BRE Absorption Coefficients

Absorption Coefficients
Description
Rough Concrete
Smooth unpainted concrete
Smooth concrete, painted or glazed
Porous concrete blocks (no surface finish)
Smooth brickwork with flush pointing, unpainted
Smooth brickwork with flush pointing, painted
Brickwork, 10mm flush pointing
Lime cement plaster on masonry wall
Glazed plaster on masonry wall
Painted plaster on masonry wall
Plaster on masonry wall with wall paper on backing paper
Ceramic tiles with smooth surface
Smooth marble or terrazzo slabs
55mm perforated bricks, 11% perforated over 50mm
mineral wool
56mm perforated bricks, 11% perforated, no cavity
Plaster on lath, deep air space
12.5mm plasterboard on frame, 100mm cavity, no mineral
wool
12.5mm plasterboard on frame, 100mm airspace with
mineral wool
2 x 12.5mm plasterboard on steel frame, 50 mm mineral
wool in cavity, surface painted
9.6mm plasterboard on frame, 100mm empty cavity
9.5mm plasterboard on frame, 100mm cavity filled with
mineral wool
3mm single glazing
Double glazing 10mm gap
Double glazing 30 mm gap
Glass > 6mm, glass blocks or glazed tiles as wall finish
5mm plywood on battens, 50mm airspace filled with glass
wool
12mm plywood over 50mm air gap
12mm plywood over 150mm air gap
12mm plywood over 200mm air gap containing 50mm
mineral wool
20mm dense veneered chipboard over 100mm air gap

Frequency (Hz.)
500 1000 2000

125

250

4000

0.02
0.01
0.01
0.05
0.02
0.01
0.08
0.02
0.01
0.02
0.02
0.01
0.01
0.48

0.03
0.01
0.01
0.05
0.03
0.01
0.09
0.02
0.01
0.02
0.03
0.01
0.01
0.77

0.03
0.02
0.01
0.05
0.03
0.02
0.12
0.03
0.01
0.02
0.04
0.01
0.01
0.38

0.03
0.02
0.02
0.08
0.04
0.02
0.16
0.04
0.02
0.02
0.05
0.02
0.01
0.27

0.04
0.02
0.02
0.14
0.05
0.02
0.22
0.05
0.02
0.02
0.07
0.02
0.02
0.65

0.07
0.05
0.02
0.20
0.07
0.02
0.24
0.05
0.02
0.02
0.08
0.02
0.02
0.35

0.03
0.20
0.08

0.15
0.15
0.11

0.30
0.10
0.05

0.80
0.05
0.03

0.45
0.05
0.02

0.50
0.05
0.03

0.30

0.12

0.08

0.06

0.06

0.05

0.15

0.1

0.06

0.04

0.04

0.05

0.08
0.28

0.11
0.14

0.05
0.09

0.03
0.06

0.02
0.05

0.03
0.05

0.08
0.10
0.15
0.01
0.4

0.04
0.07
0.05
0.01
0.35

0.03
0.05
0.03
0.01
0.2

0.03
0.03
0.03
0.02
0.15

0.02
0.02
0.02
0.02
0.05

0.02
0.02
0.02
0.02
0.05

0.25
0.28
0.14

0.05
0.08
0.10

0.04
0.07
0.10

0.03
0.07
0.08

0.03
0.09
0.10

0.02
0.09
0.08

0.03

0.05

0.04

0.03

0.03

0.02

20mm dense veneered chipboard over 200mm air gap

20mm dense veneered chipboard over 250mm air gap
containing 50mm mineral wool
16-22mm T&G woo on cavity filled with mineral wool
6mm wood fibre board, cavity > 100mm empty
22mm chipboard, 50mm cavity filled with mineral wool
3-4mm asbestos or plywood, 75mm cavity containing
mineral wool
Melamine based foam 25mm
Melamine based foam 50mm
Flexible polyurethane foam 50mm
Rigid polyurethane foam 50mm
Marble/terrazzo tiles
Wooden floor on joists
Parquet fixed in asphalt, on concrete
Parquet on counterfloor
Linoleum or vinyl stuck to concrete
Layer of rubber, cork, linoleum + underlay, or vinyl +
underlay stuck to concrete
5mm needlefelt carpet stuck to concrete
6mm pile carpet bonded to closed-cell foam underlay
6mm pile carpet bonded to open cell foam underlay
9mm tufted pile carpet on underlay
Steel decking
Wood hollowcore door
Solid timber door
Mineral fibre tile, 180mm airspace
Plaster tiles, 17% perforated, 22m mineral wool backing
Metal ceiling, 32.5% perforated, backed by 30mm
rockwool
Mineral woo/fibre
Perforated metal, 31mm thick absorbent infill
13mm mineral tile
Perforated metal 33mm thick absorbent infill
13mm mineral tile 500mm below ceiling
Seats unoccupied, leather upholstery, per m
Seats unoccupied, cloth upholstery, per m
Floor with cloth upholstered seats, per m
Seating, slightly upholstered, unoccupied
Upholstered tip-up theatre seats, unoccupied
Adult office furniture per desk
Cotton curtains, 0.5kg/m, draped to 75% area approx.
130mm from wall
Lightweight curtains (0.2kg/m) hung 90mm from wall
Curtains of close-woven glass mat hung 50mm from wall

0.06
0.12

0.10
0.1

0.08
0.08

0.09
0.07

0.07
0.10

0.04
0.08

0.25
0.30
0.12
0.50

0.15
0.20
0.04
0.30

0.10
0.20
0.06
0.10

0.09
0.10
0.05
0.05

0.08
0.05
0.05
0.05

0.07
0.05
0.05
0.05

0.09
0.18
0.25
0.20
0.01
0.15
0.04
0.20
0.02
0.02

0.22
0.56
0.50
0.40
0.01
0.11
0.04
0.15
0.02
0.02

0.54
0.96
0.85
0.65
0.01
0.10
0.07
0.10
0.03
0.04

0.76
1.00
0.95
0.55
0.01
0.07
0.06
0.10
0.04
0.05

0.88
1.00
0.90
0.70
0.02
0.06
0.06
0.05
0.04
0.05

0.93
1.00
0.90
0.70
0.02
0.07
0.07
0.10
0.05
0.10

0.01
0.03
0.03
0.08
0.13
0.30
0.14
0.42
0.45
0.12

0.02
0.09
0.09
0.08
0.09
0.25
0.10
0.72
0.70
0.45

0.05
0.25
0.20
0.30
0.08
0.15
0.06
0.83
0.80
0.87

0.15
0.31
0.54
0.60
0.09
0.10
0.08
0.88
0.80
0.98

0.30
0.33
0.70
0.75
0.11
0.10
0.10
0.89
0.65
1.00

0.40
0.44
0.72
0.80
0.11
0.07
0.10
0.80
0.45
1.00

0.10
0.10
0.10
0.25
0.75
0.40
0.44
0.49
0.07
0.33
0.50
0.30

0.25
0.30
0.25
0.55
0.70
0.50
0.60
0.66
0.12
0.51
0.40
0.45

0.70
0.65
0.70
0.85
0.65
0.58
0.77
0.80
0.26
0.64
0.45
0.65

0.85
0.75
0.85
0.85
0.85
0.61
0.89
0.88
0.42
0.71
0.45
0.56

0.70
0.65
0.70
0.75
0.85
0.58
0.82
0.82
0.50
0.77
0.60
0.59

0.60
0.45
0.60
0.75
0.80
0.50
0.70
0.70
0.55
0.81
0.70
0.71

0.05
0.03

0.06
0.03

0.39
0.15

0.63
0.40

0.70
0.50

0.73
0.50

Curtains, medium velour, 50% gather, over solid backing

Acoustic banner, wool serge, 100mm from wall, 0.5kg/m
Corkboard, 25mm on solid backing
Corkboard, 25mm, 2.9kg/m, on battens
Water surface, e.g. swimming pool
Ventilation grill per m
Hardboard, 25% perforated over 50mm mineral wool
50mm mineral wool (96kg/m) behind 25% open area
perforated steel

0.05
0.11
0.03
0.15
0.01
0.60
0.27
0.20

0.25
0.40
0.05
0.40
0.01
0.60
0.87
0.35

0.40
0.70
0.17
0.65
0.01
0.60
1.00
0.65

0.50
0.74
0.52
0.35
0.01
0.60
1.00
0.85

0.60
0.88
0.50
0.35
0.02
0.60
0.98
0.90

0.50
0.89
0.52
0.30
0.02
0.60
0.96
0.90