Sound Insulation refers to the reduction of sound by a partition, door, glazing or floor/ceiling assembly within a building.
For facilities under design: initially, adjacencies are examined and with good space planning serious conflicts can be avoided. Noise source levels are estimated and the intended use of receiving rooms is indentified. Then proposed partitions, doors, interior glazing and floor/ceiling assemblies are computer modeled to determine their efficacy in reducing sound. As required building codes are interpreted and the proper metrics (STC, IIC) are identified. Details are developed to illustrate the unique construction practices required for constructing sound insulating elements.
In the construction administration phase mockups are inspected in the field before entire facilities are completed. Construction is field verified through field sound transmission class (FSTC), noise isolation class (NIC), field impact isolation class (FIIC) and field transmission loss testing (FTL) per ASTM standards.
In corrective design, some form of sound transmission field testing is carried out to analyze the shortcomings. Remedial solutions are then computer modeled and details created.
Project experience in this discipline includes:
- Gaylord National Harbor – Washington, DC
- Netflix Headquarters – Los Gatos, CA
- Southern Methodist University – Dallas, TX
- Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts – Dallas, TX
