DESIGN CRITERIA FOR REDUCTION OF AIR-

BORNE & STRUCTURE-BORNE NOISE

 Sound is a form of energy travelling away from a vibrating object.

Excessive noise is an unacceptable barrier

to human well-being and comfort.

- Noise diminishes our quality of sleep.

- Noise produces adverse health effects.
-Noise creates permanent stress during
concentration and communication.

Source - Path - Receiver

Transmission Reception Thus noise control involves three steps:
Emission acoustical treatment at the source of
Propagation of sound Reception of the noise;
Sound
source
sound by the ear  acoustical treatment of the path it
or microphone travels along
 acoustical treatment at the receiver
end, where the listener is.
 Airborne sound radiates from a source directly
Airborne sound inside a room can be
into and travels through the air. The sound of
reduced by sound insulating and
traffic, music or voices in the next room or office
absorbing screens and by putting
travels to our ear as airborne sound. Airborne
absorbing material onto ceilings and walls
sound between two rooms can be reduced by
to reduce reflections from hard surfaces
separating walls and ceilings with high performing
sound insulation.

Structure-borne sound travels along a path from a

source to the receiver (listener). Sound waves can
cause walls, floors and other structures to vibrate.
1. Exterior noise coming from
This motion travels through the structure and is re- road traffic, trains and airplanes.
radiated in the form of noise.
2. Airborne noise coming from
inside the house such as
conversations, hi-fi, television,
etc.
3. Structure-borne noise coming
from footsteps, objects falling on
the floor, house hold equipment,
etc.
4. Noise from technical
equipment coming from heat and
ventilation, lifts, water pipes, etc.
 Methods of noise control-AIRBORNE NOISE
REDUCTION
• Airborne noise is controlled or blocked by heavy weighted material -
the heavier the material the better the performance at blocking
airborne noise.
• Sound Transmission Class (STC) is always associated with airborne
noise, the higher the STC number is, the better airborne sound
reduction will be.
• STC rating are used to determine how much airborne noise is blocked
on interior walls, floors/ceiling assemblies, windows, doors etc.
• Airborne Noise is noise that is caused and travels through the
atmosphere, this noise includes: speech, television, radio, etc.
• Airborne noise is typically controlled by weight and mass; the heavier
the floor/ceiling or interior walls are the better its ability to stop or
insulate airborne noise.
• STC (Sound Transmission Coefficient) measures the transmission loss
of airborne noise (radio, television, speech).
Three ways to control noise--
There are only three basic ways to attenuate or
reduce sound, whether at the source, at the
listener’s location, or along the path it travels
from the source to the receiver:
• 1. Replace the sound source with a quieter
one.
• 2. Block the sound with a solid, heavy material
that resists the transmission of sound waves.
• 3. Absorb the sound with a light, porous
material that soaks up sound waves.
 Airborne sound transmission loss
• Airborne sound transmission loss is a measure of the
degree to which a material or construction can block
or reduce transmission of sound from one area to
another.
• All materials block or attenuate sound energy to a
degree— heavy, impervious materials more
effectively than light,porous ones.
• Since today’s building technology depends to a great
extent on light, flexible products like gypsum board
and lightweight steel framing, the challenge is to utilize
these materials in designing assemblies that provide
optimum acoustical performance yet do not greatly
increase the weight and mass of the structure.
 Measuring sound transmission loss--
• The degree to which a material or construction is
effective at blocking airborne sound is expressed as
its sound transmission loss (STL) value.
STC Rating Speech Audibility Effectiveness
15 to 25 Normal speech easily
understood Poor

25 to 35 Loud speech easily heard, half Marginal

of normal speech understood

35 to 45 Half of loud speech Good

understood, normal speech
heard but not understood
45 to 55 Loud speech faintly heard but Very good
not understood
55 and higher Loud speech usually not Excellent
heard
 Lightweight double-leaf walls
• One of the most effective ways to block or reduce
the transmission of sound from one room to
another is to build a double-leaf wall.
• A double-leaf wall or sound transmission loss
barrier is any wall with two faces separated by
studs.
• Because of their construction, most double-leaf
walls weigh less than solid walls with the same or
comparable sound transmission loss values. For this
reason, they are called lightweight walls.
• We describe double-leaf walls as mass/ spring/mass
walls because they have two masses (faces)
separated by air or studs (springs).
• The sound transmission loss or STC values of a
lightweight wall can be increased as much as 10
STC points by adding acoustical insulation to the
stud cavity of the wall.
• The acoustical insulation changes the spring
properties of the mass/spring/mass composition
of double-leaf walls.
• To get the most effectiveness out of the
insulation, completely fill the stud cavity.
• Lightweight fiber glass insulation is an excellent
acoustical insulation to use in double-leaf walls.
 Sound flanking/ Flanking noise
In simple terms, flanking
noise is the noise which
reaches a room by an
indirect method; by going
over, under, or around
barriers intended to provide
sound or noise control.
Sound, much like air and
water will take the path of
least resistance between
rooms.
The routes that sound takes to bypass sound reduction efforts are called flanking paths.
While this facet of sound reduction is rarely talked about, it can have huge ramifications
in the success of your sound reduction efforts. You may have spent a lot of time
planning and money constructing a high performing partition, making sure to address
the key principles we discussed in our previous entry – only to find the level of sound
reduction nowhere near your desired level.
Common flanking paths include:
• Ceilings – Air and sound leakage around partition walls at ceilings.
• Doors – Air and sound leakage around doors.
• Ductwork – Shared ductwork between rooms creates a direct path for sound
to travel.
• Electrical receptacles & light switches – Air and sound leakage around
unsealed electrical outlets, switches, or boxes.
• Floor noise transmission – Floor coverings extending beneath partitions into
adjoining rooms create flanking path.
• Framing connections – Even in decoupled frame design, a solid path through a
band joist or drywall panel creates a flanking path for sound.
• Plumbing penetrations – Air and sound leaks through the penetrations as well
as plumbing chaseways that pass between areas.
• Resilient channel mistakes – Improperly placed screws that penetrate into
studs or joists.
• Partition edge abutments to adjoining walls, ceilings, and floors.

Each of these sources of flanking noise can be minimized in different ways. We’ll
be focusing on a few key flanking paths and how the application of acoustical
sealants such as our Sound Seal 90 Draft, Smoke, and Acoustical Sealant can be
used to minimize their impact.
 Sound flanking paths
• Doors: Hollow core doors are poor sound
blockers. When privacy is a key
consideration, doors should be solid wood
or have insulated cores, and should be
gasketed to prevent sound from passing
between the door and the jamb or sill.
• Windows: Double pane and/or storm
windows reduce sound transmission.
Weather stripping helps. Windows facing
exterior noise sources should be small and
as few as possible. Double-hung windows
should be able to be tightly closed.
• Wiring and piping: Holes through which wiring or
conduit passes should be sealed or caulked. Cutouts for
electrical outlet boxes should be made precisely so
boxes will fit snugly. Do not install electrical outlet
boxes opposite each other on each side of a wall; these
should be staggered. In bathrooms on opposite sides of
a wall, medicine cabinets should be staggered. Holes
cut out for piping should be sealed with caulking. Just
stuffing the holes with insulation is not sufficient.
Sound can easily pass through porous insulation. One
can stuff the holes with insulation and then caulk over
the insulation.
Structure borne noise
Structure-borne noise or solid-borne usually originates from impacts or
machinery vibration.
The amounts of instataneous vibratory power involved are tremendous
compared with those of the usual sources of air-borne noise.

•Once vibration is transferred to a solid

h
building structure such as a concrete slab,it
travels through the structure with a speed of
ten times that of sound in air.
•If it reaches a flexible partitions , a floor, or
a wall, the vibration may force the partition
in to oscillation,and annoying sound may
then be radiated.
•The efficiency of radiation depends on the
ratio of the dimensions of the partition to
the wave length of the sound and on the
internal damping of the partion. The most effective type of structure for prevention
•Hence,solid-borne noise should be of propogation of solid –borne noise is that of
suppressed at its source wherever it is “discontinuous costruction”, where by transmission
path is severed or contains marked discontinuities in
practical to do so.
density and elasticity.
 Structure borne noise

Generated by

Vibrations By impact
Vibration Isolation

Active Vibration Passive Vibration Isolation

Isolation -Vibration isolated from vibration
-by modification of machine
vibrating machine -Control amplitude during propagation
to control the
vibration amplitude
Source Path: Receiver
 Passive Vibration Isolation

A vibration problem can be read as Source –Path –Receiver model

Source: A mechanical vibration or fluid flow disturbance, generated

internally by the machine
Path: The structural or airborne path by which the disturbance is
transmitted to the receiver
Receiver: The responding system of the noise, may be termed as noise
sensitive space
 Solutions
Vibration Solutions -Source
•Relocate the machine on as rigid a foundation and as far as possible
from potential receivers
•Replace machine with a higher quality or different type of machine
that is quieter
•Change the operating speed to avoid coinciding with structural
resonances
•Use active vibration control and absorber

Vibration Solutions -Path

•Minimizing the vibration transmission by installation of isolator springs
and/or inertia blocks.
•Structural Discontinuity

Vibration Solutions –Receiver

•Adding structural damping in the receiving zone to minimise the effect
of vibration
•Isolate the receiver from the vibration propagation path
So guidelines to isolate vibrations are by
Position and placement
Any vibrating machine should be placed in the Ground Floor
Any vibrating machine should be placed near the floor beams and columns. Not at the mid
slab portion.

Structural Discontinuity

Mounting Operation
Position and placement
Structural Discontinuity
Mounting Operation
Mounting Operation
Trench Barrier Trench Barrier
Fine / Medium Sand Wooden Barrier (3cm Thick)OrMetallic Barrier
Depth: 1.0 –2.5m Width: 0.5 times (0.5-1.5 cm Thick)
Depth
Felt Layer
Depth: 1.0 –1.5m Width: 0.3m
Trench Barrier
 Impact Noise
Control of Impact Noise
• Cushion the Impact
• Float the Floor
• Suspend the Ceiling—and Use an Absorber in the
Cavity
• Isolate all Piping

IIC Impact Insulation Class(IIC) is a rating system to describe the sound insulation quality
of floor of ceiling against the impact borne sound. The IICnumber is an indicatory number,
roughly represent the reduction in decibels when one side of the partition tapped by the
testing machine.

This classification covers the determination of a single figure rating that can be used for
comparing floor-ceiling assemblies for general building design purposes. The rating is called
impact insulation class(IIC).
Floors and ceilings:
Well designed floor systems must provide adequate insulation against both air borne and
solid borne noise.impacts must be prevented from imparting much energy to a floor if their
tranmission through the structure is to be suppressed.This can be accomplished by means
of resilient covering, such as carpet or cork tile which will absorb some of the impact.
If good isolation against impacts is to be obtained,

•the ceiling should not be rigidly connected to the floor joists.if

ceiling is carried on independent joists, the impact-noice reduction
will be improved by at least 5 db.

•Resilient clips provide a convenient means for attaining good isolation between a
ceiling and the structural floor from which it is hung.
•Floors which provide good isolation against the tranmission of impact noise to the
room beneath may not necessarily provide a “quiet” wearing surface in the room
where the impacts are produced. eg, wooden flooring.
Floating floors:
Isolation provide by a floor system against mechanical impact can be greatly improved by the
use of a “floating” floor whichrests on the structural floor but is seperated from it by a
resilient support or quilt.

•While choosing a resilient support for a flooting system, it is important to select a

material that will have a long life and will not settle significantly.
• In general the most satisfactory materials are very resilient(springy), and they return
to their initial condition when the load is removed.
•They must be properly loaded ,but not over loaded.
Eg: slab cork,granulated cork,rubber, fiber board,felt,wood wool and certain
mineral-wool blankets.
•Flexible steel supports and clips are long lasting than above materials.
•Effectiveness of floating floor system is dependent on the extend of isolation provide
by the resilient supports between the floated finish floor and the structural floor.
•Care should be taken that the isolation is not “shorted” by nails or by solid
connections.

Resilient sleeper chair

Floor-ceiling construction with floating floor and staggered joists,finish floors on :

Fiber board Sleepers on fiberboard

Sleepers on resilient blanket

•The sleepers must not be rigidly connected to the sub floor ; they should float on the
blanket or fastened by special resilient chairs.
•For isolation of heavy impacts, wood floor constructions are very poor.because they are
relatively light, so the whole floor easily can set into vibration.
•Felt is used to obstruct the flow of sound through the crack between the finish floor and
the baseboard.

Discontinuous construction
The advantages of good insulation against both air-borne and structure-borne noise
have been incorporated in discontinuous construction, whereby the rooms in a
building are treated essentially as a suspended “box within a shell”.
•The walls of a room are built on a floating floor.
•Ties between the walls and the continuous construction are avoided, but resilient
isolators are employed.
•The ceiling is suspended from the structural floor by resilient hangers.
Windows and doors should not form a rigid link between a detached room and the surrounding
continuous construction.

Pipes should be suspended from the structural floor by resilient supports.

Pipes should be isolated from the partitions by rubber, felt,or other compliant materials

Example of discontinuous construction

 A practical method of securing isolation is that of “ semi discontinuous
construction”.
Here a floating floor is employed, but, unlike discontinuous consruction ,
the walls of the room are not completely isolated from the structural
walls.Instead , resilient “chair” or clips are used to support the inner
walls.

Isolation of machinery vibration:

Propercontrol of machinery vibration can greatly reduce the noise in many facories and buildings.
for eg:
( By tightening loose parts, by improving the balance of rotating parts...etc.)

While a machine is in operation, the oscillatory forces

would be trasmitted to the floor if the motor where
bolted directly to it. If resilient supports,” vibration
mounts”, permit the machine to move up and down , the
inertia of the moving system can be used to oppose these
forces so that only a slight force is tranmitted to the floor.
Machinery vibration often is very complex and in
general, a complete mathematical account of this
vibration requires formulation in terms of six possible
degrees of freedom-
3 degrees of translation
3 degrees of rotation.
A resilient mounting system is effective in isolating vibration only
when f is atleast two times lower than the disturbing frequency of
the vibration, F. The smaller f is compared to F , the better the
isolation.
The ratio between the force transmitted to a floor when a
mounting ie employed and the force which would be transmitted if
the vibrating mass were rigidly attached to the floor is called the
transmissibility, T.
T=1/((F/f)2-1)
When the magnitude of T is less than 1 the mounting system would
be beneficial.
Vibration reduction =100(1-T) percent.
In all cases one should make sure that the mounting system is neither
overloaded nor underloaded , and that it provides a resonant
frequency several times lower than the lowest frequency of vibration
to be isolated.