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Component Manufacturing dverti$ dverti $ er
Don’t Forget! You Saw it in the
Adverti$$er
August 2020 #12253 Page #100
New Acoustic Calculator Calculates Sound Transmission Through Wood-Frame Assemblies Robert Glowinski is the President & CEO of the American Wood Council (AWC).
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xcessive sound and noise have become such an inundating part of our daily lives that we may hardly notice it (except of course when trying to put the kids to sleep or giving a presentation on Zoom). And nowadays noise comes at us from so many places that at times it’s hard to even identify an exact source. To reduce this noise assault on us when indoors, building codes impose sound transmission limits and new construction must demonstrate compliance. Ensuring noise mitigation is an important consideration for designers and engineers throughout the design process from both aesthetic and obligatory standpoints (and something occupants certainly appreciate in the long run). For wood assemblies there is at least one tool, and now an app, that can provide some sound (literally) information for those involved in the design and construction process. To simplify determining acoustic compliance for wood floor-ceiling assemblies, the American Wood Council recently released a new mobile app to calculate sound transmission based on “Technical Report (TR) 15, Calculation of Sound Transmission Parameters for Wood-Framed Assemblies.” Building codes stipulate minimum requirements for noise transmission through common interior walls and floor-ceiling assemblies that separate dwelling units from either public areas or adjacent dwellings. The International Building Code, commonly used throughout the U.S., provides two parameters to establish minimum acoustical requirements: Sound Transmission Class (STC) and Impact Insulation Class (IIC). Although it “sounds” a little technical, STC is a measure of the attenuation of sound waves that initiate as air-borne sound and pass through wall or floor-ceiling assemblies. Meanwhile, IIC is a measure of the assembly’s ability to insulate against structure-borne sound waves generated when an object strikes the opposite surface of the assembly or otherwise induces sound waves directly into the assembly.
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