Soundproofing standards in panel houses
In Russia, noise insulation standards are strictly regulated and enshrined in the set of rules for noise protection SP 51.13330.2011. The regulations apply to airborne and impact sound levels:
- airborne noise (voices, music, etc.) - sound insulation at the level of 50 dB;
- impact noise (repair work, movement of furniture) - the permissible sound pressure level is 60 dB.
According to building codes, the optimal thickness of reinforced concrete floors is 160 mm. For inter-apartment partitions, 100-150 mm is enough. But practice shows that a comfortable stay in the apartment in terms of noise level will be possible with a partition thickness of more than 200 mm.
Features of noise in a high-rise building
To choose the right sound insulation option, you need to consider some of the nuances:
- Noises can be air or shock. The nature of their distribution is different, and this also affects the way they are dealt with.
- The slab covering the floors has two "owners" - it is the ceiling for the lower apartment and the floor for the upper apartment. Accordingly, impact and airborne noise are transmitted through the ceiling in both directions.
With airborne noise, hollow core slabs still cope to some extent. But for drums, they don’t become a significant obstacle.
- Hollow reinforced concrete floor slabs with a thickness of 220 mm, manufactured in an industrial environment, should reduce external air noise up to 52 dB, with allowable standards of 60 dB. The decrease in the soundproofing qualities of floor slabs is explained by the wear of structures, redevelopment of premises or illiterate major repairs, the formation of gaps at the joints of the slabs.
- Insulation from airborne noise in both old and new houses can be reduced due to poorly sealed gaps between floors by builders, intended for the passage of communication risers.
It is much more difficult to isolate an apartment from impact noise than from air. And this is due not only to the fact that concrete floors are unable to drown it out completely, but also to the following points:
- Interfloor ceilings are rigidly connected to wall slabs or brickwork. Therefore, they become conductors for the propagation of impact noise over all surfaces of the building.
- The metal reinforcing frame inside the slabs also conducts impact sounds well.
- Ceramic tiles, as well as porcelain tiles laid on floor slabs, increase the noise level to 74 dB, instead of the 60 dB provided for by the standards.
Sources and propagation paths of airborne and impact noise in a multi-storey building
This diagram shows the transmission of airborne and impact noise through the building structures of an apartment building.
Airborne noise (pos.1), the source of which is in no way connected with building structures. This can be a loudly turned on TV or music center, talking in raised tones or screaming, children crying, etc. Such noise can also propagate through partitions, which become a kind of membrane that transmits sound vibrations.
Impact noise associated with the impact on building structures. These are steps, running, jumping, falling objects, the sound of a hammer or other tools during repair or other work. Impact noise can propagate directly (pos. 2), that is, by the same creation of sound waves through vibrations of partitions, or indirectly through the building structures themselves. At the same time, their distribution can fall not only on adjacent premises (pos. 3), but also on distant ones, moreover, over a very significant distance (pos. 4).
Structural noise - arising from vibration exposure during the operation of technological equipment installed in the house (pos. 5). These can be elevator drives, centralized ventilation, pumping equipment, etc. The ways of their distribution can also be direct or indirect. Such noises are also capable of propagating through building structures over very considerable distances.
We are talking in our article about the soundproofing of the floor. And here we see several ways of understanding the barriers against the spread of airborne and impact noise.
- Laying soundproofing materials under a floating screed that is not connected to either the floor slab or the wall structures.
- The erection of the floor on the logs with the laying of a soundproof layer between them.
- Arrangement of a dry floating screed.
In any of these options, it is recommended to use special materials designed specifically for soundproof structures.
