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NBS TECHNICAL NOTE 710-8

NATL INST. OF STAND & TECH

A111D7 a3flMbfl

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE/ National Bureau of Standards

RESEARCH TRANSLATION

French Acoustical

Comfort Standards

:. 2
NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

The National Bureau of Standards 1 was established by an act of Congress March 3, 1901. The Bureau's overall goal is to strengthen and advance the Nation's science and technology and facilitate their effective application for public benefit. To this end, the Bureau conducts research and provides: (1) a basis for the Nation's physical measurement system, (2) scientific and

technological services for industry and government, (3) a technical basis for equity in trade, and (4) technical services to pro- mote public safety. The Bureau consists of the Institute for Basic Standards, the Institute for Materials Research, the Institute for Applied Technology, the Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology, the Office for Information Programs, and the

Office of Experimental Technology Incentives Program.

THE INSTITUTE FOR BASIC STANDARDS provides the central basis within the United States of a complete and consist- ent system of physical measurement; coordinates that system with measurement systems of other nations; and furnishes essential services leading to accurate and uniform physical measurements throughout the Nation's scientific community, industry, and commerce. The Institute consists of the Office of Measurement Services, and the following center and divisions: Applied Mathematics — Electricity — Mechanics — Heat — Optical Physics — Center for Radiation Research — Laboratory Astrophysics 2 — Cryogenics 2 — Electromagnetics 2 — Time and Frequency8

. THE INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS RESEARCH conducts materials research leading to improved methods of measurement, standards, and data on the properties of well-characterized materials needed by industry, commerce, educational insti- tutions, and Government; provides advisory and research services to other Government agencies; and develops, produces, and

distributes standard reference materials. The Institute consists of the Office of Standard Reference Materials, the Office of Air and Water Measurement, and the following divisions:

Analytical Chemistry — Polymers — Metallurgy — Inorganic Materials — Reactor Radiation — Physical Chemistry.

THE INSTITUTE FOR APPLffiD TECHNOLOGY provides technical services developing and promoting the use of avail- able technology; cooperates with public and private organizations in developing technological standards, codes, and test methods; and provides technical advice services, and information to Government agencies and the public. The Institute consists of

the following divisions and centers: Standards Application and Analysis — Electronic Technology — Center for Consumer Product Technology: Product Systems Analysis; Product Engineering — Center for Building Technology: Structures, Materials, and Safety; Building

Environment; Technical Evaluation and Application — Center for Fire Research: Fire Science; Fire Safety Engineering.

THE INSTITUTE FOR COMPUTER SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY conducts research and provides technical services designed to aid Government agencies in improving cost effectiveness in the conduct of their programs through the selection, acquisition, and effective utilization of automatic data processing equipment; and serves as the principal focus wthin the executive branch for the development of Federal standards for automatic data processing equipment, techniques, and computer

languages. The Institute consist of the following divisions: Computer Services — Systems and Software — Computer Systems Engineering — Information Technology.

THE OFFICE OF EXPERIMENTAL TECHNOLOGY INCENTIVES PROGRAM seeks to affect public policy and process

to facilitate technological change in the private sector by examining and experimenting with Government policies and practices in order to identify and remove Government-related barriers and to correct inherent market imperfections that impede

the innovation process. THE OFFICE FOR INFORMATION PROGRAMS promotes optimum dissemination and accessibility of scientific information generated within NBS; promotes the development of the National Standard Reference Data System and a system of in- formation analysis centers dealing with the broader aspects of the National Measurement System; provides appropriate services

to ensure that the NBS staff has optimum accessibility to the scientific information of the world. The Office consists of the following organizational units:

Office of Standard Reference Data — Office of Information Activities — Office of Technical Publications — Library —

Office of International Standards — Office of International Relations.

1 Headquarters and Laboratories at Gaithersburg, Maryland, unless otherwise noted; mailing address Washington, D.C. 20234.

2 Located at Boulder, Colorado 80302.
tJBNAL BUHBAXJ

r *ANBABDS Lf EIBRAHY ^

x 22 1973BUILDING RESEARCH TRANSLATION

French Acoustical Comfort Standards

Centre Scientifique et Technique Batiment

Paris, France

Translated by Information Simplified, Inc. P.O. Box 7439

Alexandria, Va. 22307

for the

Center for Building Technology

Institute for Applied Technology

National Bureau of Standards

Washington, D.C. 20234

Revision of April 1976 French Edition

*< rs.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Juanita M. Kreps, Secretary

Dr. Sidney Harman, Under Secretary

Jordan J. Baruch, Assistant Secretary for Science and Technology

if, 5< NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS, Ernest Ambler, Director

Issued March 1978
National Bureau of Standards Technical Note 710-8

Nat. Bur. Stand. (U.S.), Tech. Note 710-8, 67 pages (Mar. 1978) CODEN: NBTNAE

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON: 1978

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402

Stock No. 003-003-01897-0 Price $2.30

(Add 25 percent additional for other than U.S. mailing).
Preface

The United States and Frances 1 Cooperative Program on Building

Technology involves an exchange of personnel and information

between -the Center for Building Technology of the National

Bureau of Standards and the Centre Scientifique et Technique

du Batiment (CSTB) . Information contained in this report

was selected for translation and reproduction for sale to

the building community by the Government Printing Office.

The CSTB papers made public through this Technical Note do

not necessarily represent the views of the National Bureau

of Standards on either policy or technical levels. Building

researchers at the National Bureau of Standards consider it

a public service to share with the U. S. building community

these insights into some of the research activities of CSTB.

Center for Building Technology

Institute for Applied Technology

National Bureau of Standards

Cahiers du Centre Scientif ique et Technique du Batiment, No. 168

April 1976 (Cahier 1373)

EXAMPLES OF SOLUTIONS

IN COMPLIANCE WITH BUILDING CODE

AND/OR "ACOUSTICAL COMFORT' STANDARDS

III. ACOUSTICS

Recent increases in our knowledge of acoustics as applied to construction

has made it necessary to update our Cahier 1090 so as to provide current

examples of solutions which meet building code requirements, as well as of

solutions qualifying for the "Acoustical Comfort Label."

This updating was performed by a working group which included representatives

of the following bodies or agencies:

Ministry of Social Affairs

Ministry of Equipment and Housing

Ministry for the Quality of Life

French Association of Acoustical Engineers

Paris Steam Equipment Association

Bureau of Technical Studies for City Planning and Equipment

Veritas Bureau

Construction and Public Works Experimental Study and Research Center

National Center for Housing Study and Initiative

National Center for Telecommunications Studies
Building Industry Scientific and Technical Center

Association of Air Conditioning Engineering Contractors

Scientific and Technical Committee of the Heating Industries

Heat Production and Distribution Corporation

Tunzini Enterprises (represented by Mr Georges-Meller)

French-Speaking Acousticians' Group

National Consumers' Institute

Associated Consulting Engineers' Acoustics Laboratory

Mechanics and Acoustics Laboratory

National Testing Laboratory

Heating Industry Association

The French Radio and Television Office (ORTF)

The Order of Architects

Postal and Telecommunications Ministry

Auxiliary Real Estate Management Society

Society for Technical Supervision and Expertise in Construction

National Railroads Corporation (SNCF)

National Association of Heating Operators and Thermal Fluids

Distributors

National Union of Middle-Income Housing (HLM) Agencies

Interprofessional Technical Union

The City of Paris

M. A. Bareau, Consulting Engineer.

The fruits of their deliberations are embodied in this publication.

vx
Building Science and Technology Center

4 Avenue du Recteur-Poincare, Paris 16°

524-43-02 and 288-81-80

1. 1. 1 1. bis*

1. 2 1. 2. bis

1. 3. 1. 3. bis

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

1. Protection Against Airborne Noise 2

Review of Code Requirements 2 Definitions of the Acoustical Comfort Standard 2 General Remarks on Code Compliance Techniques 2 General Technical Conditions for Meeting the

Acoustical Comfort Standard 4

Acceptable Party Walls Between Contiguous Units 4

Separations Between Contiguous Housing Units

Meeting Acoustical Comfort Label Standards 10

1.4. Acceptable Noise Barriers Between Units and

Common Interior Service Systems 12

1.4. bis ACL Standards for Noise Attenuation Between Dwelling

Units and Common Interior Circulation Systems 13

1.5. Code Compliance Noise Attenuation Between

Superposed Units 14

1.5. bis ACL Standards for Noise Attenuation Between

Superposed Dwelling Units 20

1.6. Code Compliance Sound Attenuation Between Dwelling

Units and Premises Destined for Other Use 20

1.6. bis ACL Standards for Sound Attenuation Between

Dwelling Units and Premises for Other Use 21

2. Protection Against Impact Noises 22

2.1. Review of Code Requirements 22

2.2. Vertical and Diagonal Transmission of Impact Noises 22

2.3. Floor Assemblies Providing Protection Against

Impact Noise 22

2. 3. bis Floor Assemblies to Meet ACL Standards 23

3. Protection Against Plumbing and Appliance Noises 28

* "bis" (French for "alternate version") in this paper refers to the

additional, or more stringent "Acoustical Comfort Label" standards

VI

1
CONTENTS (Continued)

Page

3.1. Review of Code Requirements 28

3.2. General Remarks on Room Arrangement and Fixture Design 28

3. 2. bis General Remarks on the ACL Standard 28

3.3 and

3. 3. bis Common Equipment and Systems 28

3.4. Build-in Individual Fixtures 35

4. bis Special Requirements for the Acoustical Comfort Label:

Protection Against Outside Noises 39

5. bis Sound Conditioning Inside a Unit Between Bedrooms and

Other Rooms 44

Appendix I Spotting Acoustical Defects in a Unit by Looking at

Floor Plans and Descriptive Specifications 45

Appendix II Influence of Work by the Various Building Trades on Compliance With Acoustical Requirements 51

viii
FOREWORD

The purpose of the following is, among other things, to point out some ways of providing levels of residential acoustical comfort which will meet

the specifications contained in the decree and order of 14 June 1969, and

also to indicate some ideas that may make it easier to meet the tougher

requirements of the "Acoustical Comfort Label." It goes without saying,

of course, that there may be sound solutions other than those set forth

here: and also that the hope of seeing these solutions produce the

desired results will depend on their design as well as on the quality of

workmanship, although for that matter one can never be absolutely sure about the effect of unforeseen or imponderable factors.

As a general rule, good design will make the result more reliable, and do

it with less work all around, than will mediocre or slipshod acoustical

design, such as cutting down noise levels in apartment buildings by

juxtaposing rooms of different kinds, alternating noisy rooms with quiet

ones, etc.

Furthermore, the solutions suggested here are worthless unless they last.

For some installations (floors and floor coverings, notably), this may

require regular inspection for wear, maintenance, and, if necessary,

replacement with materials of at least equivalent acoustical quality.

We distinguish two types of solutions: first of all, those which can meet the building code regulations; and then those hereinafter numbered

"bis" that can bring dwelling units up to the Acoustical Comfort Standard.
CHAPTER 1

PROTECTION AGAINST AIRBORNE NOISE

1.1. Review of Code Requirements

The orders of 14 June 1969 and 22 December 1975 spelled out the requirements

for protection against airborne noise. Sound insulation between units in a multiple occupancy building calls for 51 db(A) for an emitted noise whose

spectrum is the one indicated for noise at the source in Article I of the

order of 14 June 1969 (generally referred to as "pink noise")

.

That level drops, however, to 48 db(A) between kitchens, as well as between

service rooms belonging to separate units.

The required sound insulation for a unit in a building against noise from

building circulation systems (plumbing, heating, air) is 41 db(A) for a given emitted noise.

The sound insulation required for dwelling as opposed to commercial, shop, or industrial premises is 56 db(A) for a given noise emission.

1.1 bis Definitions of the Acoustical Comfort Standard

These are to be found in the order of 10 February 1972, which deals with

the acoustical comfort standard.

1.2. General Remarks on Code Compliance Techniques

a. Always allow for any natural features likely to interfere with

sound-conditioning

The object here is to select party walls which will produce the required

isolation, allowing for lateral sound transmission (sometimes referred to as "side transmission") due to the walls and partitions which may surround

or overlie the party wall, for the surface, S, of the party wall, and for

the volume, V, of the space receiving the sound.
Hence, in the specific common case in which the various walls of a structure,

including the party walls, are more or less of the same mass, taking all

these various factors into consideration leads to selection of a party wall

those acoustical impedance index, R, as a function of the desired insulation

between units, D, is the one shown on the table below.

FINDING THE ACOUSTICAL IMPEDANCE INDEX FOR A PARTY WALL AS A

FUNCTION OF THE DESIRED LEVEL OF SOUND ATTENUATION, D.

Surface of Volume of Receiving Chamber, V (m3)

party wall

S (m2) 100 80 63 50 40 32 25 20 16

25 D+4 D+5 D+6 D+7 D+8 D+9

20 D+3 D+4 D+5 D+6 D+7 D+8 D+9

16 D+2 D+3 D+4 D+5 D+6 D+7 D+8 D+9

12 D+l D+2 D+3 D+4 D+5 D+6 D+7 D+8 D+9

10 D D+l D+2 D+3 D+4 D+5 D+6 D+7 D+8

8 D D+l D+2 D+3 D+4 D+5 D+6 D+7

6 D D+l D+2 D+3 D+4 D+5 D+6

5 D D+l D+2 D+3 D+4 D+5

This table is valid given the assumption that all surfaces (floors, crosswalls, partitions, etc.) are simple, and of approximately the same mass,

and it allows for the inevitable differential of around 5 db between R and

D arising from side transmissions encountered under this hypothesis.

For example, the impedance index, R, of a party wall between two units is

around 5 db higher than that of the isolation between these two units, in case the various walls in the building have the same mass and in case the

surface and volume of the party wall are in tbe usual range (10 m2 and 32 m^,

approx. )

R and D can be expressed directly in db(A), provided the spectrum of the

noise emission is given (in this case, the pink spectrum). We can compare

R and D expressed in db (A) with R and D expressed as an arithmetical mean

in the mean frequencies, in the case of a party wall offering an increased

impedance factor of 6 db per octave.

In the specific case of insulation between the common interior circulation

systems within a building and each housing unit therein, the possible variety

of arrangements hardly allows of a general rule for the separation index to

be used. This index must be worked out in each case as a function of the

volumes and surfaces involved. We have done this, using three typical cases,

in paragraph 1.4.
b. Always take advantage of any natural features likely to

facilitate sound-conditioning.

Generally speaking, heavy bearing walls can be judiciously used to insure

proper isolation between the several parts of a given dwelling unit (bed- rooms thus separated from service rooms), as can expansion joints which,

when properly fitted, provide quite satisfactory acoustical insulation

between contiguous units.

1.2 bis. General Technical Conditions for Meeting the Acoustical

Comfort Standard

The foregoing considerations are the more valid in that the requirements for

the right to display the Acoustical Comfort Label are more stringent than

those for compliance with the 14 June 1969 order. You need better sound

attenuating partitions than are required for simple compliance with the

order, even on the (optimistic) assumption that the units are separated by

rooms of the same kind: bedroom backed to bedroom, living-room backed to

living-room, service room backed to service room.

1.3. Acceptable Party Walls Between Contiguous Units

a. Simple Walls

By a simple wall we mean a wall whose components are rigidly attached to one another.

Sound attenuation between contiguous units can be satisfactory if the

acoustical attenuation index expressed in db(A) for an emitted pink noise

is 56 db(A), and the rooms are of normal size as shown in the table under

paragraph 1.2.

Sound conditioning between contiguous units can be satisfactory if the party

wall is a simple wall which is air-tight, has a mass in excess of 350 kg/m2,

and has no holes or openings. (1)*

Examples:

-- Formed concrete wall 14 cm thick, plus a 1-cm coat of plaster on each face; — Formed concrete wall 16 cm thick; — Full parpen walls of 18-cm poured concrete, plastered on both faces,

provided the whole assembly is completely pointed; — Full brick wall 22 cm thick with plaster on both faces, provided

the wall is fully pointed.

* See p. 55 et seq for notes.
b. Compound walls consisting of two independent partitions

To achieve the required level of acoustical insulation, you can use:

1. A party wall consisting of two walls, each of them plastered on one

face, and having a mass of at least 200 kg per m2 (see paragraph 1.5.

Static Transmission, 2d indent, for the reasons for that mass figure), the

space between the walls being at least 1 cm at all points and each of the

walls being plastered on at least one face;

2. A medium-weight wall backed with an airtight flexible (2) wall, under

the following conditions: — that the heavy part be full, and at least 10 cm thick, with a mass

of at least 150 kg/m2; it shall include plaster on at least one face; — that there be no rigid bonding or connection between the said walls,

and that the space between them (3) be at least equal to:

100

d, .greater than - . (cm) mass of backup component

(in kg/m2

) — that the space between the two components be coated with absorbent

material incorporating mineral or vegetable fiber and that it create

no rigid bond (4) between the walls. (Absorbent material is not

essential provided one of the components is itself an absorbent:

Fibragglo, for example).

Ctoivon jout* «f liaire dc houttur d'rloqe n -, cioison de doubioat ligjrt et jcupli 2 \ momlenue entre t« Dlonchfr; So u i el do%-<£ / pioirr cortorne 13 mm cu pl'J're 15 Cfne ciosot peoi tut m ponneoui de per- 'cm ou ponneoji de *jcr<'Ci/ fs de

Itules t«cul«% ou ittt «ue 6 Dai* bse de olalre po car tonne l \

FiDre minerok

Momonrs non soli- doires des murs el s'apouycrf sur les pK»v

chers houtt el bos par

I'lnrermidioire de plots rtosriques >60 mm •!—4 (->100n

Figure 1. Cross sections. Two examples

of medium-weight walls backed with a light flexible partition, designed to

provide adequate noise attenuation between dwelling units.

Key:

1. Light, flexible floor-toceiling partition held between

floor and ceiling. This partition may be of particle board or based on plaster board.

2. Light, flexible backing partition

of 13-mm plasterboard or 15mm of

plaster over lath of 20-mm

particle board.

3. Rock wool

4. Mineral fiber

5. Uprights independent of the

walls, held in place by elastic

plates against the floor and

ceiling.
— that the backing wall not be a masonry partition (5) — that the walls adjacent to the wall in question be heavy

(mass greater than 350 kg/m^)

Two examples of this type of solution are shown in Figure 1.

3. A light double partition of plasterboard, asbestos cement, or wood,

provided its impedance index, R, be on the order of 60 db(A), mounted very

tightly (particularly in contact with the upper floor)) in case the floors are solid slab of reinforced concrete at least 16 mm thick. This technique

is still fairly new, and it can be checked out by on-site acoustical measurements taken by an approved laboratory. (Consult the list in Cahier 72-54 bis:

"Label comfort acoustique". ) Considering lateral sound transmission, the

thicker the slabs, the better the sound insulation will be (6).

c. Use of 3-dimensional cells

These have proved to be an excellent means for providing the desired level

of sound insulation. To make quite sure you know precisely what you are

doing, refer to measurements taken by an approved laboratory (consult the

list in Cahier 72-54 bis, "Label comfort acoustique").

This solution offers the major advantage of providing insurance against most

of the potential sound-conditioning pitfalls listed below.

You must make sure that no indirect transmission will interfere with the

level of sound-conditioning you set out to achieve. Such unforeseen transmission may occur: — If two contiguous units are hooked up to a common ventilation duct

(either gravity or forced) . The best solution is to avoid such an arrangement by using common ducts only for superposed units.

Take care when designing exhaust systems not to use absorbent

material which can soak up and become impregnated with grease or

oil.

This situation, a very dangerous one from the point of view of fire

hazard—occurs when the absorbent material has a fibrous surface and

when it is not shielded against all deposits of grease or oil. The

absorbent materials built into the rear face of the moving parts of

exhaust vents are proof against such deposits, and are therefore

acceptable.

Such hazards are particularly dangerous in the kitchen, where a buildup can contribute to the rapid and unexpected spread of a fire.

To a lesser degree, this buildup can also occur in other service rooms

.
If, as a consequence of the enclosure of one or more pipes in the

chase space of a party wall, the mass of the wall is reduced;

When the mass of the wall is just sufficient for sound attenuation,

pipes must be backed up or fastened to the party wall, not incorporated into it;

The same holds true for installing electrical junction boxes, for

example. These must not be set facing one another, because that

would considerably impair the noise attenuation provided by the

party wall. To avoid this defect, we suggest that the thickness

of the wall never be reduced, in the case of small junction boxes,

to less than half its running thickness;

If there are ducts (heating ducts, for example) (7) running through

the party wall (Figure 2) without an airtight seal between the rooms involved (poor seal between duct and joint, or hollows between joint

and wall)

.

The best solution is to avoid any such run-throughs. If in a specific case they should prove to be inevitable, one remedy is to

fill in the empty spaces permanently with mineral fiber or other

flexible material. Another way is to use thin, flexible expansion

joints of the correct diameter for the run-through ducts;

If the party wall is traversed by heating ducts for very lightweight heating units, such as small convectors with large lightwieght

radiating surface, or radiators with large lightweight radiating

surface, thus constituting a microphone/ loudspeaker system. The

soundest solution, as we have said, is to avoid such run-throughs.

Another is to make certain in advance, by laboratory measurement,

of the isolating quality surrounding the system formed by the two

heating units mounted in exactly the same way as they will be

actually installed (insulation for this purpose must exceed the

desired final attenuating effect by around 5 db);

If the garbage chute serves the kitchens of two contiguous units.

Here again, you can make certain in advance, by means of laboratory

measurements, of the transmission system set up by the two doors on either side of the chute (one open, one shut). If this insulation

does not exceed the desired final level by at least 5 db, one remedy

is to remove the garbage chutes from the kitchens altogether, and

another is to shut them into a cupboard;

By light facades (panel facades, and particularly curtain facades)

when there is continuity of the elements of the facades running in

front of two juxtaposed units: Loss of noise attenuation may come from lateral transmission through the element itself (Figure 3)

,
1)emission

80d8/octove

PnOMiJKJlJlJiJJJf l. mmmrnEm

2) RECEPTION

~ 35 dB (A)

3)

Mur lourd en beton orme

non troverse par des

canalisations de chauffoge

1) EMISSION 80 dB /odave

£> 4t dBIA) 7 2)

Le bruit en reception

est done legerement

superieur a 41 dB (A)

(disons protiquement 42dB (AJ) 3)

Mur lourd en beton orme

traverse par une

canalisotion de chauffoge

Key:

(left)

1. Source 80 db/octave

2. Reception 35 db(A)

3. Heavy wall of reinforced

concrete, with no passthrough heating ducts.

Figure 2

(right)

1. Source 80 db/octave

41 db(A) /"noise at point of reception is

^slightly louder than 41 db(A)

'(let's say for practical purposes

.42 db(A)).

Heavy wall of reinforced concrete with one run-through heating duct.

:::?:

\{::::::::;:;::::J / j!!!!!iii!lfrTH::::::::::::i|

80 dB/

octave

35

dB(A)

BA de 0,2b leau leger filant devant le refend

Figure 3. Example of increased airborne noise transmission between units,

due to a light piece of woodwork running in front of the party

wall (measurements on site)

.

Key:

1. Light woodwork panel running in front of party wall.
and also from faults in the seal between the facade and the party

wall. Only on-site or laboratory measurements in a lab designed to

study lateral transmission can show whether this type of transmission,

in any given case, may be ruled out;

By the inside coffers of roll-up blinds serving two neighboring

units (an arrangement, once again, which has drawbacks other than

its deleterious effect on noise attenuation, such, for example, as fire hazard)

If there is a light horizontal partition (ceiling or slab, floating

or fixed) running continuously through the party wall. One remedy

is to design so that this partition is cut at right angles to the

party wall;

If, as in Figure 4, there are windows on either side of the party

walls whose openings are very close together (less than a few tens

of centimeters). One remedy is to run the party wall out beyond

the facade by a few decimeters, and to make sure the windows are

tight.

Figure 4

Key:

1. Housing units A & B

2. Loggia

3. Recommended remedy: Bay windows,

with maximum separation.

4. Casement windows

5. Party wall

6. Units A & B

j) Rtltni scporotil g) LOGEMENT LOGEMENT B
The presence of a building nearby which acts as a reflector, or direct view of one unit from another (which happens, for example,

when you have a right-angle plan) can considerably aggravate this

situation; — If large surfaces of light masonry walls (more than 5 m2) are in

contact with the party wall (see CSTB n° 748) . The loss of the

expected additional sound attenuation can run as high as S/15 to

S/10 in db(A) (where S is the total surface of the light partitions

in the units between which you are concerned with noise attenuation

(which is cumulative in the two units and is expressed in square

meters)

On the other hand, partitions with low radiation factors, such as those of plasterboard or those of high mass (at least 200 kg/m^)

,

create no such problems; — If, when the frames are removed from concrete work, the holes left are not filled in. This defect can be remedied by filling with mortar at

least half the thickness of the wall.

This list of causes for loss of sound attenuation

is not intended to be exhaustive.

1.3. bis. Separations Between Contiguous Housing Units Meeting

Acoustical Comfort Label Standards

1.3,bis.l. Semi-detached houses.

Double wall with complete separation (separate foundations) , with each wall

weighing at least 250 kg/m2, the space between walls being at least 1 centimeter at all points (8). Each wall must be plastered on at least one side.

1.3. bis. 2. Apartment building units.

Unless otherwise indicated, we assume that contiguous units have their party

wall between rooms used for the same purpose: bedroom against bedroom,

service room against service room, etc.

a. Double wall with total separation (separate foundations) , each

wall weighing at least 250 kg/m2, and the space between walls

being at least 1 cm at all points (8). Each wall must be

plastered on at least one face. For apartment units, this

solution applies to contiguous units whose party wall separates

rooms used for different purposes, as well as to those having

their party walls between rooms used for the same purpose.

10
b. An airtight wall with a mass of at least 450 kg/m2

, In the case

of units in a multiple-occupancy dwelling whose party wall

separates rooms used for the same purpose on either side:

Example: a wall of formed concrete 20 cm thick, set on both

sides;

Example: a wall of formed concrete 21 cm thick, without

openings or cracks.

c. In the case of units in a multiple-occupancy building whose

party wall separates rooms used for the same purpose on either

side:

An airtight wall whose mass is at least 350 kg/m2 backed by a tight flexible partition whose mass is at least 10 kg/m2 , under

the following conditions:

That there be no rigid bond or connection between these two

partitions, and that the space, d, between them be at least

, . .... 100

d, , greater than mass of backup element

(in kg/m2

) — That the space between the elements be filled with an absorbent

material, such as mineral or vegetable fiber, which cannot set

up a rigid bond between the walls (absorbent material is not

indispensable if one of the elements is of itself soundabsorbent: Fibragglo, for example);

The backup is not a masonry partition; — The adjacent walls are heavy (mass greater than 350 kg/m2 ).

Every care must be taken to avoid any indirect transmission of sound, such

for example as that cited in paragraph 1.3, the more so since the end in

view is more difficult to achieve.

You will see that solutions b and c are appropriate if the contiguous portions

of the units consist of rooms used for the same purpose (bedroom opposite

bedroom, living-room opposite living-room) . They may prove inadequate in

the case of a bedroom opposite a living-room.

d. Use of 3-dimensional cells

We have seen that these can be an excellent means of achieving the desired

level of sound-conditioning. To make perfectly sure you know what you are

doing, get acoustical measurements performed by an approved laboratory.

11
The great advantage of this solution is that it is a guarantee against most

of the possible sound-attenuation failures we listed at the end of section

1.3.

1.4. Acceptable Noise Barriers Between Units and Common

Interior Service Systems

A great many solutions are available, both for complying with the Code (see

Section 1.1.) and for reaching the performance levels stipulated for the

Acoustical Comfort Label.

We distinguish two cases: the first, in which no principal room is con- tiguous to a common interior service system, and the second, in which one such room is so.

1.41. There is no common wall shared by a principal room and/or a kitchen or common interior service system.

We can assume that the noise path runs through the hall door and the

communicating doors to each room.

This would indicate specifying noise attenuation coefficients for the hall

doors, including their frames: actually, any measurement of the noise

attenuation coefficient for the door alone would not tell us much about the

way that door is going to perform on site, when hung in its case.

For usual room volume and separating wall surfaces, sound insulation can be achieved:

a. With a hall or entry door of very high acoustical quality, by

which we mean one with a laboratory-measured noise reduction index, when

hung in its frame, of at least 33 db (A) for a noise rated pink at its

point of emission. (This calls for very carefully made seals, both for the

door and for its frame and jamb, and between the case and the wall. This means a nicely leveled floor, and careful protection of the door and its case prior to hanging.)

b. By surrounding the entry with absorbent material giving an equivalent area of absorption (9) of at least 3 square meters, which cannot

be blocked off by the furniture, and providing an entry door of good

acoustical quality with a noise attenuation rating, as measured in the

laboratory hung in its case, of at least 30 db(A) for a pink-rated noise

at point of emission.

The same caveats as to careful sealing and protection prior to installation

apply as listed above.

c. When each room in the unit has its own communicating door, and

the entry door has a noise attenuation rating, as measured in the laboratory

hung in its case, of at least 25 db(A).

12
The same caveats as to careful sealing and protection prior to installation

apply as listed above.

1.42. Main room shares a wall with part of the common interior

service systems.

It is preferable to have the common wall between a principal room and a circulation system a wall whose mass is at least 300 kg/m . Once you have

that, noise transmission will come mainly, as in the case above, through

the hall or entry door and the communicating doors.

1.4 bis ACL Standards for Noise Attenuation Between Dwelling Units

and Common Interior Circulation Systems

If there is a common wall between a principal room and some of the service

systems in the building, that wall's mass must be at least 350 kg/m2.

Noise transmission occurring in these conditions will come mainly through

the entry door, and can be cut down enough by one of the following solutions:

a. An entry door of very good acoustical quality, meaning one whose laboratory-measured noise attenuation rating when hung in its case

is 35 db(A) for a pink-rated noise at point of emission. This calls for

particularly careful sealing when the door is installed, both around the

door proper and around its case, and again between the case and the wall.

It requires a perfectly level floor and excellent storage and protection of

both door and case prior to and during installation;

b. The entry is surrounded with sound-absorbent materials providing

an equivalent area of absorption (9) of at least 3 square meters at all

frequencies (particularly medium and high) , and the entry door is of very

good acoustical quality as described in paragraph 1.41a (requiring special

care in sealing and protection)

c. Each room in the unit has its communicating door and the entry

door is of good acoustical quality, as described in paragraph 1.41b (requiring

special care in sealing and protection)

d. Each room has its own communicating door, the entry is surrounded

with absorbent materials providing an equivalent area of absorption of at

least 3 square meters at all frequencies (especially the medium and high

ones), and the entry door meet the specifications detailed in paragraph 1.41c

(requiring careful seal and protection)

13
1.5. Code Compliance Noise Attenuation Between

Superposed Units

These may consist of simple floors or compound floors (floor over separate

ceiling or with floating slab). These separations must be sealed airtight,

a condition absolutely necessary to provide the required noise attenuation.

a. Simple floor

Simple floors (examples: full slab of reinforced concrete, floor laid over joists, etc.) are floors whose components are rigidly fastened together. As

for simple walls, sound insulation between superposed units can be satisfactory provided the floor's mass is greater than 350 kg/m2. (10)

This is most readily achieved with a full slab of reinforced concrete 16 cm

thick, rough cast, or with a full slab of reinforced concrete 15 cm thick

which has been cement-set, polished, and covered.

b. Compound floor (covering over floor).

Insulation between superposed units can be satisfactory with an airtight

floor with a mass of 250 kg/m^ or more (.11) , covered with a floating flooring

such as parquet over floating joists or a floating slab, under the following

conditions

— That is to be laid over material flexible enough so that

static crushing under load is at least 1 mm, while still in the area of

elasticity; — That the volume enclosed between the floating floor and the

covering be, per square meter of floor, at least 1 cubic meter divided by

the mass, M, in kg/m2 } of the floating floor (example: for a floating slab

with a mass of 100 kg/m2; 0.01 cubic meters per square meter of floor,

which would mean a minimum distance of 1 cir between the floating slab and

the covering)

;

— That this volume be at least partially filled with absorbent

material such as mineral or vegetable fiber; — That there be no rigid bond (such as plaster sealant, mortar

spills, screenings, or rubbish) between the floating floor on the one hand

and, on the other, the structural members, the woodwork, the plumbing, the

door cases, and the sills (see REEF E 1, vol II, sections 4.41 and 4.42). — That the walls adjacent to the floor be massive (at least

350 kg/m2).

14
c. Compound floor (suspended ceiling hung from support)

Noise attenuation between superposed dwelling units can be satisfactory

with an airtight floor whose mass is at least 250 kg/m2

, backed by a flexible

(12) suspended ceiling, also airtight, under the following conditions: — That there be no rigid bond or fastening between the floor

and the suspended ceiling, and that the air-space, d, between the two be at

least

d ioo_ — mass of the suspended ceiling (kg/m2

)

This space must be filled, at least partially, with absorbent material,

usually of vegetable or mineral fiber creating no rigid bond between floor

and suspended ceiling. (The sound-absorbent material will not be required

if the suspended ceiling is itself sound-absorbent)

— That the walls adjacent to the floor be heavy (mass greater

than 350 kg/m2

)

Examples of compound floors can be seen in Figure 5.

1)

. Ploncher nervurl z&zzzzzz^zzzz&zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

\_Lottis 3)

* Plotre 4)

5)

Dalle pleinelOcm ou ploncher de masse superieure a 250 kq/m2

z

;30 wi;«3A%*>^v*y^*>:«*^^ ^500 ]

A\S-Lottis 6)

"1 VuPIatre 7)

\-Absorban1 " 8)

I

25

Figure 5. Compound floors providing good isolation between units

Key:

1. Floor on joists

2. Absorbent material

3. Lath

4. Plaster

5. Formed slab 10 cm thick or floor with mass greater than 250 kg/m2

6Lath

7. Plaster

8. Absorbent material

15
d. Use of 3 dimensional cells.

It has been found that these can be an excellent way to provide the desired

noise reduction. To be absolutely sure of what you are doing, rely on acoustical measurements taken by an approved laboratory.

This solution's great advantage is that it provides a guarantee against

most of the noise-attenuation pitfalls described below.

In all instances, care must be taken that no static transmission impairs

the noise attenuation you have set out to obtain.

By way of example, there may be major static noise transmission due either

to the floor plan (see first paragraphs) or to household appliances; — If the rooms are bounded by light masonry partitions, whose

cumulative surface S (cumulative, that is, for both the sound-source and

sound-receiving room) , can set up very serious lateral transmission if there

are many of them and if they have large surfaces, say greater than around

5 square meters. The noise reduction loss can run as high as S/15 to S/10

(see CSTB Cahier n° 748). On the other hand, partitions with a low radiation

factor, such as plasterboard or high-mass partitions (at least 200 kg/m2) do

not give rise to this problem; — If, in the case of an expansion joint, one of the walls on either side of the joint has a mass less than 200 kg/m2; — If there is an expansion joint inside a unit; — If there is a curtain wall common to both the superposed units.

The loss of noise attenuation can come from transmission through the element

itself (Figure 6) or from faults in the seal between the element and the

floor. Only measurements taken on site or in a laboratory equipped to study

lateral noise transmission can show whether or not the likelihood of this

kind of transmission is negligible in any given case;

— Couverlure en broi

5)

-Plancher

Popier bitumineux soutenu par une armature en metal deploye 7 ) ^ Mur rideau 8)

Figure 6. Major static transmission between

superposed units by reason of continuity of

the light curtain-wall (on the other hand, one may assume that noise transmission owing to

lack of seal is negligible thanks to the heavy

sand fill)

.

Key:

1. Tar or asphalt coating

2. Sand fill

3. Coffer 7. 4. Space of 3 to 5 cm

5. Floor

6. Coffer 8.

Tar paper supported

by a spread metal

grid

Curtain wall

16
— If the garbage chute goes through the kitchens without being

enclosed in a cupboard. Remedies for this are to be found in paragraph 1.3.: — If there is a technical sheath built of light materials without horizontal separation perpendicular to each floor (see Figure 7) . The

remedy here consists in cutting the sheath at each floor with a partition

which must be airtight (for both acoustical reasons and others)

—I —

' —\—I

1

! -r ^ —\

-'

/ 1

'

r —

f

/ s?

•

/ N

'/

1 5 2' 5( to00 zoDO •0:oh

l)La difference entre (i) et (2) est suffi- sante pour que Ton puisse considerer que

la faiblesse de l'isolemem (2) soit uni- quement imputable a la transmission par

la gaine technique visitable.

ZJCourbe (1) : Isolement entre locaux non

desservis par cette gaine

3)L'isolement vaut 44 dB (A), pour un bruit emis rose

4/Courbe (2) : Isolement entre locaux desservis par cette gaine (voir dessin ci- contre)

5)L'isolement tombe a 34 dB (A) pour un

bruit emis rose

Figure 7. Airborne noise transmission through a technical sheath serving

superposed units.

1. The difference between (1) and (2) is enough to allow you to assume that

the inadequacy of the isolation (2) may be charged solely to noise transmission through the accessible technical sheath.

2. Curve (1) : Isolation between units not served by this sheath

3. The isolation is rated at 44 db(A) for a pink noise at the source.

4. Curve (2) : Isolation between units served by this sheath (see drawing

at right).

5. Isolation drops to 34 db(A) for a noise rated pink at the source.

6. Access panel (wood, 10.5 m2. ) 7. Sheath for ducts.

17
i

i

| ~i "T

-^1 3

r""

1-

"i

«

i

•' ' -* z

: -7lb -=>~''"J"/

' S\ 1

> \ ,'.J \ /

N / V y X J'

J *\~r

1 Y

?

t1

j

i 1 1

Zj The difference between isolations (1) and (2)

H is enough to permit the assumption that the

inadequacy of the (2) isolation is due solely

to the duct.

125 250 500 1000 2000 4000

Curve (1) : between bedrooms (no duct)

The insulation is rated at 50 db(A) for a noise

rated pink at its source.

Curve (2) : Between kitchens served by the same single ventilation duct whose interior surface

is smooth.

The isolation is rated at 41 db(A) for a noise

rated pink at its source.

Figure 8. Standardized noise attenuation between superposed units

18
— If, with gravity ventilation, two rooms of the two superposed

units are tied into a single collective duct whose inner surface is smooth;

remedies for this may be:

install individual ducts,

ducts which are fairly flat in profile and have numerous

joints can prove satisfactory from the acoustical point of

view. — With forced ventilation, small sections of openings can, in some cases, provide the desired noise reduction between superposed units

tied into the same duct. More precisely, and for a given outlet, the difference, 6, expressed in db(A) for a pink noise between the level of

reverberated pressure, L

p

, in the source room and the level of acoustical

power transmitted to the receiving room, P, at the outlet and an increasing

function of the output, Q, produced by the outlet (or we might say that 6 is

a decreasing function of the free section, s> of the air passage). As a rule you have: 6 = K + 10 log P - 20 log Q. Of course the idea is to make

sure that K is as great as possible.

If you have measurements that give you 6 directly under the airflow conditions that will prevail during normal use, you need to have a 6 of at least

51 db(A), so that the effect on sound attenuation between the superposed

units using the forced ventilation system will not have any adverse effect

on regulation levels of noise attenuation.

If you do not have such measurements available, we suggest that you follow

these recommendations: — Limit the section, S, to 35 cm. This will often entail a pressure drop at the outlets of at least 70 Pa; — Make the outlet cores sufficiently sound-absorbent. The

minimum is either plain 1-mm sheet metal or a single sheet of 3-mm plastic.

The insulating quality of the core is the more necessary if it is attached

at a central point; — Make sure your ducts for individual tie-ins do not exceed

130 mm in diameter; — If there are ducts (for example heating ducts) running

through the party wall and thus causing noise transmission, either because

of their poor seal or because of their slight surface (as in downspouts or wastepipes) , or again because of the slight surface of the equipment they

feed (heaters, such as radiators or convection units ).

19
To avoid these hazards, encountered in central hot-water heating systems,

one remedy is to use heavy heating units or heating units that have been

laboratory tested for low "intercom" rating.

One remedy, which is efficacious mainly if the transmission is caused by

defective seal around the plumbing, is the use of simple, thin sleeves

tightly fitted to the diameter of the rising pipes. Another remedy is to

house the plumbing in a sheath (say 10-mm plasterboard or asbestos cement)

,

and fill the space between the sheath and the pipes with mineral fiber.

Still another might be to arrange the distribution ducts star-fashion around

a point which is not noise-sensitive, such as a landing or a cupboard; — If the flue-spaces have been inadequately filled in. So as not to ruin the vertical insulation, the fill must be heavy. For example,

it is a certainty that using building rubble as fill will give very poor

results.

(The foregoing list of causes of noise reduction is not intended to be

exhaustive.

)

1.5 bis ACL Standards for Noise Attenuation Between Superposed

Dwelling Units

In the case of apartment units in which the plan is identical on all floors: — A simple airtight floor with a mass of at least 450 kg/m , such as a reinforced concrete slab 20 cm thick, smoothset and covered, or

a 21-cm rough-poured slab; — A floor whose mass is at least 350 kg/m2

, airtight, covered

by wooden flooring on floating joists or by a floating slab, under the con- ditions listed in paragraph 1.5.b. — A floor with a mass of at least 350 kg/m2 , airtight, backed

with a suspended ceiling under the conditions set forth in paragraph 1.5.c. — The solution suggested in paragraph 1.5.d., on condition that

the mounting of each cell upon the one below it is elastic enough.

Most particular care will of course be taken to avoid all

static sound transmissions, such, for example, as those

listed at the end of paragraph 1.5.

1.6. Code Compliance Sound Attenuation Between Dwelling Units and Premises

Destined for Other Use.

The noise reduction requirement is 5 db higher than that required between

dwelling units. This level of noise reduction can be obtained by:

20
— A wall with a mass of 350 kg/m^, airtight, backed with a flexible (13) tight panel with a mass of 10 kg/m2, under the following

conditions: — that there be no rigid bond or fastening between the two

walls, and the space between them be at least (14) equal to:

100

(cm) mass of the backing element (in kg/m^) — that the space between the elements be filled at least partially with a sound-absorbent material, preferably one with a mineral or vegetable fiber base, which cannot set up a rigid bond between the walls.

(It is not necessary to have this absorbent material if one of the elements

is itself absorbent) — that the backing wall not be a masonry wall; — that the adjacent walls be heavy (mass in excess of 350 kg/m2) — A floor with a mass of 350 kg/m2, airtight, and topped with

a floating floor or backed by suspended floating ceiling, under the conditions set forth in paragraphs 1.5b and 1.5c.

1.6 bis ACL Standards for Sound Attenuation Between Dwelling Units

and Premises for Other Use

We would cite, in the case of juxtaposition, the solution described under

sub-paragraph a of paragraph 1.3 bis. For the case of superposition, we would advise the technique known as box-in-box (REEF, volume II, "Acoustics,"

Chapter E.I.).

21
2. PROTECTION AGAINST IMPACT NOISES

2.1. Review of Code Requirements (order of 14 June 1969)

The noise attenuation provided by covered floors must be such that the

standard impact (tapping) machine, placed at any point in the unit, not cause a noise level in the main rooms of adjacent units in excess of 70 db(a).

2.2. Vertical and Diagonal Transmission of Impact Noises.

It must be emphasized that an impact on the floor of a room is heard on the

floor below (15) not only in the room immediately beneath it, but also

the rooms contiguous to it, since the transmission takes place on the diagonal.

Assuming that the floor plan of the apartments is identical on every floor, we must consider two types of impact noise transmission:

a. Impact noise transmitted from one main room to the main room

directly below it;

b. impact noise transmitted diagonally, particularly from a service

room to a principal room on the floor below which is contiguous to a service

room.

2.3. Floor Assemblies Providing Protection Against Impact Noise

Insofar as concerns the transmission of standardized impact noise, satisfaction may be achieved with the following solutions:

1. A slab of poured concrete whose thickness, e, is at least 16 cm, with

a covering whose a index of impact sound pressure improvement is at least

37 - e (example: a 19 withanl8-cm poured concrete slab); e is expressed

in cm (16) .

2. A floor and covering assembly for which laboratory measurements have

shown that the adjusted overall level (A) of standardized impact noise,

22
Ln (17) which it transfers does not exceed 70 db(A). However, if the

receiving area contains three light masonry partitions with large surfaces

(more, say, than 5 m2 each), the expected result may not be achieved.

3. In the case of diagonal transmission (of impact noise, coming for

example from a service room and received in the main rooms) , if the service room is separated from the main rooms by means of light masonry partitions,

refer back to the two preceding paragraphs.

4. If the problem is one of diagonal transmission, if the service room is

separated from the main rooms by a low-radiation light partition (thin

sheets of plasterboard or asbestos cement panels or particle board) , whose

thickness, e, is at least 16 cm, topped with a covering whose a index is

at least 35 - e , or a poured concrete slab at least 16 mm thick with a covering whose Ln

is no more than 72 db(A).

5. In the case of diagonal transmission, if the service room is separated

from the main rooms by a heavy wall (at least 250 kg/m2) , a poured concrete

slab 16 mm thick with a covering whose Ln over a standard slab is less than

76 db(a).

2.3 bis Floor Assemblies to Meet ACL Standards

Label standard can be achieved with:

1. A poured concrete slab whose thickness, e (at least 16 cm), plus a covering whose index, a, of improvement of acoustical protection against

impact noises is at least 39 - e (e expressed in cm).

2. A floor assembly for which laboratory measuresments have shown that the

adjusted overall level (A) of standardized transmitted impact noise, Ln , does

not exceed 67 db(A).

3. In the case of diagonal transmission (for example, of impact noise

generated in a service room and transmitted to main rooms) , if the service

room is separated from the main room by a light masonry partition, refer back

to the two preceding paragraphs.

4. In the case of diagonal transmission, if the service room is separated

from the main rooms by a light partition with a low reflection factor (thin

sheets of plasterboard, or of asbestos cement, or of particle board), con- sider a poured concrete slab whose thickness, e, is at least 16 cm, coupled

with a covering whose a index is at least 37 - e, or a poured concrete

slab 16 cm thick coupled with a covering whose Ln does not exceed 70 db(A), or a 20-cm concrete slab covered by a ground surface whose Ln does not

exceed 73 dB(A).

5. In case of diagonal transmission, if each service room is surrounded with

heavy walls (at least 350 kg/m^) , a poured concrete slab 20 cm thick

coupled with a covering whose L on a standard slab is less than 76 db(A).

23
6. In the case of diagonal transmission, if every service room is separated

from the main room by a heavy wall (at least 250 kg/m2

) , a poured concrete

slab 16 cm thick coupled with a covering whose Ln on a standard slab is less

than 74 db(A). This case might also apply, for instance, to noise from an outside landing heard in a principal room.

7. An expansion joint between the source of impact and the reception of

impact noise. This could be the case particularly in neighboring singlefamily dwellings.

enclB(A)

••_s t ... A ,_ _,_^_ J ! i

' v<±

s£VS

LI

N

S

i io ao H 40 H

Ratio between index L and index a for floorings other than floating slabs,

:::::::::: ::;::::: :::::::::"!": :::::::::: ::::::::::

....... 1

,

. -L . ,.|. L . _. . - 4

Ratio between index L and index a, for floating slabs. n

24
Table 1 Some Floor Coverings Tested at CSTB

Floor Coverings

Standard

Impact noise

Level L, in

db (A) on a Full slab of

Reinforced

Concrete

1 )Moquette courante sur thibaude ou sur sous-couche alveolaire . .

2 )Tapis a velours nappe ou implante

3)Tapis vinylique homogene pose par tension entre plinthes sur thibaude de feutre de 8oo g/m2 4 )Tapis aiguillete, avec envers mousse 5 )Dalle flottante 4 cm beton arme sur 1 cm de fibres minerales longues

OjTapis caoutchouc a sous-couche cellulaire de 2 a 3 mm

7 )Parquet par panneaux, flottant sur 2 cm de sciure de bois impre- gnec au bitume

g\ Parquet a lambourdes flottantes sur bandes de feutre liege bitume

(grains de liege de 4 mm), ou sur panneaux legers de I cm

d'epaisseur en fibres de bois impregnees au brai 9 ) Parquet par panneaux, flottant sur panneaux legers de I cm

d'epaisseur en fibres de bois impregnees au brai 10 ) Tapis aiguillete, sans envers mousse 11) Dalle flottante 4 cm beton arme sur grains de liege colles sur feutre bitume (epaisseur de la sous-couche 13 mm)

12 ) Tapis vinylique sur semelle alveolaire, epaisseur totale 3 a 4,2 mm

13) Parquet a batons rompus poses directement sur le plancher ou

avec interposition de sable ou de panneaux legers de fibres de

bois 14) Tapis vinylique sur semelle alveolaire et carton d'amiante. Epais- seur totale 3,2 a 3,5 mm

15) Dalle flottante 4 cm en beton arme sur grains de liege colles sur

feutre bitume (epaisseur de la sous-couche 8 mm)

16) Tapis vinylique sur feutre jute 700 g/m2 17) Dalle flottante 4 cm en beton arme sur 2 cm de balle de riz liee au bitume

18) Dalles vinyliques de 2 mm sur sous-couche de 2,8 mm en granules de fibres de bois : . . 1" ) Tapis vinylique sur feutre synthetique (polyester) 20) Parquet a l'anglaise sur lambourdes simplement posees sur le plan- cher ou fixees a lui (par clouage special ou scellement au platre ou au bitume)

21) Chape asphalte de 20 mm sur deux cartons feutres de 360 g/m2

, revetue de vinyl amiante 22) Parquet mosaique colle sur panneaux legers de 1 cm d'epais- seur en fibres de bois impregnees au brai

58 a 66

58 a 68

62 67 a 71

63 a 68

67 a 69

66

67 a 75

70

7i 69 a 72

7i

72

70 a 72

40 a 55 54 a 55

52 53 a 58

55 a 60

57 a 61

a Index

30 a 40

29 a

32

30

26 a 31

25 a 30

24 a 27

24 a 28

22 a

23

26

20 a 25

22 a 25

21 a

2

23

16 a 22

20

18 a 21

19

20

19 a 21

Noise

Attenuation

(Standard

Impact)

In db(A)

28 a 43

28 a 29

31 25 a 30

23 a 28

22 a 26

17 a 25

15 a 25

21

12 a 16

15 a 20

14 a 16

17

8 a 16

13

12

11 a 14

11 a 13 (Table continued on next page)

25
(Table 1 Continuation)

23)

24)

25)

26)

27)

28)

29)

30)

31)

32)

33)

34)

35

Dalles vinyliques a semelle chargee en liege, l'epaisseur de la semelle etant 2 mm

Parquet a batons rompus en chene pose a bain de bitume

Dalle flottante 4 cm beton arme sur tapis de fibres vegetales 1 cm

Parquet mosaique colle sur liege agglomere 2 a 4 mm

Tapis vinylique a semelle alveolaire et carton d'amiante; epais- seur totale 2 a 2,2 mm

Tapis thermoplastique sur carton feutre 500 g/m2 Dalles vinyliques sur semelle chargee en liege, l'epaisseur de la semelle etant 1,5mm

Gres cerame colle sur sous-couche de 8 mm a base de liege realisee in situ Parquet mosaique colle Dalles en caoutchouc plein, epaisseur 334 mm

Linoleum

Tapis vinylique calandre sur support textile Tapis ou dalles plastiques sans support textile ni sous-couche

elastique incorporee

71 a 73

75

76

77 a 80

76 a 78

80

18 a 19

15

12

439

5 a 10

i*5

10 a 12

3 a 6

537

3

Erratum septembre 1976 Key:

1. Ordinary carpet over horsehair or waffle padding

2. Wall-to-wall nap velour carpet

3. Homogeneous vinyl flooring, wall to wall, laid over felt weighing 800 g/nr

4. Foam backed knotted carpet

5. 4-cm floating slab of reinforced concrete over 1 cm of long mineral fiber

6. Rubber carpet over a 2 or 3 ran cellulose pad

7. Wood flooring panels floating on 2 cm thickness of bitumen-impregnated

sawdust

8. Floor laid on floating joists over bitumenized corked felt (cork granule

size 4 mm) , or over light 1-cm panels of tar-impregnated wood fiber

9. Panel flooring, floating on light 1-cm panels of tar- impregnated wood

fiber

10. Non foam backed knotted carpet

11. Floating slab of reinforced concrete 4 cm thick over roofing felt coated

with ground cork (thickness of padding 13 mm)

12. Waffle-backed vinyl carpet, total thickness 3 to 4.2 mm

13. Herringbone wood parquet laid directly on the under-flooring or over

sand or light wood fiber panels

14. Vinyl carpet on waffle and asbestos backing total thickness 3.2 to 3.5 mm

15. 4-cm floating slab of reinforced concrete over roofing felt coated with

ground cork 8 mm thick

16. Vinyl carpet on jute felt, weighing 700 g/m^

17 « 4-cm floating slab of reinforced concrete over 2 cm of asphalt-bonded

rice hulls

18. 2-mm vinyl tiles on 2.8 mm granulated wood fiberboard

19. Vinyl carpet on synthetic felt (polyester)

20. Plank flooring over joists either laid on the floor or attached to it

(specially nailed or sealed with plaster or asphalt)

26
21. 20 mm asphalt covering on two 360 g/m2 felt layers, covered with

vinyl asbestos.

22. Mosaic parquet glued onto light 1-cm panels of asphalt-impregnated

f iberboard

23. Vinyl tiles on impregnated cork backing, with a backing thickness of 2mm

24. Oak herringbone parquet laid in hot asphalt

25. 4-cm floating slab of reinforced concrete over 1-cm pad of vegetable

fiber

26. Mosaic parquet glued onto cork board 2 to 4 mm thick

27. Vinyl carpet with waffle and asbestos backing; total thickness

2 to 2.2 mm

28. Thermoplastic carpet on 500 g/m2 felt backing

29. Vinyl tiles on cork- impregnated backing, with a backing thickness

of 1 . 5mm

30. Stoneware glued on site to an 8 mm cork-based backing

31. Glued mosaic parquet

32. Rubber tiles, of 3 to 4 mm thickness

33. Linoleum

34. Vinyl carpet with textile backing

35. Plastic carpet or tiles with no woven backing or bonded flexible

backing

27
3. PROTECTION AGAINST PLUMBING AND APPLIANCE NOISES

3.1. Review of Code Requirements (orders of 14 June 1969 and 2 2 December 1975)

In principal rooms, the common services in a building must not generate a noise level greater than 30 db(A), and individual equipment (outside the

unit) must not generate noise levels there in excess of 35 db(A).

In kitchens, the individual or collective equipment of a building must not

generate a noise level in excess of 38 db(A), and forced mechanical ventilation (meaning kitchen vents) must not generate noise levels in excess of 35

db(A) (with the vent set at LOW).

3.2. General Remarks on Room Arrangement and Fixture Design

Floor plans have a major impact on noise transmission from appliance operation. Hence you cannot hope to have good results without taking properly

planned and very special precautions, if you set the kitchen, the bathroom,

or the powder room of one unit next to or atop the bedroom of another, or if

you set the kitchen next to the bedroom in a single unit, or if you set the

bedroom opposite a stairwell or elevator shaft.

The design of plumbing, air conditioning, and heating fixtures as well as placement of household appliances is critical to noise transmission, owing

to the strictness of code requirements.

It is very helpful of the manufacturers of plumbing fixtures, air conditioning, and appliances to supply the acoustical specifications of their products,

particularly in case there is a testing code to determine such specifications

in the laboratory (example: tap noise, AFNOR NF S 31-014 to 31-016).

3.2. bis General Remarks on the ACL Standard

The foregoing considerations are the more cogent if you plan to achieve the

Acoustical Comfort Label.

3.3 (and 3.3. bis) Common Equipment and Systems

28
Protection against noise from this equipment depends both on the acoustical

power of the equipment and on the noise impedance between it and the main

rooms. This boils down to saying that building installations will be satisfactory if their distance from the principal rooms is a function of the noise

they generate. So when they are particularly noisy, you can prudently relegate them either to areas which are not contiguous to the dwelling units, or,

under certain conditions, to the roof. (18)

If the building equipment is tucked into the dwelling building itself, the

solution will call for more careful and complete, and hence more difficult

sound attenuation.

3.31 (and 3.31 bis) Elevators

Builders are advised (as noted in Section 3.2.) to consult the elevator manufacturers for information as to noise (machinery noise, noise from tracks,

noise from opening doors, noise from tripping switches, etc...). Experience

has shown that there are indeed manufacturers who can build absolutely silent

elevators. In any case, it is indispensable that the machinery (motors,

winding gear, pulleys) rest on a vibration-proof base and that the various

tracks and contacts be designed to avoid audible vibrations or door-closing

noise. Once in service, retention of elevator acoustical quality will be

subordinate to proper operating maintenance.

3.32. Heating Installations

When the heating system is noisy, the reason may often be found in: — the main heating element if, for example, there are identifiable

resonance frequencies for the burner and for the combustion chamber; — in ancillary installations, such as circulating pumps and fans; — in fuel-delivery noises, if the fueling chute or feed pipe is

located near housing windows.

All these noises are propagated in very different ways: noise may be airborne (top and bottom ventilation) , spread through walls or through the

structure, and through plumbing and wiring conduits. As a result, no matter

what the heating plant's location may be in relation to the housing units,

the following common conditions must be met if the heating system is not

to be a source of acoustical problems: — chimneys and flues detached from the residential buildings (although

peak-load backup equipment is acceptable); — air intake ducts equipped with silencers which must be the more

effective the larger the solid angle of overlook onto these ducts

from housing units. For this purpose, clusters of sound-absorbent

materials may be used, or the air intake ducts may be located toward

non-occupied areas (a highly desirable design arrangement).

29
— the fuel input chute or feed pipe can be placed at some distance

from the facades of housing units.

Assuming that all these conditions exist simultaneously, there are possible

solutions for limiting direct sound transmission from the heating system to

the dwelling units (see Figure 9)

00

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chauffer iea dans 1'etat des )Qf0i5 50Up les. actuel de (a technique)

70 10000 20000 ^ power rating of heating plant (kW)

Figure 9

Key: (1) Heating plant in its own special building, independent of residential units and surrounded by heavy walls and roof.

(2) Heating plant on a floating slab on the roof, and heating plant

inside the residential building, but below a unit not planned

for residential use.

(3) Heating plant contiguous to a residential unit, but surrounded

with heavy walls backed by flexible partitions.

(4) Noise threshold not exceeded by 2/3 of the heating plants built

at the present state of technology.

these consist either in reducing the noise at its source (19) or in placing the heating system at some distance from the

housing units; for example, the main heating system may be

housed in a special building with heavy walls and roof, or it

may be buried beneath a heavy cover; you will note that quite

often, if the building contains large expanses of window in

its outer walls, the quiet of nearby dwelling units is thereby

compromised.

30
b. others consist, in case it is impossible to adopt the foregoing arrangements, in increasing the acoustical isolation as well as taking heightened precautions against vibration between

the heating plant and the dwelling units. Apparently this is

possible only if the power rating of the heating system is

relatively low, and under the following conditions:

b.l. Precautions against vibration noise (apartment building

conditions) — the circulation pump is the right size and is set to operate

at optimum speed; it is installed on a base separated from

the floor and, upstream and down, its ducts are equipped with

flexible mufflers so as to avoid propagation of vibrations

through them; it is not advisable to use motors running faster

than 1500 rpm. — all ducts are separated from the walls and floors by means

of collars, studs, soffits, pegs, etc., as well as vibration damping fasteners.

If there are clusters of electric fans, they must be mounted on floating slabs

or on equivalent bases such as "Silent-Blocs," and be separated from the ducts

by flexible sheathing.

b.2. Insulation against airborne noises between heating

systems and dwelling units.

Without prejudice to the "common" precautions cited earlier in this section,

the following precautions may offer solutions to the problem posed in the

following cases:

In the case of a heating system on the roof, one solution might be to mount

the system on a heavy floating slab (or something equivalent, such as a floating caisson), making sure that the ceiling of the housing units underneath

the heating plan has a mass of at least 350 kg/m .

In the case of an underground heating system, one solution is to put it beneath a floor not occupied for residential purposes (technical or commercial

premises, lobby, etc.).

In the case of a heating plant located directly beneath (or contiguous to) a dwelling unit, the acoustical problem is very difficult if not impossible

to solve if the heating element is noisy (noise level in the boiler greater

than the order of 85 db(A); for this problem, see Figure 9.)

One solution for solving it, if the noise level at source is below the threshold level, could be to surround the heating plant area with heavy walls of at

least 500 kg/m^ and a sealed, flexible (12) suspended ceiling (for the upper

covering of the space), and by flexible (13) sealed partitions (for the walls):

31
2 with both ceilings and walls having a mass of 10 to 20 kg/m and being at

least 10 cm distant from the walls they back, the space between them being

completely or partially filled with sound absorbent material. The bond between each backing partition and its parent wall should be as loose as possible (see Section 1.6). The insulation must not be vitiated by holes,

fastenings, suspension brackets, or pass-through plumbing or ducts...

3.32. bis Heating Installation

The precautions listed in Section 3.32 must be the more scrupulously observed

if your target is the quality called for under the Acoustical Comfort Label

standard. For example, the arrangements described in the last paragraph of

Section 3.32 are appropriate only if the noise level inside the heating en- closure does not exceed 80 db(A).

3.33 (and 3.33 bis) Water Pumps

If there are such devices (such as pressure-boosters) , the antivibration precautions set forth in paragraph 3.32, 1 are applicable.

3.34 (and 3.34 bis) Precautions Against Expansion Noises

One solution is to allow free expansion in the hot-water pipes. This can be

achieved by means of supports allowing slight longitudinal play, by curved

shapes designed for the purpose (loops, elbows, goosenecks, etc.). An additional precaution is to make sure that the water temperature in the pipes is

not subject to major variations.

3.35 (and 3.35 bis) Mechanical Ventilation Equipment

Remember that the usual arrangement, which changes the entire volume of air

in the main rooms once an hour, involves removing the air from the service

rooms and allowing fresh air to move naturally into the main rooms to fill

the slight vacuum set up by the exhaust fans. However, there is no reason why you should not consider simultaneous mechanical exhaust and input of air

(which will let you recover the heat from the exhaust air and send it back

to the apartment through a heat exchanger via the fresh-air ducts which will

have been more or less warmed in the process. This can be an excellent way

to conserve energy.)

Noise sources may be: — noise from the fan itself coming through a solid material (vibrations

caused by the fan's turning out of true) or through the air, either

through the ducts (against the airflow) or through the party wall if

they do not provide enough isolation. Noise may enter the apartments

in the ventilated building as well as nearby buildings exposed to

direct external transmission of the ventilator noise (20).

32
— Airflow through the ducts, and particularly through the outlets.

To cut down ventilator noise transmission through the structure, the preferred

solution is to mount the fan on a floating slab (21), or on equivalent arrangements such as vibration-absorbing legs.

To derive full advantage from this arrangement, there will be flexible couplings between the ducts and the suspended equipment, except of course in cases where the ducts are already detached from the motor/fan complex (whether

the latter be "floating" in its caisson, or placed on a floating floor or on anti-vibration legs, forming a sealed low-pressure space in which the ducts

begin and end. In this case, you will need flexible couplings between this

space and the fan, on the air exhaust side.)

When the flow-rate of the air through the ducts or outlets is high, it can,

particularly if it encounters obstacles such as inlets, elbows, bottlenecks,

or connections, cause noise due to turbulence. For acoustical reasons, but

also for others (such as fire safety or load loss) , the preferred solution

is to cut down the air flow rate in the ducts to a level (22) of 3 to 5 meters

per second, according to the diameter of the ducts and their placement (more or less distant from dwelling units).

As for the outlets, manufacturers should advise as to the acoustical power

level in db (A) under the specified airflow conditions (and that level must

be below 35 db(A) for minimum output in kitchens).

Lacking a measured value for the acoustical power level, we recommend limiting

the operating pressure drop at the vent to around 100 Pa.

For the fan/motor assembly, it is best if the manufacturers supply the measured values (in db(A)) of the acoustical power level radiating to the outside and generated in the ducts (counter to the airflow) under the specified

airflow conditions. These values must not exceed the threshold of around

60 db(A).

Otherwise, we shall assume that the fan/motor assembly is quiet in the case

of regular use of motors running slower than peak speed and at a steady rate,

with limitation on the absolute speed of the air as it emerges from the turbine. This will involve the necessity for simultaneously holding down its

two components:

a relative speed of the blades, which requires sufficient

turbine diameter (remember that the acoustical power output

of a fan is inversely proportional to 0^, where is the

diameter of the fan proper). The solution we suggest is to

calculate this minimum value, expressed in meters, by means

of the following formula:
and

3 = — for two-way fans,

for one-way fans.

Q is the maximum output of the fan (expressed in cubic meters per second),

meaning the output obtained when all the outlets are set for maximum output;

Q also taking leakage into account. See note (23)

b. the peripheral speed, no greater than around 12 meters per

second. Note that this involves a total pressure not in ex- cess of around 200 Pa.

The exhaust circuit must be very simple (you must rule out all unneeded elbows,

both for acoustical reasons and for reasons of operating economy and fire

safety), and big enough: avoid small housings with poor aerodynamic design;

they cause load losses which can be disastrous from the point of view of

energy consumption and from that of noise from the exhaust fan, emitted both

to the outside and running counter to the airflow in the ducts, and thence

into the rooms they serve.

We do not advise installing sound absorbents, even fireproof ones, in an

exhaust circuit (24), for reasons of fire safety.

Setting and balancing devices are not recommended because they can cause

noise. The fact is that you can always get along without them, if your

circuits are properly designed to begin with.

These tips should be amended as follows for the fresh-air intake circuits:

The drawbacks involved in noise absorbent substances disappear, thanks to

the relative cleanness of the air, given the express condition that they

do not crumble and fall apart in the airflow; elbows with or without absorbents may be advisable, if they do not give rise to sizeable additional load

losses (more than 5 Pa in all), so as to increase the noise attenuation provided by the outlets. The same attenuation obtainable with elbows can also

be obtained with absorbent-lined distribution boxes.

If there are balancing controls, they should be placed at some distance from

the air outlet, and sound-absorbent material should be interposed between

them and the outlet

.

34
3.36. Garbage Chutes

This convenience can be acoustically satisfactory provided it is mounted on

an air column which is itself mounted on a vibration-damping base, and is

not backed up against any wall of a main room in a residential unit, or against any wall which is a continuation of a main-room wall.

We recommend that individual garbage chute doors open only very slowly, without noise either on opening or on closing, and that the stopped plate at the

back of the chute be flexible enough to absorb any noise from falling trash.

3.4. Built-in Individual Fixtures

These include primarily plumbing installations (sinks, washstands, toilets,

bidets, bathtubs) and, sometimes, individual heating units.

3.41. Plumbing Installations

The generation and transmission of noise from these installations are complicated, and still not thoroughly understood.

Noise heard in dwelling units depends on the noise level emitted by the plumbing, the position of the service rooms in one unit in relation to the main

rooms in another, and on the kind of walls surrounding the principal rooms.

If you are concerned with the main rooms in a unit receiving this kind of

noise, you are dealing with diagonal noise transmission in the case of multistory buildings with identical floor-plans on each level, in which the units

presumably have their service rooms abutting their neighbors' service rooms,

and their main rooms abutting their neighbors' main rooms.

This means that the best chances for a solution to the problem posed by noise

transmission from plumbing or appliances from one unit to another consists in

acting simultaneously on all the factors involved: the noise source, the

structures, and the floor plan. The latter factor, if it is favorable, will

make your job of bringing the rest of the premises up to code a lot easier.

a. Steps to take about noise at its source

The use of quiet fixtures is highly recommended, as is limiting incoming

water pressure to a level not in excess of around 3 bar. To do this, there

are regulators or governors which can be used, provided they do not themselves

generate noise that can be heard in the apartments.

Noise from taps is measured in laboratories (CSTB, CEBTP), under conditions

laid down in Afnor standard NF S 31-014 and NF S 31-015. A tap is classified

by means of a curve representing the value D expressed in db(A), as a function of flow for a supply pressure of 0.3 MPa (3 bar). The higher than D

value, the quieter the tap.

35
Taps which have been awarded the NF seal are, additionally, classified according to the noise they generate and according to their maximum flow. Taps

whose D value is at least 25 db (A) are said to belong to Group 1 (meaning

that these are the best) , with the number I sometimes followed by the letter

A, B, or C, specifying the tap flow if it is equipped with an aerator.

Taps whose D rating is between 15 and 25 db (A) inclusive are said to belong

to Group II, with the number II followed by a letter as explained for Group I.

Taps whose D rating is below 15 db (A) cannot be granted the NF label.

A good solution is to use Group I taps with at most 3 bar pressure, which in

practice gives good results even if you do not follow the recommendations in

paragraph b.2. below. To reconcile the flow requirement with low noise, the

best way is to use taps in Group I C.

The fixtures themselves must not add their own noise to that of the taps, and

therefore must be even quieter than the taps. This is the case particularly

of compressors, stop-cocks, and pressure reducers such as water meters.

Standardization of testing procedures for these devices is currently under

study.

To avoid noises from the water supply pipes, it is best to make the pipe

sections ample (a water flow speed in excess of a V rating on the order of

2.5 to 3 m/sec is not recommended, since the flow rate even so will have to

be modulated according to the sections and installations considered in relation to their proximity to the principal rooms).

b. How to avoid noise transmission from fixtures through the

structure.

b.l. Avoid installing fixtures against walls surrounding a main room or, if this is not feasible, use the recom- mended remedies.

Avoid installing fixtures against or plumbing inside walls and floors adjoining a main room, unless you use properly designed devices for isolating

them permanently from the structure (see Figure 10 for examples) . In case you do use such devices (fill, collars, plugs, cases, fastenings, sheathing,

etc. specifically designed to minimize vibrations), they must be installed on heavy walls (at least 250 kg/m^). Another approach may be acceptable:

that is to back the wall on which your fixtures are installed with a cupboard or a built-in storage space with drawers, or to put a flexible facing over the entire surface of the wall on the main room side.

36
b-2. Mass of walls between main rooms and bathrooms

It is advisable, in the case of a multi-story building with identical floor

plans, to use walls with a mass of at least 250 kg per m2 between rooms which

are a source of fixture and equipment noises and the principal rooms. This

arrangement cuts down noise transmission from the service rooms to a level,

N, in the main rooms of the units to levels of N + 1, and is helpful for

other reasons as well. In this case it is possible to get satisfactory re- sults with taps rated NG Group II, with supply pressure of less than 0.3 MPa

(3 bars).

Collier 6)

Moteriou eiostiqu* ~) \ Conohsotiorif8)

1 baignoire encastree par des dispositifs antivibratiles 5 ) Materiau elastique intercale entre

canalisation et brides de fixation

Figure 10. Devices for isolating plumbing fixtures from the

structure.

Key: (1) bathtub surrounded by anti-vibration devices

(2) flexible joints

(3) air vents required for blocks of vegetable fiber

(4) Flexible plates of thick cork or rubber

(5) Flexible material interposed between pipes and clamps

(6) Collar (7) Elastic material (8) Pipes

3.41 bis Plumbing Installations Meeting Acoustical Comfort

Label Standards

Increasing the level of acoustical quality over the required levels heightens

the need for choosing quiet fixtures and holding water pressure down. In

addition to the recommendations already made in paragraph 3.41, it is advisable to cluster the service rooms and to surround the cluster with walls whose

mass is at least 350 kg/m .

37
3.42. Individual Heating Installations

If these are installed without proper anti-vibration precautions on a floor

or against a party wall, they may very often prove to be a source of excessive

noise in the adjoining apartments, owing to vibration set up in the floor beneath them. Simple precautions against vibration make it possible to reduce

this serious nuisance, but will do nothing about the noise level in the unit

where they are installed.

3.42 bis Noise in a Unit From Its Own Equipment

Cutting down such noises to acceptable levels makes it necessary to keep

acoustical factors in mind when selecting equipment such as individual heating installations. Sound isolation may be made doubly sure by placing such

equipment in appropriate locations (laundry-room, storage room, landing, etc.)

38
4. BIS SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ACOUSTICAL COMFORT LABEL: PROTECTION

AGAINST OUTSIDE NOISES

Protection against a noisy location can be approached in several ways, either

by improving the site (using screens, for example), or by careful building

design.

When possible, the best solution for protection against a specific outside

noise source is to set up a full screen (25) between the noise source and

the facades to be protected (26) . We know that when the view of all noise

sources is cut off from the entire facade of a building, the drop in noise

levels inside is about 7 db (A) from what it was before the screen was

provided. This diminution is generally even greater for units on levels well

below this limit of visibility (it is sometimes said that these units are in

the "shade zone."). This can be determined with CSTB Cahier No. 952.

Solutions in which protection is provided by the building itself may be one

of a combination of the following: — Use of balconies with full guard walls, or of loggias, lowers the

noise level by around 2 db(A) inside the units, provided the view

of the noise source is cut off along the entire bay, clear up to

the lintel.

The noise level inside the units can, under these conditions, be cut down by

around 2 db(A), if the reflection of incident sound waves on the underside

of the balcony (or loggia) of the floor above can be attenuated by means of

absorbers (see CSTB n° 901 for increasing sound isolation through the use of balconies and loggias)

— In case of units with two exposures, placing the service rooms on

the side toward the noise source and the principal rooms on the

quiet side: in many cases, these rooms are practically protected

already, since noise can reach them only by traversing the unit,

and will be diffracted around the building or reflected off nearby

obstacles if there are any (REEF, part E 1, Volume II, section 4.11).

This solution may be advantageous if the noise-exposed facade is in

Zone II of the ACL standard. We would further note that forced

ventilation of such units is highly recommended.

39
— Use of acoustically insulating facades: however, you must bear in

mind the fact that application of this solution raises a fundamental

problem, in that windows have two functions usually performed

only one at a time, rarely simultaneously:

when closed, they will in certain cases (see below) provide excellent

acoustical protection against outside noises;

when open, they still constitute the basic means for providing com- fortable temperatures inside the units in spring, summer, and fall,

but during those seasons they afford practically no acoustical

protection.

This means that the comfort of the people living in housing built in a noisy

location will depend on the way in which comfortable temperatures are maintained in spring, summer, and fall, since the windows have been placed so as

to provide protection against outside noises. In any case, this will involve

effective protection against the sun (except on North or Northeast exposures),

forced ventilation, and standby heating with individual thermostats in case

the main heat source is in the floor and/or ceiling.

One way to deal with this problem is by the use of forced air, either at a high rate of flow (provided you have taken the precautions outlined in Section 3.35), or pre-cooled by any one of several procedures (air from underground ducts, heated in winter and cooled in summer, or by heat exchange with

air almost saturated with humidity) . See the examples of solutions in Section

1.3 of II.

Once these precautions are taken, the noise attenuation effect of a facade becomes a significant factor in protection against outside elements, in relation

to human requirements in the way of noise levels and comfortable temperatures,

particularly in summer.

From the acoustical point of view, you will note that facades are made up of

glazed portions, opaque portions, and sometimes an air intake. Assuming that

the opaque portions are far more of a sound barrier than the glazed portions,

either because of their mass or because they act as a double wall (and here

we insert a reminder of the essential criterion of the mechanical independence

of such walls). Under these conditions, when the glazed surface amounts to

1/4 of the ground surface of the building, whose height to ceiling is assumed

to be 2.5 meters and whose reverberation interval is 0.5 seconds, you can achieve the following insulation levels in db (A) against source levels of

street traffic (measurements taken in the CSTB or CEBPT laboratory)

All these insulation levels are lowered by 1 db(A) if the ratio between glazed

and ground surface becomes 0.30, by 2 db(A) if the ratio becomes 0.40, and

by 3 db(A) if it becomes 0.50.

All these insulation levels are increased by 1 db (A) if the glazed surface is

only 1/5 of the ground surface, and by 2 db(A) if the glazed surface is no more than 1/6 the ground surface.

40
CIST— Glass thickness Isolement

(mm) Window frames dB (A) Air entry

3 Fenetre bois ' -L/ 24 NO

Single 3 Fenetre bois enrobe PVC, avcc joints (2 28 NO

8 Fenetre oscillobattante, avec joints (3) 29 NO

pane 8 Fenetre bois enrobe PVC, avec joints f^' 3i NO

3 + 5 + 3 Fenetre bois enrobe PVC, avec joints w ; 27 NO

3 + 2.5 + 3 + 2,5 + 3 Fenetre bois enrobe PVC, avec joints (5. 27 NO

6+12+6 Cadre fixe bois (6) 29 NO

8+21 + 4 Fenetre bois enrobe PVC, avec joints (5 . 33 NO

4+40+6 Fenetre bois Aratherm avec ou sans

volet roulant W ' 35 NO

5.5 +36+8 Fenetre bois Acotherm avec ou sans

volet 1 oulant ( 7 ) 35 NO

1 1 1 +* "1 T\ 1 **"* 4+45+6 Fenetre PVC Acotherm avec ou sans 35 NO uic lpxe volet roulant ( 8 ) panes 5 + 45+8 Fenetre bois Acotherm avec ou sans

volet roulant ( 7

)

36 NO

4+6+4+28+6 Fenetre bois rvcotherm avec ou sans

volet roulant ( ) 35 NO

5+45+5 Fenetre bois comportant deux ensembles de verres paralleles. coulissants ou fixes 31

(sans joints) NO

(9) 37

(avec joints) NONO

8+51+4 Fenetre bois Acotherm ( 10/ 37 NO

8+65+5 Fenetre coulissante aluminium (dormant

bois) Acotherm (11)

35 NO

~Ti27~

8+150+8 Fenetre bois enrobd PVC, avec joints 44 NO

4+ 150+4 Fenetre prototype CSTB (• nouvcau 44 oui""-^

Double composant facade ») (13) debit / , de 30 m3 /h( *> window sous 15 PaJ

12 + 110 + 8 Fenetre bois Acotherm avec ou sans

volet roulant ( 7 ) 45 NO

10 + 160 + 8 Fenetre bois Acotherm avec ou sans

volet roulant ( 7 .) 47 NO

Note 1. Bold-face numbers indicate air space between panes.

2. Acotherm windows listed are casements, unless otherwise indicated.

3. These noise attenuation ratings were laboratory-measured.

4. Rollup shutters with Acotherm windows were subjected to acoustical

studies and research.

Key: (1) Wooden frame (10)

(2) PVC-coated wooden frame, jointed (11)

(3) Casement window, jointed

(4) PVC-coated wood, jointed

(5) PVC-coated wooden frame, jointed (12)

(6) Fixed wooden frame

(7) Acotherm wooden window with or (13)

without rollup shutter

(8) Acotherm PVC window with or (14)

without rollup shutter

(9) Wooden window with two parallel (15)

glass assemblies, sliding or fixed

Acotherm wooden frame

Aluminum sliding window

with fixed Acotherm

wooden frame

PVC-coated wooden window,

jointed

CSTB prototype window

("new facade component")

YES Air entry 30 m

3 /hr

under 15 Pa.

Noise attentuation

(db(A))

41
These ratings hold only if no major indirect noise transmission markedly diminishes the isolation thus obtained. Such transmission may exist:

-- because of unimproved seal, or if seal is provided by materials which

are too light or not properly joined over too large a surface; — because of opaque walls (27) if their acoustical isolation index is no more than 10 or so db(A) better than that defined above (or even

12 db(A) or so if the glazed surfaces are small: example: less than

1/5 the ground surface)

;

— because of the rollup shutter cases if they are visible both from

inside and outside. One solution is to place the cases entirely outside the facade wall; another is to surround them with adequately

isolating walls and to pack absorbent material (mineral fiber) inside the cases; in the latter case, they can, if properly designed, serve as air intakes without any excessive increase in noise levels: — because of air intakes in the facade, unless these are equipped with

appropriate silencers (absorbent baffles, for example). The air intakes themselves must provide about 5 db(A) more sound isolation than

the target level. The problem is the more intractable in that, if

the building is in a noisy location, comfortable temperatures are

difficult to achieve in summer with the windows shut (to keep out

the noise), which implies very heavy flows through the air intakes;

there are solutions, though, both for Zone II and Zone I : soundproofed ducts, with or without branching; soundproofed shutter cases,

etc. See Cahier No 1308 and another forthcoming.

A straight duct, surrounded by suitable absorbent material, 300 mm long

and enclosing a 20-mm air intake, will be adequate in Zone II of the

standard.

A straight duct surrounded by suitable absorbent material, 550 mm in

length and including two elbows, containing an air intake 20 mm in

diameter, will be adequate for Zone II of the standard.

Figures 11 and 12 show schematic cross sections of the ducts described

here, using as their absorbent materials perforated sheets of bonded

rock wool with a bulk mass of 375 kg/m3.

Other solutions are possible (shutter cases packed with absorbent

material such as concrete mixed with wood chips). — because of fresh air intakes, if the intake mouth is exposed to

noise and if there are no absorbent materials in the circuit. — because of the roofing, if it is not heavy enough and if some of

the incident acoustical energy falls on it from above.

42
1

•, auvent

-exterieur regulateur

et 2)

diffuseur

Figure n

JL) auven

exterie

/'

m

^msmsii»

j222Z2gg§&j;

^8# P

regulateur

diffuseur

Figure 12

Key to Figures 11 and 12

(1) Exterior hood

(2) Regulator and diffuser

43
5. BIS SOUND CONDITIONING INSIDE A UNIT BETWEEN BEDROOMS AND OTHER ROOMS

Such sound conditioning, whose Label specification calls for 41 db(A) for a pink noise at the source, depends on the impedance capacity of the separating

wall between daytime and nighttime parts of the unit, if they are contiguous,

and on sound transmission through the corridor (or entry), which will depend

on the acoustical quality of the communicating doors. The resulting isolation cannot but be less than the lowest level of impedance in each of these

transmission channels, taken separately. It is less by around 3 db (A) for

the lowest of these impedance levels if there is only a very slight difference between them.

a. Case of non-contiguity between day and night sides.

The only noise transmission comes through doors; one solution is to provide

three successive doors between the rooms in question (this, for example, is

the case if there is a door in the corridor) , and another solution is to put

absorbent material on the ceiling of the corridor between the rooms whose

noise level you are trying to lower (an area of at least 3 m

z for medium

and high frequencies), with the space between each door and its surrounding

walls having a cumulative surface of less than 150 cm .

b. Contiguity between day and night sides.

In addition to the aforementioned precautions, it is recommended that the

separating wall between the day and night sides provide adequate impedance

itself. To achieve this you can use: — 2 a wall with a mass of 200 kg/m (example: 8-cm reinforced concrete); — a wall with an acoustical impedance rating of 43 db(A). Some models

of cupboard walls offer this level; — a wall made up of two sheets of plasterboard, separated by at least

6 cm with mineral fiber nailed to studs spaced at least 60 cm apart; — 2 a wall with a mass of 150 kg/m , with at least half its surface backed

with built-in storage cupboards that can be closed.

44
APPENDIX I

SPOTTING ACOUSTICAL DEFECTS IN A UNIT BY LOOKING AT

FLOOR PLANS AND DESCRIPTIVE SPECIFICATIONS

A. Inadequate protection against airborne noise transmission outside the

building if the building site is noisy . — Unit heated only by heavy radiating partitions (floor, ceiling,

and perhaps walls as well)

— Unit without controlled forced ventilation. — Facade containing large glazed expanses which do not meet the Aco therm

standard or light filler panels not specifically designed for

acoustical properties. — Thickness and nature of glazed expanse designed solely for mechanical or thermal purposes. (Presumption of inadequate sound attenuation quality)

— External woodwork meeting neither the A. 3 UEAtc tightness specification nor the Acotherm standard. — Air intake on the facade through openings which have not been soundproofed. — Rollup shutter cases built of light materials with no sound absorbent

packing. — Lightweight roofing (in case all or some of the noise sources radiate

toward the roof)

B. Inadequate protection against airborne noise transmission inside the

building

Coming from contiguous units:

45
— 2

Party wall not heavy enough (less than 350 kg/m ) when it is a simple wall. — Bedroom of one unit backed against a living-room or, even worse, a service room in an adjoining unit. (Presumption of inadequate protection. ) — In the case of a medium-weight wall backed with a light partition:

2 - the medium wall is not heavy enough (less than 150 kg/m )

- the distance between the two walls is too short:

100

d less than

cm mass of the backing partition (kg/m )

- no absorbent material between the two walls;

- backing or main walls of masonry. — In the case of a light double wall (unless demonstrated by laboratory

tests to have an adequate sound attenuation rating)

- wall (or walls) of masonry

- walls of identical thickness

2 - floors weighing less than 400 kg/m

- distance between walls too short

200

d less than

cm ' mass of the backing element (kg/m )

- no absorbent material in the space between the two walls. — Simple or compound wall of light masonry partitions with large surface, unless the wall is thickened to compensate. — 2 Party wall of mass less than 400 kg/m backed on both sides with

plaster sprayed over expanded polystyrene.

Other construction systems not warranted by acoustical isolation

measurements

— Transom or light facade panels running in front of party walls. — Facade panels whose seal with the end of the party wall is poor

(doubtful tightness).

46
— Windows on either side of the party wall whose openings are very

close together. — Floating slab on which a party wall rests. — Pipes passing through a party wall in a chase space which has not

been properly sealed. — Common ventilation duct serving the contiguous rooms of two units.

Noise from common service systems inside the building: — Wall separating a room in the unit from the service system not heavy

enough (less than 300 kg/m2

). — Very light entry door without tight joint, when each room has its own communicating door. — Entry door whose total noise attenuation rating is less than 35 db (A)

,

when not every room has its own communicating door.

Noise from units above or below: — 2 Floors not heavy enough (less than 350 kg/m )

— Floor plans not identical on all floors, giving rise to annoying

superpositions such that the bedroom of one unit is in the same vertical plane as a living-room or service room, unless of course

the floors have been reinforced to compensate for this. — Floor over which a floating surface is planned (slab or wood over

joists) or a suspended ceiling, when the mass of the floor is less

than 250 kg/m2

. — Ceiling rigidly suspended, or not tight. — Rooms bounded by large surfaces of light masonry. — Expansion joint running through a unit. — Expansion joint abutting a unit, one of whose walls on either side

of the joint has a mass less than 200 kg/m . — Eight light curtain wall running in front of the floor, not checked

out with on-site measurement of vertical sound projection. — Pipes or ducts running through the floor in an imperfectly sealed

conduit, or a flue space left open during construction and not subsequently filled in (case of technical shields)

47
— Common gravity ventilation duct built of prefabricated story-high

modules.

-- Forces exhaust intakes whose free section for airflow, s, is greater

than 35 cm^.

C. Inadequate protection against impact noise transmission from the floors

of units above

From principal rooms

— 2 Floor with an a less than 21 if the floor's mass is 350 kg/m . — 2 2 Floor with a less than 19 if the floor's mass is 350 kg/m to 400 kg/m , but less than 400. — Floor with an a less than 17 if the floor's mass is between 400 and

450 kg/m2

. — Floor with an a less than 25 if the floor's mass is less than 300

kg/m2

. — Floating floor whose specifications did not call for its installation

in compliance with the rules of the art, that is, installation is

calculated to avoid any possibility of movement by the floor.

From service rooms: — Floor whose a is not those cited above when the service rooms are separated from the main rooms by light partitions. — Main rooms situated beneath service rooms, unless the floors of the

latter have the same a as those of the main rooms. — Floating floor which has been integrated into the walls and floors by

service room plumbing or appliances, or by baseboards, or by any other means

In all cases where there are large surfaces of light masonry walls in solid

contact with the floors, unless the floors' a has been adequately increased.

D. Inadequate protection against transmission of operating noise

from fixtures and appliances .

HEATING PLANT — Heating plant housed in the building and abutting on units without

special precautions (an arrangement which is not as a rule recommended) . Putting Fibragglo against the lower face of the floor,

encased in the chase space, is never adequate.

48
— Heating plant housed inside the building but not abutting on any

units, although:

- the circulation pumps are in solid contact with the main walls and

foundations

.

- the flue is inside the building. — The heating plant is close to the building and has exhaust vents

directed toward building facades. — Heating plant close to the building and surrounded by light walls

with large surfaces (example: glazed walls). — Unsheathed ducts running through the walls.

FORCED VENTILATION INSTALLATION — Blowers in solid contact with main walls and/or foundation. — Blowers too small. — Flow rate of air too fast (over around 5 m/sec). (This also applies

to ducts on the roof.) — Exhaust vents whose free section, s, for air passage is greater than

35 cm2

.

PLUMBING — Pressure too high (over 3 bar) — Plumbing fixtures, including pipes, attached to light masonry walls. — Taps not NF rated.

GARBAGE DISPOSAL CHUTES

Chute backed up to a bedroom wall or—not quite so bad —to a wall of a living-room or to a wall of light masonry In solid contact with a bedroom

wall (unless, of course, the chute has been installed with special antivibration precautions).

ELEVATORS

—Cage backed up against a bedroom, unless there is adequate reinforcement of the wall between the cage and the bedroom.

49
E. Inadequate protection against airborne noise from in-bullding

business premises or parking garages — Garage or commercial premises located directly beneath or beside

dwelling units, without any reinforcement of the party wall. — 2

Party walls of inadequate mass (less than 450 kg/m ), and not backed. — Suspended ceiling or backing partition poorly mounted (example: a ceiling that is porous or rigidly mounted)

.

— 2

Light adjacent structures (less than 350 kg/m ). — Access ramp to parking garage located directly below dwelling unit

windows

.

50
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Facades

Interior walls (except chase spaces)

Chase spaces

Expansion joint

Floors

Entry door

Covering of floor above

Main rooms Other rooms Equipment

Electricity

Heating

Ventilation

Garbage chute

Elevators

Plumbing

Juxtaposed premises

Side transmission Sec. 1.3 (end)

Section 1.3 abc

Side transmission Section 1.3 (end)

Section 1.3b, first indent

Side transmission (section 1.2 (table))

Footnote (1)

Floating slab must not be shared by two or more units.

Section 1. 3 (end)

Run-through ducts Section 1.3 (end)

Noise transmission through ducts Section 1.3 (end).

Section 1.3 (end)

Superposed units

Side transmission

Side transmission

Side transmission

Section 1.3.b (2)

Section 1.5 abed.

Section 1.5 b

Section 1.5 b

Run-through ducts

Noise transmission through ducts

Section 1.5 (end)

Common interior circulation systems and housing unit

Section 1.42

Overall influence slight or nil

Section 1.4

Footnote (3)

Outside and dwelling unit

Section 4 bis

(52) Sun heating without backup

cooling Section 4 bis

(53) There must be forced ventilation Section 4-bis - 3.35

(54) Daytime and nighttime sides

of a unit

(55) Influence generally slight or nil

(56) Section 5 bis

(57) Influence generally benign for

2-story detached houses

Because of slits under the

doors, two doors are needed

between day-side and nightside.

Protection against airborne

noises between

Section 1.3 (end)

Section 1.5 (end)

Section 1.2 (table)

Section

Section

(end)

Section 1.5 (end)

Section 1.5 (end)

(47-51) Footnote (4)

52
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53
[Key to chart on preceding page]

(1) Facades

(2) Interior walls (except chase spaces)

(3) Chase spaces

(4) Expansion joint

(5) Floors

(6) Entry door

(7) Covering of floor above

(8) Main rooms

(9) Other rooms

(10) Equipment

(11) Electricity

(12) Heating

(13) Ventilation

(14) Garbage chutes

(15) Elevators

(16) Plumbing

(17) Section 2.3, indents 2,3,4,5

(18) Section 2,3, indents 2,3,4,5

(19) Abolishes practically all impact or equipment noise in a room separated

from the noise source by an expansion joint.

(20) Section 2.3

(21) Section 2.3, indents 1 and 2 (22) Section 2.3, indents 3, 4 and 5

(23) Garbage chute (V.O.)

(24) Influence might be benign if the garbage chute is on a loggia.

(25) Influence probable but little known

(26) Influence, probable but little known

(27) Influence probable but little known

(28) Section 3.36

(29) Elevators

(30) Influence probable but little known

(31) Influence probable but little known

(32) Influence probable but little known

(33) Section 3.31

(34) VMC.S. (forced ventilation and heating

(35) See observation 20. Section 3.3

(36) Influence if the machinery is contiguous to a housing unit.

(37) Influence probable but little known

(38) Influence probable but little known

(39) Section 3.35

(40) Heating

(41) Influence if the heating is outside the building

(42) Influence if the heating plant is contiguous to a dwelling unit.

Section 3.3.2.b.2.

(43) Influence probable but little known

(44) Section 3.3.2, and particularly 3.3.2.b.2.

(45) Section 3.35, 3.42 to 3.42 bis.

(46) Plumbing

(47) Very considerable influence

(48) Influence probable but little known

(49) Section 3.41 to 3.42 bis.

54
NOTES

See page 70 of Part E, Volume II, of the REEF (Building Sciences) on the effect of permeability on the acoustical impedance of a partition.

A flexible wall is one whose critical frequency is above 2,000 Hz. We

shall be using this definition throughout this text, Example: plasterboard 10 to 18 cm thick, or particle board 20 to 50 mm thick.

If, for example, the backup component weighs 13 kg/m^ , as plasterboard

does, the distance between the interior faces of the two components

must be at least 8 cm. The reason for this linkage between wall mass and spacing is that the resonance frequency of the mass-elasticity system, made up of the mass and

its imprisoned air, must not exceed around 60 Hz (see pp 71 and 72 of

Part E, Vol II, REEF.)-

Quite often, a closet or cupboard will make good backing, provided of course

that it covers the entire wall surface between the rooms to be isolated.

For example, such a rigid bond might be set up by too stiff a material

between the medium-weight wall and the backup wall. This is one of the reasons why expanded polystyrene is undesirable for the purpose, unless

it is selected from among the most flexible varieties. The other reason

is that this material is not an acoustical absorbent,

A double wall of light masonry, for example, each of whose

components weighs less than 150 kg/m2 5 whatever the material

may be, usually falls far short of providing the required

levels of isolation, owing to side transmissions. The only

way to deal with these is to take very special precautions

' and, given the present state of the art, these are not

Z&/////%'*'S«',4'- '''' overly compatible with structural stability.

As a general rule, the best thing to do with such a bad bargain is to

combine the two walls into a single partition.

Another bad example of the multiple partition is a wall with a mass of

300 kg/m2 backed on both sides with plaster sprayed over expanded polystyrene.

There are several helpful parameters in addition to the theoretical low

sound radiation ratings of these particular walls, which may allow you to

specify party walls with a slightly lower R index:

a) Emplacement in a heavy structure (full concrete slabs weighing

at least 400 kg/m2;

b) A good ratio between partition surfaces and room volume.

When you have these on your side, you can expect to see your R - Dn values drop to 5 db (A)

It should be noted that such heating duct runthroughs have disadvantages

other than spoiling your sound-conditioning, not the least of which is the

fire hazard they pose. This means that a good, airtight seal between

contiguous units is necessary, both for reasons other than sound insulation (e.g., fire protection), and for acoustical reasons.

55
8. In order to maintain the separation, care must be taken to screen the

space against any falling objects such as pebbles or gravel. One way

would be to fill the space with some flexible material such as expanded

polystyrene, specially chosen for low density and low rigidity, so that

the resulting mass/spring/resonance frequency does not exceed 50 Hz. or

so, allowing for the fact that the polystyrene will act as a spring or shock absorber between the two walls.

9. This equivalent area of absorption could become "inoperative" were it

to be masked by furniture. Locating the area of absorption on the ceiling makes this less likely to happen.

10. In the case of hollow floors, it is not certain (see REEF., vol 2,

part E, p 70, section 3.321.6) that a mass of 350 kg/m^ is adequate to

provide the desired level of isolation.

11. This is more mass than is indicated in Section I.3.b. This is due in

part to the fact that it is harder to dissociate the supplementary ceiling or the floating floor from the supporting slab than it is to

dissociate two vertical partitions: it is hard to see, in fact, how to

hold a floor or ceiling in place independent of the supporting slab; the

floor tends to crush the underlayment , whereas on the face of it, the

only way to hold up the ceiling is to hang it from the supporting slab.

12. A flexible partition is one whose critical frequency is greater than

2,000 Hz. Examples: plasterboard 10-18 mm thick, or particle board

20 to 50 mm thick.

13. A flexible partition is one whose critical frequency is over 2,000 Hz.

This automatically rules out any plaster wall and any masonry component.

14. If, for example, the backup component weighs 13 kg/m^ (say plasterboard),

the distance, d, between the inner surfaces of the two components must be

at least 8 cm.

15. In conventional as in heavy pre-fabricated construction, the only impact

noises considered are those originating on higher levels. With light

pre-fab construction, you will in all likelihood have to consider impact

noise from neighboring rooms as well.

16. If you have hollow floors, you cannot be sure that a covering with an

a index of 21 is going to do the job. Tests may be needed to remove

all doubt. And the tests may show, for example in the case of a hollow

floor topped with a floating floor, how effective the assembly is against

both airborne and impact noise.

17. The figures on page twenty-four show the relation between the impact

noise, L , transmitted by a floor over a standard slab and the a index

of that particular type of floor. The standard slab is a poured slab of

reinforced concrete with a mass of 350 kg/m .

56
18. To wit: to mount the equipment on a heavy floating slab or floating

caisson, in a compartment lined with absorbent material, and to have the

ducts or conduits interrupted by flexible sleeves perpendicular to the

party wall between the compartment and the neighboring unit or units.

It will also be noted that, despite the absence of regulations, such

equipment may in some cases (heating or ventilation plants) emit acoustical energy toward neighboring units. These units would be exposed to

particular nuisance if the only way they could get ventilation or com- fortable summer temperatures were to open the windows. If this is the

case, the recommended solution is to hold the acoustical pressure

2 meters away from the exposed facades down to 40 db (A) at most.

19. It has been found that some gas burners, particularly those operating

in ambient air, are far quieter than the curves in Figure 9 would indicate.

20. See note 18.

21. If your mounting has 2-way elasticity, take care that the two resonance frequencies are not identical: — resonance frequency between the ventilating system and its own anti-vibration mountings, and — resonance frequency between the floating slab (or floor) and the

layer beneath it.

22. Remember that at equal output, the acoustical power, W, sent into the

ducts is proportional to the 4th power of the air-flow: W = k V^

.

23. This leak flow is very rarely less than 10 percent. See: Examples of

solutions, titled I - Hygrothermic and II - Ventilation.

24. When absorbent materials, even though not themselves combustible, become

impregnated with grease and oil, they constitute a fire hazard. This

hazardous situation occurs when the absorbent material has a fibrous

surface and when it is not so placed as to be protected from any

deposits of grease or oil. The absorbent materials built into the moving

parts of exhaust vents are shielded from such deposits, and are therefore

acceptable.

These hazards are particularly serious in kitchens, where the buildup of

such inflammable deposits can help spread a fire with startling rapidity.

To a lesser degree, the same hazard may arise in other service rooms.

25. We are using the term "screen" here in the broad sense: a screen may be

a wall built for the purpose (of concrete, wood, asbestos cement, etc),

or a group of buildings designed to be noise-proof (air-conditioned) or indifferent to noise because of their use (shops or commercial premises,

parking garages, etc.), or again it may be a (reinforced) berm, or even

57
an array of solar heating receptors. Living (green) screens, to which

special virtues are often ascribed, are not really very efficient in

practice.

26. This point of view may be summed up in the statement that, insofar as possible, such protection should be kept "without the walls," meaning

as far as may be from the building and as close as may be to the noise

source. This approach also embraces the concern with providing outdoor

recreation space, such as children's playgrounds.

27. Light facades may thus afford an inadequate noise attenuation index

(Cahier n° 1260) , to the degree to which the two facings are bonded

together by thermal insulation which was never intended to provide a barrier against noise.

58
NBS-114A (REV. 7-73)

U.S. DEPT. OF COMM. BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA

SHEET

1. PUBLICATION OR REPORT NO. NBS TN-710-8

2. Gov't Accession

No.

3. Recipient's Accession No.

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

BUILDING RESEARCH TRANSLATION

French Acoustical Comfort Standards

5. Publication Date March 1978

6. Performing Organization Code

7. AUTHOR(S)

S. G. Weber, Translation Editor

8. Performing Organ. Report No.

9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20234

10. Project/Task/Work Unit No.

11. Contract/Grant No.

12. Sponsoring Organization Name and Complete Address (Street, City, State, ZIP) 13. Type of Report & Period Covered Final

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

15. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

16. ABSTRACT (A 200-word or less factual summary ot most significant information. If document includes a significant

bibliography or literature survey, mention it here.) This report offers methods of providing levels of residential acoustical comfort

which meet French specifications contained in the French order of June 1969, and

some methods which may facilitate meeting the more stringent requirements of the

Acoustical Comfort Standard.

Two levels of solutions are thus identified: first, those which meet the basic

French building code regulations; and, second, those which can bring dwelling units

up to the French Acoustical Comfort Standard.

Recent advances in acoustical knowledge as applied to residential construction

created a need for this revision to the earlier edition to provide new examples

of solutions which meet building code requirements as well as solutions qualifying

for the Acoustical Comfort Standard Label.

17. KEY WORDS (six to twelve entries; alphabetical order; capitalize only the first letter of the first key word unless a proper name; separated by semicolons)

Acoustics; Codes; CSTB; French compliance techniques; Translations.

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