The American Wood Council (AWC) released a new report on sound transmission, “Technical Report 15 (TR15), Calculation of Sound Transmission Parameters for Wood-Framed Assemblies.”
“Building codes stipulate minimum performance requirements regarding noise transmission through certain interior walls, partitions, and floor-ceiling assemblies,” according to AWC Vice President of Engineering Brad Douglas. “This initial version of TR15 summarizes how these code provisions apply to floor-ceiling assemblies and demonstrates how wood-framed floor-ceiling assemblies can comply with a calculation-based analysis approach.”
The 2018 International Building Code provides two parameters to establish minimum acoustical requirements: Sound Transmission Class (STC) and Impact Insulation Class (IIC). Compliance with these requirements may be demonstrated either through testing or through engineering analysis based on empirical test data from other similar assemblies.
The new report shows how to use the new AWC empirical model, and may be used for analysis of wood-frame floor-ceiling assemblies to determine compliance with STC and IIC sound transmission parameters.
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