What This Template Is
The sound insulation schedule template is a structured spreadsheet for tracking sound insulation requirements across every partition in a building project — walls, floors, and ceilings that separate rooms or tenancies with different acoustic sensitivity.
The schedule serves two purposes: it is a design tool for checking that proposed constructions will achieve the required performance, and it is a procurement and construction document that tells contractors what they need to build and provides a post-construction measurement checklist.
Each row represents one partition type, cross-referenced to the room schedule. Columns track the required STC or Rw (the regulatory minimum), the proposed construction (cross-referenced to the architectural specification), the laboratory-tested performance of that construction, the predicted in-situ FSTC after accounting for flanking, and the resulting compliance margin.
Use AcousPlan's Sound Insulation Calculator to check proposed wall assemblies against your scheduled requirements before specifying.
Who Needs This Schedule
Architects on residential, hotel, and healthcare projects — these building types have the most demanding and legally binding sound insulation requirements. A schedule produced during concept design identifies conflicts between programme (a music room above a bedroom) and structure (a lightweight steel frame that cannot achieve the required party floor performance) before they become expensive post-contract problems.
Acoustic consultants on multi-room buildings — a schedule allows you to track 80 different partition types across a complex mixed-use development in a single document. Without it, requirements scatter across email chains and individual room specification sheets, and partitions get built to the wrong standard.
Project managers and contractors — the schedule is a construction-stage reference. The contractor can see at a glance which partition types require specialist construction (resilient channels, floating floors, double-stud frames) and which are standard loadbearing walls.
Building control officers and compliance reviewers — a complete sound insulation schedule demonstrates that the designer has identified every acoustic partition and assigned an appropriate performance requirement. It makes Building Regulations pre-application discussions and acoustic consultant sign-off faster.
Schedule Structure — Column by Column
Column 1: Partition Reference
Use a consistent reference system that ties back to the architectural drawings. Common formats:
- W-01, W-02... — wall types (cross-referenced to a wall type schedule)
- F-01, F-02... — floor/ceiling types
- Rm-01_to_02 — room-to-room reference (e.g., Apt-04_to_Apt-05)
Column 2: Room Adjacency (From / To)
Document the rooms on each side of the partition:
| From Room | To Room |
|---|---|
| Apartment 4A Living Room | Apartment 4B Bedroom |
| Meeting Room OF-02 | Meeting Room OF-03 |
| Hotel Guest Room 201 | Hotel Corridor Level 2 |
| Gymnasium | Office Suite B |
The adjacency determines the required performance. A wall between two medium-sensitivity offices may require STC 42. The same wall between a hotel guest room and a gymnasium corridor requires STC 58. Getting the adjacency wrong at the schedule stage produces under-specified partitions in the most critical locations.
Column 3: Sensitivity Classification
Classify each room on a 4-point scale to systematise performance target selection:
| Class | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 — Critical | Very high sensitivity; acoustic intrusion unacceptable | Recording studio, sleep room, ICU, master bedroom |
| 2 — High | High sensitivity; conversation and typical activities must not be audible | Hotel guest room, apartment bedroom, meeting room |
| 3 — Medium | Moderate sensitivity; general office-level noise acceptable | Open-plan office, living room, restaurant |
| 4 — Low | Low sensitivity; noise is expected and tolerated | Gymnasium, plant room, retail, car park |
The adjacency pair (from_class / to_class) determines the required STC. A 1/1 adjacency (critical to critical) needs the highest performance; a 4/4 adjacency (low to low) may need no acoustic specification at all.
Column 4: Required STC / Rw (Regulatory Minimum)
The minimum performance required by the applicable standard or building code. This is the floor, not the target — actual designs should incorporate a compliance margin above this level.
US Building Code Requirements (IBC 2021 §1206 / ASTM E90):
| Building Type | Partition | Required STC |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel guest room to guest room | Wall | 50 |
| Hotel guest room to corridor | Wall | 45 |
| Hotel guest room to guest room | Floor/ceiling | 50 |
| Apartment to apartment | Wall | 50 |
| Apartment to apartment | Floor (airborne) | 50 |
| Apartment to apartment | Floor (impact) | IIC 50 |
| Office to office (cellular) | Wall | 45 (client standard, not statutory) |
| Hospital patient room to patient room | Wall | 45 |
| Hospital patient room to corridor | Wall | 40 |
| School classroom to classroom | Wall | 45 |
| School classroom to corridor | Wall | 40 |
UK Building Regulations (Approved Document E, England and Wales):
| Building Type | Partition | Required DnT,w + Ctr |
|---|---|---|
| Dwelling to dwelling (new build) | Wall | ≥ 45 dB |
| Dwelling to dwelling (new build) | Floor (airborne) | ≥ 45 dB |
| Dwelling to dwelling (new build) | Floor (impact) | L'nT,w ≤ 62 dB |
| Purpose-built student accommodation | Wall | ≥ 43 dB |
| Room for residential purposes (care homes) | Wall | ≥ 43 dB |
European Standard (EN ISO 717-1 / DIN 4109:2018):
| Building Type | Partition | Required Rw + C or Rw + Ctr |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment to apartment | Wall | Rw + Ctr ≥ 52 dB (DIN 4109 erhöhter Schallschutz) |
| Apartment to apartment | Floor (airborne) | Rw + Ctr ≥ 52 dB |
| Apartment to apartment | Floor (impact) | L'n,w ≤ 46 dB |
| Office to office | Wall | Rw ≥ 37 dB (DIN 4109 Mindestanforderung) |
Column 5: Client Performance Target (Design STC)
This is the STC or Rw the project is actually targeting — typically 5–8 points above the regulatory minimum to provide a compliance margin and improve occupant satisfaction. Client targets should be documented in the acoustic design brief before the schedule is completed.
Typical client targets by building type:
| Building Type | Partition | Regulatory Minimum | Recommended Design Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel (luxury) | Guest room wall | STC 50 | STC 55–58 |
| Hotel (budget) | Guest room wall | STC 50 | STC 52 |
| Residential apartment (premium) | Party wall | STC 50 / DnT,w 45 | STC 55 / DnT,w 50 |
| Residential apartment (standard) | Party wall | STC 50 / DnT,w 45 | STC 52 / DnT,w 47 |
| Office (cellular) | Office wall | STC 45 (client) | STC 48 |
| Healthcare (hospital ward) | Patient room wall | STC 45 | STC 50–52 |
| School | Classroom wall | STC 45 | STC 48 |
Column 6: Proposed Construction
Reference the construction type from the architectural specification or wall type schedule. For the acoustic schedule, capture the key elements that determine sound insulation performance:
- Frame type (single stud, double stud, staggered stud, structural masonry, CLT)
- Stud gauge and spacing
- Board layers and total mass (kg/m²)
- Resilient elements (resilient channels, resilient bars, acoustic clips)
- Insulation infill (mineral wool density and thickness)
- Edge seal (acoustic mastic at perimeter, top, and bottom)
Double stud 89mm @ 600 cc, 2 × 15mm Type X each side, 100mm RW45 mineral wool infill, acoustic sealant at perimeter
Column 7: Laboratory STC (Tested)
The STC or Rw value from the manufacturer's laboratory test report. Use test data that matches your proposed construction as closely as possible. Flag any test data that differs from the proposed construction (different stud gauge, fewer board layers, different infill) — the lab STC may not be representative.
Laboratory test data sources:
- Manufacturer test certificates (USG, Gyproc, Knauf publish test databases)
- NRCC (National Research Council Canada) database — free, extensive
- Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories reports
- Fraunhofer IBP test reports (European Rw data)
Column 8: Predicted Field FSTC
Apply a flanking deduction to the laboratory STC to estimate in-situ performance. Flanking deductions vary based on construction type and quality:
| Construction Type | Typical Flanking Deduction |
|---|---|
| Full masonry (brick, concrete block) with isolated floors | 2–3 STC points |
| Lightweight stud with robust junction detailing | 3–5 STC points |
| Lightweight stud with poor junction detailing | 5–8 STC points |
| Open-plan office with shared ceiling plenum | 8–15 STC points (plenum path dominates) |
| Floor/ceiling assemblies | 3–5 STC points (more flanking paths) |
For a double stud wall with lab STC 57, apply a 4 STC deduction → predicted FSTC 53.
Column 9: Compliance Margin
Compliance Margin = Predicted FSTC − Required STC
A positive margin means the construction is expected to comply. Document the margin rather than just a pass/fail — a margin of +1 STC is a much weaker compliance position than +6 STC, and the schedule should flag thin margins for design team attention.
Margin guidance:
| Margin | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| ≥ +5 STC | Comfortable compliance; minor construction defects will not cause failure |
| +2 to +4 STC | Adequate compliance; good workmanship required |
| 0 to +1 STC | Marginal; construction defects likely to cause failure — review construction detail |
| Negative | Predicted failure — redesign required |
Common Schedule Entries That Get Missed
Corridor-to-sensitive-room walls: Hotel guest room to corridor is a frequently underspecified interface. Corridor noise (housekeeping, guest movement, lift lobby) travels through walls and gaps at door frames. Minimum STC 45 for budget hotels; STC 50 for quality hotels.
Shared ceiling plenums: In open-plan offices with a shared ceiling plenum above all rooms, every partition between meeting rooms is acoustically bypassed via the plenum. The schedule must include an entry for the plenum path, not just the partition wall, and specify either full-height (slab-to-slab) walls or acoustic barriers in the plenum.
Service penetrations: Every pipe, conduit, and duct penetration through an acoustic partition is a potential flanking path. The schedule should flag all service penetrations and specify the sealing treatment required (acoustic putty pads, intumescent fire/acoustic collars).
Floating floors on above-grade levels: Impact sound insulation on upper floors requires a floating floor or resilient underlayment system. The schedule should include an entry for every floor/ceiling assembly between residential or hotel floors, including the impact sound performance (IIC / L'nT,w) alongside the airborne STC / DnT,w.
How to Use This Schedule With AcousPlan
- Complete the room schedule and assign adjacency sensitivity classifications
- Enter the required STC from the applicable building code (see tables above)
- For each proposed construction, use AcousPlan's Sound Insulation Calculator to check whether the wall assembly achieves the required STC
- Record the predicted STC and apply the flanking deduction
- Calculate the compliance margin and flag any thin-margin or failing entries
Related Resources
- Understanding Sound Insulation: STC and Rw Explained — fundamentals of airborne sound insulation ratings
- Flanking Transmission: The STC Killer — why in-situ performance falls short of lab ratings
- Sound Insulation Calculator — check wall assemblies against STC requirements
STC requirements reference IBC 2021 §1206, ASTM E90/E336, Approved Document E (2003 + 2004 revision), DIN 4109:2018, and EN ISO 717-1:2013. Flanking deduction guidance per ASTM E336 commentary and NRC Construction Technology Update No. 56. AcousPlan calculations are advisory and should be verified by a qualified acoustic consultant.