Acoustic insulation refers to the set of materials, techniques and technologies developed to isolate or attenuate the sound level in a certain space. It is usually achieved by acting on the walls (wall insulation) and windows (acoustic double glazing).
Basic ideas
Isolating means preventing a sound from entering or leaving a medium. Therefore, to insulate, both absorbent materials and insulating materials are used. When the acoustic wave hits a construction element, part of the energy is reflected, part is absorbed and part is transmitted to the other side. The insulation offered by the element is the difference between the incident energy and the transmitted energy, and the incident energy is transmitted, minus the sum of the reflected part and the absorbed part.
The materials act in two ways when faced with the incidence of sound, absorption and insulation; It must be pointed out that all materials act more or less in both ways, but in some way both ways of insulating must be distinguished.
Those rigid construction materials that make it difficult for sound to pass through are isolated (or reduced) by their thickness and mass. In this case, a certain qualification must be made. The reduction is done at certain values of the frequency range of the sounds; Each material or set of materials that form a unit of work has a resonance frequency and the sounds that contain that frequency make it "enter into resonance", so that they are able to partially isolate the rest of the frequencies but to a much lesser extent the resonance; As an example, this is the case of heavy materials that transmit low frequencies (low tones) with some ease.
On the contrary, absorbent materials are those whose consistency is elastic, such as cork agglomerate, those composed of various types of rubber or certain thermal insulating materials; In this case, they absorb sound in general in any range of frequencies, since their elasticity does not have a resonance frequency and their absorption depends only on their thickness, not their mass.
There are several basic factors that intervene in achieving good acoustic insulation:.
• - Mass factor. Acoustic insulation is achieved mainly by the mass of the construction elements: the greater the mass, the greater the resistance to the impact of the sound wave and the greater the attenuation. For this reason, it is not advisable to talk about specific acoustic insulators, since they are normal materials and not as is the case with thermal insulation.
Anti-noise architecture
Introduction
Acoustic insulation refers to the set of materials, techniques and technologies developed to isolate or attenuate the sound level in a certain space. It is usually achieved by acting on the walls (wall insulation) and windows (acoustic double glazing).
Basic ideas
Isolating means preventing a sound from entering or leaving a medium. Therefore, to insulate, both absorbent materials and insulating materials are used. When the acoustic wave hits a construction element, part of the energy is reflected, part is absorbed and part is transmitted to the other side. The insulation offered by the element is the difference between the incident energy and the transmitted energy, and the incident energy is transmitted, minus the sum of the reflected part and the absorbed part.
The materials act in two ways when faced with the incidence of sound, absorption and insulation; It must be pointed out that all materials act more or less in both ways, but in some way both ways of insulating must be distinguished.
Those rigid construction materials that make it difficult for sound to pass through are isolated (or reduced) by their thickness and mass. In this case, a certain qualification must be made. The reduction is done at certain values of the frequency range of the sounds; Each material or set of materials that form a unit of work has a resonance frequency and the sounds that contain that frequency make it "enter into resonance", so that they are able to partially isolate the rest of the frequencies but to a much lesser extent the resonance; As an example, this is the case of heavy materials that transmit low frequencies (low tones) with some ease.
On the contrary, absorbent materials are those whose consistency is elastic, such as cork agglomerate, those composed of various types of rubber or certain thermal insulating materials; In this case, they absorb sound in general in any range of frequencies, since their elasticity does not have a resonance frequency and their absorption depends only on their thickness, not their mass.
• - Multilayer factor. When it comes to construction elements made up of several layers, an adequate arrangement of them can improve acoustic insulation to levels higher than what the sum of the individual insulation of each layer could achieve. Each element or layer has a resonance frequency that depends on the material that composes it and its thickness. If the sound (or noise) that reaches the element has that frequency, it will produce resonance and when the element vibrates, it will produce sound that will be added to that transmitted. Therefore, if two layers of the same material and different thickness are arranged, and which, therefore, will have different resonance frequencies, the frequency that the first layer allows to pass in excess will be absorbed by the second.
• - Dissipation factor. Insulation also improves if an absorbent material is placed between the two layers. These materials are usually of low density (30 kg/m³-70 kg/m³) and with a large number of pores") and are normally placed because they are also usually good thermal insulators. Thus, an absorbent material placed in the closed space between two parallel partitions improves the insulation that said partitions would offer on their own. A good example of absorbent material is rock wool, currently the most used in this type of construction.
Sound reflection can also be attenuated by placing a layer of absorbent material on the faces of construction elements, although these techniques belong more properly to the field of acoustics.
Acoustic insulation solutions are designed taking into consideration massive, multilayer and dissipation factors, among others.
Acoustic phenomena
• - Impact noise transmission. It is the noise that is generated when a physical medium vibrates as a result of the waves produced by the impact of one material against another.
• - Transmission of airborne noise. It is the process of propagation of noisy sound waves from one space to another through the air.
• - The reflection. It is when a sound wave bounces off a surface, producing an increase in noise due to the sum provided by the impact of the waves on walls, ceilings, floors, thus producing.
Regulations
Contenido
• - ISO 140"), Acústica - Medida del aislamiento acústico de edificios y elementos de construcción") (derogada por ISO 16283")).
• - ISO 354"), Acústica - Medida de la absorción acústica en cámara reverberante").
• - ISO 717"), Acústica - Evaluación del aislamiento acústico de los edificios y del poder de aislamiento acústico de los elementos de construcción.
• - ISO 16283"), Acústica. Medición in situ del aislamiento acústico en los edificios y en los elementos de construcción.
Spain
• - NBE") CA 88 - Basic Building Standard") (NBE), Acoustic Conditions in Buildings.
• - CTE DB-HR - Technical Building Code, Basic Document, Protection against noise. September 2009.
• - Absorption (sound) "Absorption (sound)").
• - Acoustic absorber.
• - Architectural acoustics.
• - Thermal insulation.
• - Acoustic insulation.
• - Thermal insulator.
• - Bioclimatic architecture.
• - Soundproofing.
• - Reflection (sound) "Reflection (sound)").
• - Floating floor.
• - Laminated glass.
Sources
• - Anita Lawrence: Acoustics and the Built Environment. Elsevier Applied Science, 1989.
• - Randall McMullan: Noise Control in Buildings. BSP Professional Books, 1991.
• - Rupert Taylor: Noise Control Data. Rupert Taylor and Partners Ltd, 1976.
• - Regulations relating to acoustic insulation in Valencia.
• - Regulations relating to acoustic insulation in Madrid.
• - Technical Building Code, Basic Document, Protection against Noise Archived on April 26, 2018 at the Wayback Machine.
There are several basic factors that intervene in achieving good acoustic insulation:.
• - Mass factor. Acoustic insulation is achieved mainly by the mass of the construction elements: the greater the mass, the greater the resistance to the impact of the sound wave and the greater the attenuation. For this reason, it is not advisable to talk about specific acoustic insulators, since they are normal materials and not as is the case with thermal insulation.
• - Multilayer factor. When it comes to construction elements made up of several layers, an adequate arrangement of them can improve acoustic insulation to levels higher than what the sum of the individual insulation of each layer could achieve. Each element or layer has a resonance frequency that depends on the material that composes it and its thickness. If the sound (or noise) that reaches the element has that frequency, it will produce resonance and when the element vibrates, it will produce sound that will be added to that transmitted. Therefore, if two layers of the same material and different thickness are arranged, and which, therefore, will have different resonance frequencies, the frequency that the first layer allows to pass in excess will be absorbed by the second.
• - Dissipation factor. Insulation also improves if an absorbent material is placed between the two layers. These materials are usually of low density (30 kg/m³-70 kg/m³) and with a large number of pores") and are normally placed because they are also usually good thermal insulators. Thus, an absorbent material placed in the closed space between two parallel partitions improves the insulation that said partitions would offer on their own. A good example of absorbent material is rock wool, currently the most used in this type of construction.
Sound reflection can also be attenuated by placing a layer of absorbent material on the faces of construction elements, although these techniques belong more properly to the field of acoustics.
Acoustic insulation solutions are designed taking into consideration massive, multilayer and dissipation factors, among others.
Acoustic phenomena
• - Impact noise transmission. It is the noise that is generated when a physical medium vibrates as a result of the waves produced by the impact of one material against another.
• - Transmission of airborne noise. It is the process of propagation of noisy sound waves from one space to another through the air.
• - The reflection. It is when a sound wave bounces off a surface, producing an increase in noise due to the sum provided by the impact of the waves on walls, ceilings, floors, thus producing.
Regulations
Contenido
• - ISO 140"), Acústica - Medida del aislamiento acústico de edificios y elementos de construcción") (derogada por ISO 16283")).
• - ISO 354"), Acústica - Medida de la absorción acústica en cámara reverberante").
• - ISO 717"), Acústica - Evaluación del aislamiento acústico de los edificios y del poder de aislamiento acústico de los elementos de construcción.
• - ISO 16283"), Acústica. Medición in situ del aislamiento acústico en los edificios y en los elementos de construcción.
Spain
• - NBE") CA 88 - Basic Building Standard") (NBE), Acoustic Conditions in Buildings.
• - CTE DB-HR - Technical Building Code, Basic Document, Protection against noise. September 2009.
• - Absorption (sound) "Absorption (sound)").
• - Acoustic absorber.
• - Architectural acoustics.
• - Thermal insulation.
• - Acoustic insulation.
• - Thermal insulator.
• - Bioclimatic architecture.
• - Soundproofing.
• - Reflection (sound) "Reflection (sound)").
• - Floating floor.
• - Laminated glass.
Sources
• - Anita Lawrence: Acoustics and the Built Environment. Elsevier Applied Science, 1989.
• - Randall McMullan: Noise Control in Buildings. BSP Professional Books, 1991.
• - Rupert Taylor: Noise Control Data. Rupert Taylor and Partners Ltd, 1976.
• - Regulations relating to acoustic insulation in Valencia.
• - Regulations relating to acoustic insulation in Madrid.
• - Technical Building Code, Basic Document, Protection against Noise Archived on April 26, 2018 at the Wayback Machine.