Related Case Study
Our experience working with acousticians, designers and end users led us to realise that due to the complex nature of acoustic measurement and the understanding of resulting values, it was difficult for clients to make informed decisions.
Our response – the Acoustic Studio. We have created three independently tested rooms to allow you to experience sound insulation and absorption at entry, mid and high level performances. Playing a calibrated speech track in an office allows visitors to hear for themselves what Rw and Dw values sound like in the real world. More on these later.
It’s all about the doors! The weakest point of any partition is the door. There is no point in buying a high dB rated partition and a weak door with a lower dB rating as the overall partition performance is defined by the door. Ideally the door should be rated slightly higher than the partition. This is harder to achieve with high performance double glazing so just get the highest rated door you can.
Partitions and doors will not help you if you do not correctly insulate the flanking paths. Flanking paths are building elements like voids above ceilings and under floors and connections to perimeter building mullions where sound can get through weak points or gaps. In other words, you need to put acoustic insulation in all of these locations otherwise your partitions and doors will be rendered useless as the sound will just go round them.
Various building elements combine to give a space its acoustic properties – floors, ceilings, external walls and windows all impact on the sound transmission in a space.
The sound needs to be controlled in different ways depending on the area of application in the building:
REDUCTION: Partitions shape a workspace and create a physical barrier to sound. The sound insulating properties of a building element are measured by sound reduction in decibels. Common values are Rw or Dw. Rw is the rating for a product in a lab test whereas Dw is the rating for the performance when installed.
ABSORPTION: The acoustic properties of a room and open area can be changed with acoustic treatments to surfaces such as ceiling and walls. The absorption properties of a building element are measured by reverberation time in seconds.
SRP products cover the whole range of acoustic tools to achieve industry leading sound reduction and absorption.
Do not underestimate the importance of quality installation. Our attention to detail during installation is second to none and we work closely with contractors to ensure the highest performance is achieved.
Strähle products installed by SRP are designed with a number of acoustic advantages:
Cruciform dry joint – traditionally a weak point in partitions, our glass connection joint ensures no reduction in performance.
Three part partition frames – these ensure that all gaps are correctly insulated unlike a typical one piece frame.
Hinged and rebated doors – one of the most effective designs for good acoustic performance as there are no gaps under the door for floor springs or pivots.
Innovative door design – acoustic sliding glazed doors that close like hinged doors and double glazed doors up to Rw 47dB.
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