Guide To School Acoustics

School holidays are approaching and its time to improve your pupils acoustic comfort.

This document has been produced by the Institute of Acoustics and the Association of Noise Consultants to provide supporting guidance and recommendations on the acoustic design of new and refurbished schools. It replaces the guidance previously published in the 2003 edition of Building Bulletin 93: Acoustic Design of Schools.

The revised constructional acoustic performance standards for new and refurbished school buildings are given in the Department of Education publication Acoustic Design of Schools:

Performance Standards, Building Bulletin 93, published in 20141. The performance standards in Building Bulletin 93 provide the normal means of compliance with the following:

• Requirement E4 of Part E of the Building Regulations; • The School Premises Regulations 2012. • Independent Schools Standards 2013.

For pupils and staff with special communication needs it may be necessary to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act of 2010 and Part M of the Building Regulations. To meet the Building Regulations school buildings must comply with the performance standards in Building Bulletin 93 for indoor ambient noise levels, reverberation time and sound insulation. The School Premises Regulations (SPR) and Independent Schools Standards (ISS) govern the performance in use of school buildings, including speech intelligibility in teaching areas and operational noise levels. To comply with the SPR and ISS, open plan spaces must meet the performance standards in Building Bulletin 93 for the Speech Transmission Index.

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QUICK GUIDE TO SOUNDPROOFING

QUICK GUIDE TO SOUNDPROOFING

Step one in learning to soundproof begins with the AVOM Acoustics visual guide to Soundproofing vs. Sound Absorption and a mental image of the space or piece of equipment that you’re looking to silence. If you’ve finally ‘had it about up to here’ with noise seeping through your walls, echoing within your open space and vibrating the thoughts right out of your head and otherwise ruining the golden silence that you deserve – you’re in the right place, and our Quick Soundproofing 101 Guide is a great place to start.

Simply imagine your space and imagine yourself revamping it. Are you soundproofing existing walls? Adding sound absorption foam to the inside of an equipment enclosure? Installing a sweep to soundproof a door? Are you inside the room with the sound or is the sound sneaking in through a wall? With an image of the project you want to tackle in your mind, just follow AVOM Acoustics’s Quick Guide To Soundproofing and let the series of links lead you toward the right soundproofing products for your project.

We have the perfect soundproofing solutions for the most complex noise problems that make your ears ring, your teeth clench and your blood pressure rise. We’re not medical doctors, but our noise reduction experts can help treat symptoms of suffering unwanted noise without breaking your budget.

STEP 1 – WHAT TYPE OF PRODUCT DO YOU NEED?

SOUNDPROOFING

If the Noise or Sound you are hearing is generated in a DIFFERENT space, room or enclosure than you, then you should choose a SOUNDPROOFING PRODUCT. Soundproofing Products stop noise from traveling through walls, ceilings, floors, doors and windows.

SOUND ABSORBING

If the Noise or Sound you are hearing is generated in a SAME space, room or enclosure as you, then you should choose a SOUND ABSORPTION PRODUCT. Sound Absorption Products improve the overall acoustics of the environment by reducing Echo.

STEP 2 – WHAT OR WHERE ARE YOU TRYING TO SOUNDPROOF

Space

(ex. restaurant or office)

Room

(ex. bedroom, living area)

Equipment

(ex. boat or car)

Vibratory Noise

Things that vibrate are things that made noise — cars, industrial machinery, semi trucks and construction site equipment. To convert noisy, vibrating energy waves into silent, low-grade heat, AVOM Acoustics offers Silent Running SR-500, a high performance, permanent, sound reducing coating material. SR-500 is non-toxic, VOC-compliant and water-based to facilitate easy cleanup with water before it sets.

Proprietary components added to this effective, DIY soundproofing material ensure strong adhesion to nearly all plastic surfaces, fiberglass, metal and wood.

Acoustic Foam

Quick to install, sound dampening acoustic foam is a special type of noise reduction material designed to enhance acoustics, reduce reverberation and absorb sound waves at almost all frequencies. If you’re building a recording studio but are working within a tight budget, we suggest effective and affordable convoluted acoustic foam panels. For areas governed by fire regulations due to extreme heat concerns, AVOM Acoustics has Class A acoustic foam panels presenting powerful sound absorbing qualities without the need for extra construction.

Noise-absorbing materials like acoustic foam also work great to minimize unwanted noise and echoing in equipment enclosures, gun ranges, healthcare facilities and large computer rooms.

Quiet Board™ Water Resistant Panels

Constructed of a high-quality, water-resistant Styrofoam material, our Quiet Board™ panels absorb sound in the wettest places without suffering water damage. Clients use water-resistant, sound-absorbing panels for creating quieter spaces around car washes, animal kennels/shelters, indoor swimming pools and restaurant kitchens — or wherever there is water, water everywhere.

Acoustic Partitions

Preventing noise clutter from spreading into the personal space of others not only helps keep the peace in a busy office, but also makes dining in a spacious restaurant more pleasant for patrons. Would you want to be having a quiet dinner with your family while another family in another area of the restaurant is trying to subdue their twin toddlers suffering existential meltdowns at the same time?

We know the answer to that one. And that’s where moveable acoustic partitions can save the day by offering effective and aesthetically pleasing noise control. Call centers, multi-purpose auditoriums and warehouse or manufacturing facilities benefit from our acoustic cotton partitions as well.

Hanging Baffles

Are you searching for affordable and effective noise reducing techniques to resolve noise issues affecting your business, industrial facility or other large space? Are you baffled by what’s out there? If so, unbaffle your sound problems with our customizable, hanging baffles!

The Udderly Quiet™ 200-series ceiling baffles represent an aesthetic aspect of sound reduction that can transform empty, boring ceiling spaces into dazzling works of art — all this, while absorbing noise clutter, reducing reverberation and improving speech intelligibility. Hanging baffles have eye bolts for quick and easy installation using S-shaped hooks or another appropriate hanging component.

Acoustic Fiberglass

Made from limestone, soda ash, recycled sand and recycled glass, acoustic fiberglass is spun into billions of fine fibers bound together by resin to produce material of exceptional durability and strength. The density of acoustic glass mineral wool determines whether it’s supplied in slabs or rolls.

Acoustic Fiberglass is an excellent sound absorber. It can be custom cut to specific sizes to fit your needs. This material is Class A Fire Rated and is great for applications with stringent fire codes. From industrial facilities to residential applications the Acoustic Fiberglass is a versatile option for sound control.

Vibra Block™

Specially designed for reducing vibration and structural noise transmission, Vibra Block™ offers a quick and easy peel-and-stick application providing superior HVAC sound-deadening qualities to quiet the noisiest equipment and ductwork. Available in convenient pads, strips and sheets, Vibra Block™ controls noisy vibrations by decreasing the propagation of airborne sound waves caused by moving parts hitting against each other.

In fact, adhering Vibra Block™ to steel components makes them sound like they’re made from dense rubber when struck. No more clanging, bonging, echoing and banging — instead, you hear nothing but quietly unobtrusive bumps that vanish instantly into sweet silence.

Silent Running SR-500

Silent Running SR-500 is another one of our awesome sound deadening materials for eliminating annoying vibration noises. Waterproof, corrosion-resistant and high-performing, the Silent Running SR-500 coating converts vibrations and their noises into a low-grade heat that dissipates rapidly over surfaces coated with SR-500.

AVOM Acoustics’s customers use this sound-damping product on their automobiles (door liners, trunk liners and floor pan liners), on industrial/construction equipment (HVAC enclosures, sheet metal enclosures, compressors, OSHA applications) and on marine vehicles (hull liners, hatch cover liners, engine compartment liners).

RoadBlockR™

Originally formulated to address vibration noises associated with industrial equipment and machinery, RoadBlockR™ is one of our most popular soundproofing solutions for vehicles and their drivers who want the ultimate luxury car experience. Like our other convenient sound dampening materials, RoadBlockR™ is a “peel and place” product you can trim to fit into the smallest places of any car to reduce noise interference caused by older mufflers, rattling body components and irreparable vibrations.

Technically, RoadBlockR™ is an extruded rubber, visco-elastic, sound-deadening material enhanced by a three-mil aluminum foil facing designed to minimize structure-based noise. You can also stick RoadBlockR™ anywhere you hear unwanted sounds caused by vibration — from auto floor pans and metal carts to construction equipment and major home appliances.

Okay, we know you’re interested in learning more about these great sound-reducing techniques, so just give in to the temptation to email us and find out how your world can be a much quieter, nicer place: info@avomdesigns.com