Verification of sound insulation performance of housing by field measurements and/or calculations – A case study

During the design process for housing, the sound insulation performance is determined considering material properties and flanking sounds according to international standards, guidelines and material specifications. Typically, simulation software is also included in this process. Building elements and junctions are carefully designed and analysed. While the design stage is vital, the construction process and application of acoustic details are equally important. Some unforeseen circumstances at construction stage can include changes in materials, incorrect application that causes flanking sound transmission, disruption of materials and sound leaks through unfilled mortar etc. Therefore, verification studies are necessary through acoustic measurements. Countries differ in requirements for the verification. Some countries may require measurements after construction, while others require only inspection at site, or in some cases calculation reports are sufficient. Therefore, cross studies are important to ensure that acoustic calculations will actually comply with the measurement results. The intention of the study aims to contribute to comparison of acoustic calculation results with site measurements. Six existing buildings were measured and acoustic performance was calculated using dedicated software packages. Some issues are highlighted that cause variance between the results.