When you are considering installing sound insulation in a new building, the structure-borne sound is an important factor that needs to be accounted for. What is structure-borne sound and what can you do to mitigate the effects of it?
What is structure-borne sound?
Pulses create the actual sound. It is transferred via medium to either the human ear or a detection device. Inside buildings, usually, the sound is either structure-borne or airborne. The British Regulations Approved Document E defines structure-borne sound as being a sound that is carried by a building structure. For example, the sound of footsteps over an upper floor can be heard in an adjacent room, or one below is defined as a structure-borne sound. Technically speaking, there are five distinct processes that structure-borne sound may be divided into:
1. Generation: the oscillation's actual originating source.
2. Transmission: the oscillation's energy moving from its originating source to the building.
3. Propagation: the mechanism distributing the energy over the whole structure.
4. Attenuation: the sound waves reflect as they are bouncing off surfaces inside the structure which diminishes the sound and reduces their energy.
5. Radiation: vibrations produced from unprotected surfaces. Structure-borne and airborne sounds are intrinsically linked. Airborne sound is created by vibrations rebounding off a hard structure inside a
building.
The airborne sound, in turn, may cause some building components to vibrate when they come into contact with a surface that is unprotected. If you are in the Reading area you may be interested in noise survey Reading.
How can you reduce structure-borne sound?
There are several different ways that you can mitigate the effects caused by structure-borne sound.
- You can install padding and carpets to help absorb the sound waves.
- In certain environments, a resilient underlay can be used that is made out of rigid fiberglass, recycled rubber, and foam. This can be an effective solution for issues of structure-borne sound.
- Where appropriate, you can install resilient mounts, sound clips, and spring ceiling hangers.
- In the subflooring and certain other areas in the structure, you can apply soundproofing elements in between the two rigid components. The compound disseminates vibrations that the wave waves generate as they are traveling throughout the structure.
- You can diminish structure-borne sound by using raised floors, a secondary wall structure, and a suspended ceiling system.
- You can use high-mass structures that incorporate either offset construction or cavities to help prevent vibrations from passing through.
Although you can mitigate structure-borne sound by incorporating the right building design features, it is a very complex subject. Structure-borne sound's nature relies on a number of different factors which include the structural composition as well as the fabrication and nature of the radiating surface and receiving spaces. A sensitive building's design can benefit from consulting with an acoustic consultant specialist.
The standard for minimum expected impact on sound insulation
In terms of noise insulation, the lowest acceptable standard is defined by the Building Regulations Approved Document E. Impact sound transmission needs to be measured inside the structure. A tapping machine is used for striking a test surface so that a sound can be produced in an adjacent area. Next, the impact of structure-borne sound is measured and monitored.
There are five distinct processes that structure-borne sound is comprised of:
1. Generation: the oscillation's actual originating source.
2. Transmission: the oscillation's energy moving from its originating source to the building.
3. Propagation: the mechanism distributing the energy over the whole structure.
4. Attenuation: the sound waves reflect as they are bouncing off surfaces inside the structure which diminishes the sound and reduces their energy.
5. Radiation: vibrations produced from unprotected surfaces. Structure-borne and airborne sounds are intrinsically linked. Airborne sound is created by vibrations rebounding off a hard structure inside a building.
Sometimes airborne sound and structure-borne sound are viewed as entities that are closely related but separate. Structural vibrations can radiate from surfaces and create airborne sound. Also, airborne sound can cause a building fabric element to vibrate once it comes into contact with a surface.
