Airborne sound insulation performance of lightweight partitions for dwellings

Abstract

In the legal regulations for protection against noise in different European countries the sound insulation of partitions between dwellings is expressed in various descriptors. For airborne sound there are applied R'w, DnT,w, R'A, DnAT, DnT,w+Ctr. So the partitions with the same acoustics performance can be described by different figures depending on the applied descriptor. The purpose of this investigation is to provide information on the airborne sound insulation of load-bearing gypsum board wall assemblies. These were erected mainly on steel-stud framing. The scope of objective include to show influence of 2 rows load- bearing steel studs instead general steel stud. Investigations of lightweight partitions in situ were based on the estimation various sound insulation descriptors. That additionally allowed to compare the legal regulations for airborne and impact sound insulation in European countries by conversation into equivalent values of R'w,. Obtained results justify DnT,w, as a preferred descriptor for representing in situ measured sound insulation properties in dwellings.