TECHNICAL NOTE “” On Cold-Formed Steel Construction |LGSEA © (615)279-9251 Light Gauge Steel Engineers Association +» 2017 Galbraith Drive » Nashville, TIN 37215 ACOUSTIC INSULATION AND SOUND TRANSMISSION IN COLD-FORMED STEEL CONSTRUCTION SUMMARY: Cold-formed steel has been widely used in commercial buildings, especially in non-load bearing {patitions) and curtain wall applications, and is increasingly used as primary structural members, such as beamns ‘and columns, ors load-bearing walls or partitions in commercial and residential construction, The acoustic per- Introduction Acoustic insulation criteria often dominate the design of floors and walls in mult-occupancy dwellings such as apartments ‘or hotels. Even in single dwellings it may be necessary to ‘consider some method of sound reduction (attenuation) be- ‘ween particular rooms. Although sound insulation construc- tion will add to building costs, the expenses of correcting acoustical mistakes usually are several-fold higher. “The purpose of this publication isto review acoustic criteria for the design of internal floors and walls, to present acoustic performance requirements for different types of buildit and to provide alist of resources and available test data, Forms of Sound Transmission ‘Sound levels and sound insulation values are expressed i decibels (4B), The dB rating is a representation of the vol Decibel. Logatithmi construction, | transmission loss increases with frequency, loss. formance of floors and walls isan important consideration for many buildings. Definitions Acoustics. The science of sound, including its production, transmission, and effect uni expressing the ratio between a given sound being measured anda reference point. Sound Pressure level (SPL). Expressed in decibels, te SPL is 20 times the logarithm tote base 10 ofthe ratio ofthe pressure of sound tothe reference pressure 0.0002 dynes per square centimeter. | Impact tnsutasion Class (10) & oumerical evaluation ofa Mloor-celing assembly's effectiveness in retard ‘tansmission of impact sound. This single number ating was developed by the Federal Housing Adminstration Sound Transmission Class (STC). A rating system used to measure the insulation (or isolation) of arbome sound provided by a barrier. STC is determined from a sounc-iransmission-loss curve obtained from 2 standardized test ofa large-scale specimen. The higher the STC rating, the more soundproof the ‘Sound Transmission Loss (STL). Itis the difference between the sound eneray (sound pressure level) in a source room and a receiving room when the two rooms are separated by the system being tested, In general, the «. the higher the frequency the greater the sound transmission ume of the sound while in sound insulation values it is ‘measure ofthe amount by which sound transmited from one room to another is reduced by the separating construction, “There are two forms of sound transmissions between rooms: airborne and impact: 1. Airbome sound transmission is sound source in a room that sts air into vibration. The vibrating aie causes any barrier it touches (such as floors, ceilings, partitions) fo vibrate. 2. Impact sound transmission arses from a varity of sources, most notably the movement of people within a building, butalso fom such things as the slamming of doors and the use of electrical socket. Improvements in these two forms are generally achieved by adopting special multi-layered construction (such as resil- ientlayers in floors), or introducing additional mass. Adding, osilient layers (such as dense fber board) to floors will sig- icantly improve impact sound transmission. Table 1 lists the STC ratings of common building construction materials. the Light Gauge Stee! Engineers Association EeeBuilding Component STC of Various Construction Materials ‘numerous and much more difficult totrace co predict because it is influenced by the building configuration and orientation. Flanking transmission is usually the more serious offender and commonly occurs Table 1 sT¢ Yerin, plate glass with airborne as well as structure-bome Yin, plywood Ef Hy Yein, gypsum board, both sides of 2x4 studs noise. Structure-bome noise occurs when —28___| building elements (walls, floors) are set into vibratory motion by direct mechani- in steel plate Conerete block: Autoclaved aerated = ete wall 12, Brick | 6° Renfredconrt sla (18° hcl cal contact with vibrating sources (such as ‘mechanical equipment or domestic appli- ances). Airborne noise is the noise pro- duced by a source, which radiates directly into the air (such as blare of auto hom, music of a stereo). Sound transmission across solid walls or ‘single skin partitions obeys the mass law principle. The mass law suggests that the 2d wood stud (160.2) wih 12 GW bth sides sound insulation of a solid element i 1-5/8" steel studs (24° 0.6.) with 1/2 3.5/8" steel studs (24” 0,<.) with 5/8” GWB both sides 3-5/8” steel studs (24" o.c.) with 1/2” GWB both sides Direct and Flanking Transmission ‘Transmission of noise from one room to an adjoining room, separated by a continuous intervening partition, can travel by two routes: directly through the separating structure (di- rect transmission), and around the separating structure through adjacent building elements (ic. through other walls, ceilings and floors, or through corridors adjacent to such rooms) (Ganking transmission) Flanking and direct transmissions are illustrated in Figure | Sound insulation forthe flanking and direet transmission are controlled by the following characteristics: Mass Sealing, Isolation Direct transmission is easy to predict by conducting labora tory tests as it depends on the properties of the separating walls, Flanking transmission on the other hand, is far more Eee Light Gauge Stee! Engineers Association GIWWR both sides ‘ereases by 5 dB per doubling of mass. The ‘mass law principle, however, does not ap- ply to fight frame construction, which 39 achieve a far better sound insulation than the law would suggest. This is due to the presence ofa cavity and the dearee of isolation between the different layers of construction, The overall performance of a double skin partition can therefore be determined by sim= ply adding together the sound insulation ratings of its con- stituent elements, whereas the mass law would have suggested only a5 dB improvement, Acoustical Performance Requirements Acoustical performance requirements of sound barriers sepa- rating various occupancies vary widely depending on the particular needs ofthe particular occupants. In large hotels, multiple dwelling units, orhighly critical spaces itis always, advisable to obtain professional acoustical advice. Impact isolation performance requirements, on the other hand are broad because the available standard test methods are con- ‘roversial ‘The three US major building codes, ICBO’s Uniform Build- ing Code (UBC), BOCA’s National Building Code (NBC), SBCCT’s Standard Building Code (SBC), and CABO out- line the minimum requirements for sound transmission con- trol, Furthermore, some localities in the US, in particular large cities such as New York or Los Angeles, have their own codes ‘which are often more restrictive than the model building codes ‘mentioned above. ‘Table 2 lists the STC and IIC requirements fiom selected roferences. Table 3 provides recommended industry practice for sound isolation and impact isolation requirements betweenTable 2 STC and lIC Requirements Resource | Use Group’ SoundTransmission ‘STC (FSTC) ic ‘Control Requirements (Air- Requirements i | Borne Sound insulation | (Impact Sound ee |_"ineulation) | | Walls | Floors FlooriCeilings _ Sete Sere |__celtings BOCA R | Section 1214.0 45 45 UBC R ‘Appendix Chapter 12 | 50 30 Section 1208 (ASiffield | (45iffield | (AS iffield tested) tested) vested) | sBe 7 : Serre eer eee ine [. = | ae cABO Dwting Section320 | 45 | as 45 oe etnies ECE Pele _ IRC | Dowling secionm0 | as | as 50 (Fist Dratt) | Unite | | (45 if field tested) 1BC Dwelling Section 1206 | 50 bso. "50 (inal Dra) | Unit L@iitfld | @Sittitd | (45 iffield tested) “| | Nested) | Stesteay | : HUD'sGuide | Dwsting Chapter10 | 52 2 32 Units | British Steel : - | 9 48 6 BSSH21 | eaitheld | G2itseld | (45 iffield tested) | L Nested) tested) provide, exchasing tse clasifed as insttuteral aeopancies "Use Group ft ince ll stucies in which fais or howichold ive, or which sleping accommodations are Table 3 Recommended Sound and Impact isolation Requirements Between Rooms iti = bi das = s cao Between ‘Sound Isolation Impact Isolation Room and | Adjacent Area | Requirements (STC) | Requirements (IC) Hotel Bedroom | Hotel Bedroom a7 Hotel Bed 37-60 “Hotel Bedroom Z a7 _| C Public Spaces #8 = rene Office 33 fea | Mechanical Room 32 zm zs Classroom Corridor { Music Room [Classroom [Music Room. | "Theater_ [Bedroom Bedroom r Living’ ‘Bedroom “Ting Room —"| Kitchen "~~ ‘Kitchen Family Ro Light Gauge Steel Engineers Association EeeResources Design information and details on acoustic insulation and Gypsum Association, HUD, CSSBI, and the Steel Construc- tion Institute are considered the main sources of information on this subject. Table 4 contains detailed list of publications and technical data that are currently available. Table 5 surimarizes the contents ofthe Gypsum Association's Manual in relation to the STC/FSTC ratings of light-gauge stool assemblies. Table 4 Title Fire Resistance Design ‘Manual - Sound Control US Department of A Guide to Airborne, Housing and Urban Impact, and Structure Development (HUD) Borne - Noise Control in Multifamily Dwellings ‘The Stee! Construction Institute SCIP128 “Building Design Using Cold- Formed Steel Sections: Acoustic Insulation”, 1993, List of Resources for Acoustical Insulation ‘This manual provides sound transmission class (STC) Description ratings of ste! walls, partitions, and floor-ceiling systems that utilize gypsum products, This guide incorporates a broad range of riteria appropriate for isolating airborne, impact, and structure- bore noise associated with residential construction ‘This publication presents the principtes of sound. ‘ransmnission as applied to cold-formed stec! sections and the methods of achieving it by adequate protection. Details in this publication are based on tests conducted by British Stee! based on British Standards, Canadian Sheet Stee! Sound Transmission Building Institute ‘Through Gypsum Board (cssB)) Walls, Sound Transmis- ston: Results “This report presents STC data for lange series of steel- framed walls constructed with industry standard details. North American insula- tion Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) Sound Control for ‘Commercial and Residen- tial Buildings A sound control guide containing recommendations for ‘ways to construct steel walls and other assemblies using fiber glass insulation to provide quality noise control Catalog of STC and IIC California Department of ‘This catalog provides comprehensive set of sound Health Services. Ratings for Wall and transmission class (STC) ratings for steel walls and Floor/Ceiling Assemblies | oor/cciling assemblies. Table 5 STC/FSTC Ratings of Light-Gauge Steel-Gypsum Systems ‘System description ____ STC/FSTC Rating 30-34 | 35-39 | 4044 | 45.49 | 50.54 Tnletor Partitions ‘i “x [oe oe ‘Chase Walls fee x | x tx Movable Walls & Office Partitions x x | x Eee Shaft Walls - Sn eee x 7 Party Walls | | x [7x H “Floor-Ceiling Assembly Steel | | Frame-Concrete Sab x Hie Light Gauge Steel Engineers AssociationStandards an ‘The US model building codes recognize the ASTM E90 test ‘method as an acceptable method for STCs. Teble 6 below \d Test Methods summarizes the most recognized test methods. ‘Measurement of Airbome Sound Insulation in Buildings ASTMEAI3.87 | Standard Classification for Rating Table 6 Test Methods for Acoustical Insulation | Standard Tite ___| Description cee ‘ASTM. 90-97 | Standard"Test Method for “This test method covers the Inboratory measurement of Laboratory Measurementof | airborne sound transmission loss of building partitions ‘Aitborne Sound Transmission | such as walls ofall kinds, operable partitions, floor- Loss of Building Partitions and | ceiling assemblies, doors, windows, roofs, panels, nd Elements | other ASTM E 33697 | Standard Test Method for This test method covers a procedure to determine the | noise reduction between two rooms under field condi- tions. The evaluation may be made including all paths by which sound is transmitted or attention may be focused only on the dividing partition. The word “partition” in this test method includes all types of walls, floors, or any other boundaries separating two spaces. ‘The boundaries may be permanent, operable, or mov able, This classification provides methods ofcafeulating BS 5821 (1984), | of Building Elements, Selection of Sound Insulating Structures Aside from economic factors, the choice of suitable wall or floor assemblies, that will achieve the desired sound insula~ tion and privacy between rooms and structures, will depend on the type of building structure (i.e. wood, steel, concrete, ‘masonry, or light-frame construction). The sound insulating cffectiveness of a wall or floor assembly will be dependent ‘on the Following factors a99a)et ‘Sound Insulation single-number acoustical ratings for laboratory and field ‘measurements of sound transmission obtained in one- | third octave bands. The method may be applied to | laboratory or field measurements ofthe sound transmis- | sion loss ofa partition in which case the single-number ratings are called sound transmission class STC) or | fietd sound transmission class (FSTC), respectively. The | method may also be applied to laboratory and field ‘measurements ofthe sound isolation between two spaces, in which case the single-number ratings are called the noise isolation class (NIC) or normalized noise isolation class (NNIC). ‘ASTM E492.50 | Standard Test Method for his test method covers the laboratory measurement of (1996)e1 Laboratory Measurement of |__| impact sound transmission of floor-celing assemblies Impact Sound Transmission usinga standardized tapping machine Through Floor-Coiling Assem- ies Using the Tapping Machine British Standard | Methods of Measurement of This test method covers the measurement of impact and Institution | Sound Insulation in Buildings and | airborne sound transmission of building elements, Mass (the greater the mass of a structure, the less likely it willbe excited into vibration by aisborne or structure-borne sound energy). «+ Stifiness +s Discontinuity in construction (The greater the degree of discontinuous or resilient type construction, the higher the sound insulating efficiency of the structure. Control of flanking joints Light Gauge Steel Engineers Association Eeeenoee‘+ Elimination of noise leaks (especially around perimeter edges) ‘© Proper installation (especfally with regard to edge and boundary conditions) ‘© The use of sound absorbent material in the cavities or voids in structures of discontinuous or double-shell com struction. Methods of Providing Sound Insulation in Cold-Formed Steel Assemblies Sound and vibration sources are usually associated with speech and sounds from normal occupant activities, such as traffic, music, and mechanical equipment. During sound rans- ‘mission in buildings and other structures, some of the sound energy isabsorbed or dissipated, some is reflected from vari- ‘ous surfaces, and some is transmitted through the building ‘materials and furnishings. Builders and designers are usually interested in reducing or eliminating the amount of sound ‘transmitted through building materials by means ofbarriers and enclosures, acoustically absorbent materials, and other ‘materials and systems properly shaped and assembled. The following are some recommendations to effectively reduce the transmission of sound: 1. Understanding zoning requirements ane proper selection of site are essential in alleviating outdoor noise distur- bances. 2. Proper orientation of buikding on site to take full advan- tage of any acoustical shielding provided by the existing terrain, and room and space arrangement of building can also alleviate outdoor noise disturbances. 3. Adequately sea all openings, cutouts (such as those for clerical boxes, plumbing, duets), partion intersections, door frames, and conto! joints with acoustical sealant. 4. Add sound absorbing insulation to increase the walls? src 5. Partially separate studs by staggering them, 6. Useresifent mounted wallboard 7. Use Two-ply construction which increases the weight of ‘the wal surface and helps provide the wall with higher STCrating 8, Refrain from attaching fixtures to part wall, 9. Attach fight weight fixture only to resilient wall surfaces constructed with resilient channels. 10, Instal resilient furring channels. Resilient channels pro- vide spring action that isolates the gypsum board from the framing. They act lke shock absorbers. 11, Eliminate of reduce common framing membersby stg- gering the studs or building two walls with a gap in be- tweoon 12. instal sound-attenuated fire- insulation blankets inthe stud cavities. 13, Adda resilient layer under a had floor surface 14, Use walls with isolated surfaces. This constuction in- volves the use of resilient material such as fiber boards, felt orcork strips, or resilient elements, 15. Refiain from mounting noisy appliances or devices on ‘or against party walls. 16. Use floating floor construction that is isolated from the supporting structural floor by means of resilient materi als or spring elements. 17. Usesuspended ceilings that are isolated from floor struc- tures by resilient channels or hangers. ‘Sample Assemblies a 40 STC Wall or Interior Partition (Load Bearing) 3-1/2" x33 mil (20 ga, steel studs spaced at 24” 0. ‘One layer 5/8” Type X GWB on both sides, applied parle to each side and attached with 1” type S-12 drywall serews at 12” o.c. Stee straps I" x 43 mil (18 ga.) attached 10 each side of studs spaced not over 40” oc. (ateral bracing). 7 7 ae eee 2s & 49 STC (64 1IC) Steel Floor Assembly 6" x 54 mil (16 ga.) steel joists spaced at 24” on center Bottom: Two layers 5/8” GWB fastened to steel joists. ‘Top: One layer 11/16” plywood over 1/2” layer of floating floor grade mineral wool over 3/4” GWB fastened to steel joists. Light Gauge Steel Engineers AssociationReferences 1. ASTM £90 (1997. "Standard Test Method for Laboratory Measurement of Airborne Sound Transmission Loss of Building Partitions and Elements". American Society for Testing end Materials (ASTM), West Conshohocken. PA. 1997, 2. ASTM E 336 (1997), “Standard Test Method for Measurement of Airborne Sound insulation in Bul. ings". American Society foe Testing and Materials (ASTM), West Conshohocken, PA. 1997 3. ASTM E413-87(1994)e1. “Standard Classification for Rating Sound Insulation”. American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). West Conshohocken, PA. 1994. 4. ASTM £492.90 (1996)e1. “Standard Test Method for Laboratory Measurertent of Impact Sound Trans- ‘nission Through Floor Ceiling Assemblies Using the Tapping Machine”. American Socely for Testing ‘and Materais (ASTM), West Conshohocken, PA, 1996. 5. Gypsum Association (1994). “Fire Resistance Design Manual - Sound Control”, 14 Editon, Washington De. 6, BOCA (1993). “The BOCA National Building Code”. Building Officials & Code Administaors Toten tional, in, Country Club Hills, ins. 7. CABO (1995). "One and Two Family Dwelling Code”, 1995 Edition, Council of American Building Officials. 8. CSSBI (4999), “Sound iransmussion Through Gypsum Board Walls, Sound Transmission Results” Report No. A-1012.3, Canadian Sheot Stecl Building Institute, Ontario, Canada, 9. ICBO (1997). “Uniform Building Code”. International Conference of Building Officials, Whiter, Calc fomia, 10, BS $821 (1984), “Methods of Rating the Sound Insulation in Buildings and of Building Elements”, British Standards, Berkshire, England 11. HUD (1968). "A Guide to irhorns, Impact, and Structure Borne - Notse Control tn Multifamily Dwell- ings". US, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington DC. 12, SBC (1994). Standard Building Code. Southem Building Code Congress Internationa, tne. ‘Binningham, Aibame, 13, SCI (1993) “Building Design Using Cold. Formed Sieel Sections: Acoustic Insation, Publication P129, The Steel Consiructon Insite, Berkshire, England MM, NAIMA (1997). Sound Control for Conmercial and Residential Buildings. North American Insulation ‘manufieturers Association (NAIMA), Alexandrei, VA. Devember, 1997. 15, Catalog of STC and 1IC Ratings for Wall and Floor/Ceiling Assemblies, California Department of Health Services, Local Environmental Health Services Branch. Sacramento, CA. Author of this Teeh Nowe: Nader Elhaj. PLE Light Gauge Stee! Engineers Association HEIThis “Techical Note on Cold-Formed Steel Construction” is published by the Light Gauge Stel Engineers Assocation, with €0- funding from the American tron and Stel Institute. The information provided in this publication shall not constitute any epresen- tation or waranty, express or implied, on the part of LGSEA or AISI or any individual tha the information fs suitable for any general or specific purpose and should not be used without consulting witha qualified engineer, architect. or building designer. ANY INDIVIDUAL OR ENTITY MAKING USE OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS PUBLICATION ASSUMES ALL RISKS AND LIABILITIES ARISING OR RESULTING PROM SUCH USE. LGSEA believes that the information contained within this publiaton is in conformance with prevailing enginccring standards f practice. However, none ofthe information provided in this publication is intended to represent any offical position of Ue LGSEA or fo exclude the use and implementation of any other design or construction technique © Copyright 1999 Light Gauge Steel Engineers Association « 2017 Galbraits Drive « Nashuille, YN 37215» (615) 279-9251 Ene Light Gauge Steel Enginzers Association