The effects of thermal insulation on the interior noise level during the day. A case study of a 1960 block of flats located in downtown Bucharest

Abstract

Abstract The issues related to the propagation of outside noise to the occupied spaces are more frequent, especially in urban areas where different types of noises are present (constructions, traffic, etc.). It is medically proven that noise has negative effects on health: anxiety, lower intellectual performances, stress, fatigue or higher blood pressure. With the national refurbishment program of old buildings the constructors are insulating and replace old wood frame windows with more energy efficient ones. Despite the clear benefits in terms of energy reduction there are still some questions about the sound insulation of the facades. If the windows replacement is done in a wrong way the situation can be aggravated as air and noise can overpass. In this paper using experimental measurements it is evaluated the impact of thermal refurbishment of an apartment on the acoustic comfort. The data showed that the windows represent the weak part of the facade and incorrect mounting severely affected the indoor sound pressure level.