Edinburgh Napier University

  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This review was requested by Eurogypsum on behalf of its member companies and organisations to summarise and review the airborne sound insulation criteria specific to ISO 717 Part 1 and the potential measures of extending to lower frequencies below 100Hz. The main areas of work involved the encapsulation of recent published journal papers, conference papers and technical reports. The majority of the papers reviewed were undertaken during the last 6 years however, further papers were also reviewed which span back to the 1990’s which also related to this subject area. The rationale behind such a review was to summarise the breadth and diversity of experts’ findings, data analysis and also to examine the evidence and findings on which future decisions may be based by a possible future redesign of ISO 717 Part 1.
Encompassed within this review is the possible influence of such changes as expressed by various authors from an ‘evidence based’ approach. Issues such as extending low frequencies, influence for on-site testing, functional limitations, influence on reported construction performance (heavy and light) and importantly the influence on privacy and quality of life for housing occupants are discussed. This report has focused mainly on ‘evidence based’ materials. At present there is not sufficient weight of evidence, research, analysis or complaints compiled which supports the immediate inclusion of lower frequencies below 100 Hz for airborne sound insulation. That is not to say that complaints do not occur, but such evidence is required before national standards criteria can be altered and new criteria absorbed into standards. Of particular concern is the potential diminishing of privacy or quality of life by the negative effect on mid and high frequencies if a criteria is utilised which places too much emphasis on low frequencies.
Further research is required in this area to establish an appropriate approach, methodology and criteria which can adequately reflect the occupant and ‘un-wanting’ listener’s exposure to current living noises.