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Sound Control
insulation is a lightweight, compressible insulation material manufactured
from 100% thermally bonded polyester
Unlike other
forms of insulation, Natracel Polyester Insulation requires no gloves,
dust masks or specialised equipment when installing the insulation,
making it the easiest and safest insulation on the market.
Sound control
Polyester Insulation has quickly become established as one of
the leading acoustic materials for the control of noise in commercial
an industrial buildings.
Noise
Noise is unwanted
sound produced by a number of sources e.g. aircraft and machinery.
The loudness of sound is expressed in decibels (dB). Typical sound
levels of several noise sources are given on the right:
Why
Use Insulation?
Noise control
in buildings is increasingly being achieved by means of acoustical
insulation materials such as Natracel sound Control polyester insulation.
National and local authorities are constantly looking at the maximum
permissible noise levels and limits for noise exposure for workers
in residential areas. The standards Association of Australia recommended
noise levels for a large number of room uses can be found below:
Type
of Activity |
Recommended
Ambient Sound Level (dB(A)) |
Board
and conference room |
30-50 |
Computer
rooms |
45-55 |
General
office areas |
40-45 |
Private
offices |
35-40 |
Supermarkets |
50-55 |
Hotel
lounges |
45-55 |
Restaurants |
40-45 |
Court
rooms |
25-30 |
Lecture
theaters - over 250 seats |
25-30 |
Bowling
alleys |
50-55 |
High noise levels
cause hearing losses and make good speech and communication impossible,
thus having an adverse effect on the productivity, health and safety
of the workers. When noisy plants are located in the neighbourhood
of residential areas, the health and well being of the nearby residents
can also be effected.
Principles
of passive noise control
Noise can be
controlled at three places:
- At the source
- Along the
path from the source to the receiver
- At the receiver
In all three
cases, sound absorption is an important factor. Natracel Sound Control
polyester insulation products are highly efficient sound absorbing
materials, because of the open fibre structure established during
the manufacturing process.
1.
Controlling Noise at the source |
This
is the most effective means of reducing the noise level. This
can be accomplished by enclosing the noise source in a housing
or by building an enclosure around the noise source. |
2.
Controlling noise along its path |
Sound
may come directly to the receiver from the source or indirectly
by reflection from a surface.
a)
Direct sound, can be controlled by constructing a sound barrier
between the source and receiver. Sound barriers must have
high noise reduction capacity and high sound absorption capacity
so that sound is not reflected back into the area.
b)Indirect
sound, can be reduced by placing sound absorbent materials
in an acoustic ceiling or baffle, such as Natracel Sound control
polyester insulation products, on the surfaces that sound
strikes. |
3.
Controlling noise at the receiver |
This
can be done by a partial or complete enclosure around the
receiver. For this type of enclosure, consideration must be
given to comfort, ventilation, view of work and accessibility.
This method is similar to the sound barriers mentioned previously. |
Sound
Transmission
The
sound transmission class or STC as its commonly referred to is a
single figure ratiing that is given to a construction system such
as a plasterboard wall or ceiling assembly. The STC describes the
transmission loss or acoustic performance of the structure. Broadly
speaking, the higher the STC of a partition, flor or ceiling the
more effective it will be at reducing sound transmission characterestics.
25 |
30 |
35 |
42 |
45 |
48 |
50 |
Normal
speech can be heard quite easily |
Loud
speech can be heard quite easily |
Loud
speech can be heard, but not understood |
Loud
speech can be heard but only as a murmur |
Must
strain to hear loud speech |
Only
some loud speech can barely be heard |
Loud
speech cannot be heard |
50 |
45 |
Minimum
STC for wall and floor separation between sole-occupancy
units or between unit and lift, plant room or public hallway. |
Minimum
STC for a wall separating a bathroom, laundry or kitchen
in a sole occupancy unit from a living area other than kitchen
in another unit. |
Natracel
Sound Control polyester insulation is ideal for use as an infill
material for acoustic partions and walls.
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