Articles tagged “building acoustics”
14 articles covering building acoustics in acoustic engineering and building design.
ISO 717: Sound Insulation Rating Systems (Rw, STC, Dnt,w) Decoded
Decode ISO 717 sound insulation ratings — how Rw, STC, DnT,w, and L'nT,w are calculated, why lab and field values differ, and how to avoid the flanking transmission trap.
What is Airborne Sound? How Noise Travels Through Air and Walls
Airborne sound is noise transmitted through the air that strikes a building partition, causing it to vibrate and radiate sound on the other side. Learn STC, Rw, mass law, and control strategies.
What is Impact Sound? Footsteps, Drops, and Floor Noise Explained
Impact sound is noise generated by physical impacts on building surfaces, especially floors. Learn IIC, Ln,w, tapping machines, floating floors, and how to meet building code requirements.
What is Noise Path Analysis? Tracing Sound from Source to Receiver
Noise path analysis identifies every route sound takes from a source to a receiver — direct, flanking, airborne, and structure-borne. Learn the method, ISO 12354, and how it drives cost-effective fixes.
What is Sound Insulation Testing? Verifying As-Built Acoustic Performance
Sound insulation testing measures the actual airborne and impact noise reduction between rooms after construction. Learn ISO 16283, field test procedures, pass/fail criteria, and common pitfalls.
What is Structure-Borne Sound? When Buildings Conduct Noise
Structure-borne sound travels through building elements as vibration before radiating as airborne noise. Learn transmission mechanisms, measurement methods, and isolation strategies.
What is Transmission Loss (TL)?
Transmission loss is the reduction in sound energy as it passes through a building element like a wall, floor, or window. Learn how TL is measured, what STC and Rw mean, and how mass law works.
EN 12354 Building Acoustics — Prediction Methods for Sound Insulation | AcousPlan
EN 12354 building acoustics standard guide: Parts 1–6 explained, flanking transmission prediction, input data requirements, and how software implements EN 12354 calculations.
Flanking Transmission — Why Your STC 60 Wall Performs Like STC 35 | AcousPlan
Flanking paths through floors, ceilings, and ducts reduce a lab STC 60 wall to field FSTC 35. ISO 15712 prediction method with 5 flanking path examples.
What Is Flanking Transmission? — Why Your Wall's STC Rating Doesn't Matter
Flanking transmission is sound that bypasses a partition by travelling through connected structure — floors, ceilings, ducts, or walls — and it routinely cuts field STC by 10 points or more. Here is how to find and stop it.
What Is Sound Transmission Class (STC)? — A Plain-English Guide
STC is a single-number rating for how well a wall, floor, or door blocks airborne sound. Learn what the number means, how it is measured, and why a higher STC is not always enough.
DIN 4109 German Sound Insulation: Requirements, Calculation Methods, and Compliance
DIN 4109:2018 is Germany's mandatory building acoustics standard covering airborne and impact sound insulation for residential, educational, and office buildings. This guide covers every requirement table and calculation procedure.
Acoustic Design for Architects — Everything You Need to Know Without a Specialist Degree
The definitive architect's guide to acoustic design covering RT60, STI, material selection, building standards, and when to hire a consultant. Includes a worked example for a multi-use community centre and specification templates for tender documents.
Building Acoustics vs Room Acoustics: What's the Difference?
Building acoustics blocks sound between rooms using mass and decoupling (STC/Rw). Room acoustics controls sound within a room using absorption (RT60/C80). Here is when you need each, how they interact, and the standards that govern them.