Rating of Sound Insulation of Wall Impact Sounds in Buildings

Abstract

The standards for rating airborne sound insulation of walls in buildings have been established. Refer to ISO 717/1, ASTM E413, JIS A1419-1, and CNS 8465 A1031. However, there is no standard for rating of sound insulation of wall impact sounds in building. This research has been conducted to develop it. At first, levels of wall impact sounds were measured by hitting lightweight walls in an acoustics laboratory and recording the resultant sound spectra. Those curves were divided in two groups, soft impact curves and hard impact curves. In addition to recording impact sound sources, people living in houses were invited to complete one questionnaire. Subjective responses were then compared with those of daily activities, including watching television, reading, listening, sleeping, and talking. Finally Soft Impact Curves (SIC) and Hard Impact Curves (HIC) were drafted for rating of sound insulation of wall impact sounds, and index of wall impact sound were recommended.