishings are important. The type and use of the room affords the architect latitude in the selection of sound absorption materials for elements of the room, see Information Sheet #9. Enclosures with high ceilings and large expanse of wall areas, as in gymnasiums and churches, might utilize sound absorbing textured masonry walls as an economical solution. On the other hand, for enclosures with relatively low ceilings. and rather small exposed wall areas, as in offices and schoolrooms, the use of acoustical ceilings, floor coverings, and interior furnishings might be the more effective solution. This information sheet is concerned primarily with the reduction of sound through concrete and concrete masonry partitions from sources outside of rooms. These sounds are transmitted as solid–borne, as well as air-borne noise. For example. a bare concrete floor transmits the sound of footsteps between rooms. the sound traveling through the rigid concrete slab. Solid-borne sound should be suppressed at the source. A concrete floor for example. should be covered with some type of resilient material. depending upon the extent of solid-borne sound transmission which should be suppressed. Air-borne sound may be effectively reduced by barriers such as concrete masonry partitions. Obviously. attention should be given to doors and their closures. as well as connections of the walls at the ceilings and floors. Too often the effectiveness of a concrete masonry partition which should provide satisfactory acoustical isolation is unnecessarily lost. This may occur by failure to take into account the other important factors that are involved. such as continuing the partition to the structural ceiling. Also, cutting of continuous holes through the wall for ducts, electrical outlets, should be avoided. SOUND ENERGYSound energy is measured in decibels. The decibel is a convenient unit because it is approximately the smallest change in energy that the ear can detect. The following table of sound intensities will aid in an understanding of decibel values.
TRANSMISSIONSound is transmitted through most walls and floors by setting the entire structure into vibration. This vibration generates new sound waves of reduced intensity on the other side. The passage of sound into one room of a building from a source located in another room or outside the building is termed ''sound transmission" TRANSMISSION LOSSTransmission loss is a measure of the effectiveness of a wall, floor, door or other
barrier in restricting the passage of sound The transmission loss varies with frequency
and the loss is usually greater with higher frequencies. Sound transmission loss
measurements are conducted in accordance with American Society for Testing and Materials
(ASTM) designation E-90. A concrete or concrete masonry wall eleven (11) feet (3.35 m)
wide and nine (9) feet (2.74 m) high mounted on a movable base is rolled between two
isolated reverberation rooms. Measurements are made at 16 frequencies in 1/3 octave bands.
from 125 to 4000 cycles per second. (cps) (generally called Hertz. Hz). The unit of
measure of sound transmission loss is the decibel (dB). The higher the transmission loss
of a wall the better it functions as a barrier to the passage of unwanted noise Back to top SOUND TRANSMISSION CLASS (STC)Figure 1
Sound Transmission Class (STC) is a single number rating determined in a prescribed manner from sound transmission loss values, This rating is arrived at by comparing the measured transmission losses at the 16 test bands with those of a reference contour having the form illustrated in Figure 1. The sum of the deficiencies below the contour shall not be greater than 32 decibels (dB) and the maximum deficiency at a single test point shall not exceed 8 decibels (dB). When the contour is at the highest value that meets the above requirements, the Sound Transmission Class for the specimen is the transmission loss (TL) corresponding to the intersection of the counter and the 500 Hz ordinate. Sound Transmission Class ratings are established in accordance with ASTM designation E-413, ''Standard Classification for Determination of Sound Transmission Class .' ' This rating provides an estimate of the performance of a partition in sound insulation. The STC numbers are used to specify the minimum noise insulation needed in a building. For example, the minimum STC values acceptable for Multi-family housing by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are shown in Table 2 below. Back to top |
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Many walls constructed with lightweight concrete masonry units produced with expanded shale, clay or slate by the rotary kiln method have been tested. Tests of these various walls are listed in Table 3. The results shown in this table indicate that concrete and concrete masonry produced with expanded shale clay and slate aggregates meet existing standards.
· The National Concrete Masonry Association was sponsor of the
composites cavity, & grouted walls. Back
to top IMPACT SOUNDThe increased noisiness of our environment has led to increased interest in sound isolation from impact noise. Impact noise is caused by such things as footsteps. dropped toys and some appliances. Isolation against impact noise provided by a given floor construction is measured in accordance with ASTM E492 "Laboratory Measurement of Impact Sound Transmission Through Floor-Ceiling Assemblies Using The Tapping Machine." This procedure utilizes a standard tapping machine that is placed in operation on a test floor specimen which forms a horizontal separation between two rooms, one directly above the other. The transmitted impact sound is measured in 1/3 octave bands over a frequency range of 100 to 3150 Hz in the receiving room below. From the data collected a single figure rating, called Impact Insulation Class (IIC). is derived in a prescribed manner from the values of the impact sound pressure levels measured in the receiving room. The rating provides an estimate of the impact sound insulating performance of a floorceiling assembly. Details of the procedures are outlined in ASTM E492. The Expanded Shale Clay & Slate Institute sponsored a test program at Riverbank Laboratories, Geneva, Illinois, to determine the effect of the concrete weight and Modulus of Elasticity on impact sound transmission. Slab thicknesses of 5 inches and 10 inches were selected for study. Three concretes designed to weight approximately 95. 115, and 150 pounds per cubic foot were used, so the weight per square foot of floor would cover a broad range. The slabs were designed for 3000 psi (210 Kgsg. cm.) concrete and included reinforcement in keeping with flat plate design. The Impact Noise Reduction (INR) factors determined from the Riverbank Laboratory tests have been converted to the current designation, Impact Insulation Class (IIC). and are shown in Table #4. Comparison of the test data with the current HUD requirements indicated that concrete floors of any weight require additional surface treatment to bring the IIC rating to acceptable levels. (see Table 5)
Note: (1) Does not apply to door above storage rooms where noise from
living units would not be objectionable. |
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CONCLUSION
Expanded Shale Clay & Slate aggregate concrete and concrete masonry meets the commonly accepted specification for air borne noise reduction. This quality combined with its demonstrated durability. Fire resistance, thermal insulation properties and aesthetics quality make it an extremely desirable and practical building material.
References:
Expanded Shale Clay & Slate Institute.
1. Lightweight Concrete Information Sheet No. 9. "Sound Absorption of Concrete Masonry Walls."
National Concrete Masonry Association.
- TEK Sheet #9. "Estimating Sound Transmission Class of Concrete Masonry."
- TEK Sheet $#18. "Noise Control with Concrete Masonry in MultiFamily Housing."
- TEK Sheet #69. "Noise Insulation with Concrete Masonry."
- TEK Sheet #69.A, "New Data on Sound Reduction with Concrete Masonry Walls.''
Building Materials and Structures Report 144. National Bureau of Standards.
''Insulating Concretes". by R.C. Valore, Jr.. ACI Journal November. 1956.
''Impact Sound Transmission Tests On A Concrete Slab Floor with Various Surface Constructions" by D. Olynyk. Division of Building Research. National Research Council. Ottawa. Canada. July. 1967.
EXPANDED SHALE CLAY AND SLATE INSTITUTE—SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 84117
COPYRIGHT, 1966, EXPANDED SHALE, CLAY AND SLATE INSTITUTE
Sound Absorption
Three terms are introduced to define and evaluate sound absorption. These are the Sound Absorption Coefficient, Sabin, and Noise Reduction Coefficient. The Sound Absorption Coefficient is a measure of the proportion of the sound striking a surface which is absorbed by that surface, and is usually given for a particular frequency. Thus, a surface which would absorb 100% of the incident sound would have a Sound Absorption Coefficient of 1.00, while a surface which absorbs 45% of the sound, and reflects 55% of it, would have a Sound Absorption Coefficient of 0.45. A Sabin or square-foot Unit of Absorption is defined as the amount of sound absorbed by one square foot of surface having a Sound Absorption Coefficient of 1.00. The number of Sabins (Absorption Units) of a given area is then the product of the area and the Sound Absorption Coefficient. 100 sq. ft. of a surface with a Sound Absorption Coefficient of 0.25 furnishes 25 Sabins (Absorption Units). Most materials are tested at frequencies from 125 to 4000 cycles per second (cps) in octave steps. The Noise Reduction Coefficient is the average of the Sound Absorption Coefficient at 250,000, 1000 and 2000 cps in octave steps. The Table lists approximate values of the Noise Reduction Coefficients of numerous materials.
Noise Reduction Coefficients
| Material | Approx. N.R.C. | |
| Expanded Shale Block, Medium Texture, unpainted | 0.45 | Add 10% for Coarse Texture, Deduct 10% for Fine Texture |
| Heavy Aggregate Block, Medium Texture, unpainted | 0.27 | Add 5% for Coarse Texture, Deduct 5% for Fine Texture |
| DEDUCTIONS FROM ABOVE FOR PAINTED BLOCK | ||||
| PAINT TYPE | APPLICATION | ONE COAT | TWO COATS | THREE COATS |
| Any | Spray | 10% | 20% | 70% |
| Oil Base | Brushed | 20 | 55 | 75 |
| Latex or Resin Base | Brushed | 30 | 55 | 90 |
| Cement Base | Brushed | 60 | 90 | — |
| Material | N.R.C. |
| Brick Wall—unpainted | .05 |
| —painted | .02 |
| Floors | |
| Concrete or terrazzo | .02 |
| Wood | .03 |
| Linoleum, asphalt, rubber or cork tile on concrete | .03-.08 |
| Glass | .02 |
| Marble or glazed tile | .01 |
| Plaster, gypsum or lime, smooth finish on tile or brick | .04 |
| Same, on lath | .04 |
| Plaster, gypsum or lime, rough finish on lath | .05 |
| Plaster, acoustical | .21 |
| Wood paneling | .06 |
| Acoustical ceiling tile | .55-.85 |
| Carpet, heavy, on concrete | .45 |
| Carpet, heavy, hairfelt underlay | .70 |
| Fabrics | |
| Light, 10 oz. per sq. yd. hung straight | .20 |
| Medium, 14 oz. per sq. yd. draped to half area | .57 |
| Heavy, 18 oz. per sq. yd. draped to half area | .63 |
| Audience, seated, depending on character of seats, spacing, etc | 3.0-6.0 |
| Chairs, metal or wood | .20 |
| Wood pews | .40 |
| Same with cushions | 2.00 |
| Theatre and auditorium chairs | |
| Wood veneer seat and back | .50 |
| Upholstered in leatherette | 2.10 |
| Heavily upholstered in plush or mohair | 3.0-3.5 |
| Openings | |
| Stage, depending on furnishings | .25-.75 |
| Deep balcony, upholstered seats | .50-1.00 |
| Grills, ventilating | .15-.50 |
Sound Transmission
The architect in considering the reduction of sound through walls separating rooms of schools, hotels, or office buildings for example, is concerned with reducing a sound intensity of say, 55 decibels to something on the order of 15 decibels or less. He is able to select these values by referring to the Table. Referring to the chart and the curve representing an expanded shale masonry unit with an 8" x 16" face, it is found that a unit weighing 15 Ibs. air dried, will offer a transmission loss of approximately 42 decibels (if properly sealed). The average 4-8-16 expanded shale masonry unit weighs approximately 15 Ibs. air dried, therefore a partition wall made of these units can be expected to reduce the sound transmission satisfactorily for the assumed situation, provided of course, the surfaces of the wall are sealed sufficiently to prevent the direct passage of sound through the voids.
Masonry vs. Steel Stud
Because the sound-diminishing qualities of concrete masonry 'keep the noise outside', structures utilizing the masonry backup system enjoy a quieter internal environment. In contrast, the dry wall component of the steel stud system frequently contains acoustical holes. This negative factor is substantially magnified when we consider the fact that the steel stud system, itself, is inherently noisy. The mass and monolithic properties of concrete masonry make the system far superior in its ability to reduce sound transmission.