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Sound Transmission Through Massive Walls or Floors, and other Building Elements
Sound and noise transmission through massive walls or floors - concrete or similar
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Sound transmission through a massive wall or floor depends primarily on the mass of the construction. The mean attenuation through a massive construction is indicated in the chart below:
The attenuation for a specific frequency can be modified by subtracting the value in the table below from the mean value indicated in the chart above.
| Frequency (Hz) |
63 | 125 | 250 | 500 | 1000 | 2000 | 4000 | 8000 |
| Attenuation Correction (dB) |
-13 | -9 | -5 | -1 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 15 |
Example - Concrete Floor and Sound Attenuation
The mass of a concrete floor with density 2300 kg/m3 and thickness 0.2 m can be calculated as
(2300 kg/m3) (0.2 m)
= 460 kg/m2
Using the chart above the mean sound attenuation for the floor can be estimated to
52 db
The attenuation at 1000 Hz
(52 db) - (3 dB)
= 49 dB
Sound Transmission Loss of some typical Building Elements
| Building Element | Sound Transmission Loss (dB) |
| 230 mm brickwork, plastered both sides | 55 |
| 230 mm brickwork, plastered one side | 48 |
| 115 mm brickwork, plastered both sides | 47 |
| 100 mm timber studs, plasterboard both sides, quilt in cavity | 46 |
| 6 mm double glazing, 100 mm air gap | 44 |
| 75 mm clinker concrete block, plastered both sides | 44 |
| 115 mm brickwork, plastered one side | 43 |
| 75 mm timber suds, plasterboard both sides | 36 |
| 6 mm single glazing | 29 |
| one layer plasterboard | 25 |
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