Acoustic Terminology A-B

Acoustic Terminology A-B

Often confusion can arise from the large amount of ‘terms’ used in conjunction with acoustic design and sound insulation testing. To help with this we have made a list of the following terms along with a quick explanation:

 Absorption

This is the conversion of sound energy into heat, often by the use of a porous material.

Absorbent Material

This is a material that absorbs sound energy, such as acoustic mineral wool.

Airborne sound

This is sound which is propagated from a noise source through the medium of air. Examples of these are speech and sound from a television

Airborne Sound Transmission

This is direct transmission of airborne sound through walls or floors. When sound energy is created in a room, for instance by conversation, some of the energy is reflected or absorbed by room surfaces but some may set up vibrations in the walls and floor. Depending on both the amount of energy and the type of construction, this can result in sound being transmitted to adjacent parts of the building.

Air Path

This is a void in construction elements, which adversely affects the performance of sound resisting construction. Examples of air paths include incomplete mortar joints, porous building materials, gaps around pipes and shrinkage cracks – this can also effect the air tightness results.

 Bonded resilient cover

This is a thin resilient floor covering normally of minimum 3-5mm thickness, which is bonded to the isolated screed surface to reduce impact sound transmission such as footfall noise, however it has a lesser effect when it comes to airborne noise.

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If you have a project that requires acoustic design and/or sound testing please let us know. APT Sound Testing will ensure you will have direct contact with the allocated acoustician from the start of the process, through to the successful completion of the sound insulation testing.

If you would like more information in regards to acoustic services, please contact us at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk or visit our website at: www.aptsoundtesting.co.uk