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Measurement Uncertainty in Airborne Sound Insulation and Single-Number Quantities: Strategy and Implementation in Indian Scenario

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Abstract

This paper presents the factors affecting the uncertainty of measurement in sound transmission loss testing and the single-number quantities (SNQs) used widely in building acoustics. It provides a retrospective view of the recently published work especially in European continent and standard ISO 12999-1 for interpreting and elaborating the concept of calculation of measurement uncertainty in SNQs particularly for the laboratories engaged in sound transmission loss testing in India by presenting case studies for different types of building materials. The study suggests that the poor low frequency sound insulation and low frequency mass-air-mass and flexural resonances inculcate a higher uncertainty in SNQs for building elements. It is imperative to adopt the strategy recommended in ISO 12999-1 in Indian scenario particularly with growing international trade in building materials and technology and for the recognition as well as acceptance of testing results of Indian laboratories across the globe.

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Acknowledgments

Authors would specially acknowledge the NRC Canada reports of R.E. Halliwell (IR 761, 1998) and A. C. C. Warnock (IR 586, 1990) whose valuable data has been used for uncertainty calculations in the paper. Authors are thankful to some laboratories in India engaged in sound transmission loss testing for sharing their details and uncertainty calculations. Author also thanks Dr. Volker Wittstock, Head of Applied Acoustics Working Group, 1.72, PTB Germany and Dr. Arne Dijckmans, Department of Civil Engineering, KU Leuven, Belgium for some fruitful e-mail conversations pertaining to the topic. Part of the work was presented in Smart Technologies for Mechanical Engineering (STME 2013) Conference held at Delhi Technological University, Delhi, India, during 24th to 26th October, 2013.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIR - National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi, 110012, India

    N. Garg & A. Kumar

  2. Delhi Technological University, Delhi, 110042, India

    N. Garg & S. Maji

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  1. N. Garg
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Correspondence to N. Garg.

Appendix

Appendix

Details of the sandwich concrete and dry wall constructions used.

.

Nomenclature

STC

Description of sandwich configuration

Concrete constructions tested by Warnock [46] report No. IR 586

 TL-88-357

55

BLK190_WFUR40_GFB38_G16

 TL-88-360

58

G16_GFB38_WFUR40_BLK190_WFUR40_G16

 TL-88-356

50

BLK190

 TL-88-447

44

BLK90

BLK190 is 190 mm concrete block, BLK90 is 90 mm concrete block, WFUR is 40 mm wood strapping, GFB is glass fibre batts inserted in cavity

Sandwich gypsum constructions tested by Halliwell et al. [47] Report No. IR 761

 TL-93-298

51

G16_SS150(610)_GFB150_G16

 TL-92-425

45

G13_SS90(406)_GFB90_G13

 TL-93-229

59

G13_WS140(406)_GFB90_2G13

 TL-93-175

43

G13_WS90(406)_CFL90_2G13

 TL-93-302

64

2G16_SS65(610)_GFB65_AIR20_SS65(610)_GFB65_2G16

 TL-92-369

58

2G16_SS90(610)_GFB90_2G16

 TL-93-128

42

G13_WS90(406)_GFB90_RC13(610)_G13

G13 is single layer of 13 mm gypsum board, G16 is single layer of 16 mm type X gypsum board, SS 150 is 150 mm steel studs at 610 mm on centre, WS90 (406) means 90 mm wood studs at 406 mm on centre, GFB90 is 90 mm of glass fibre insulation in cavity, RC13(610) is resilient channels at 610 mm on centre

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Garg, N., Kumar, A. & Maji, S. Measurement Uncertainty in Airborne Sound Insulation and Single-Number Quantities: Strategy and Implementation in Indian Scenario. MAPAN 31, 43–55 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12647-015-0158-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12647-015-0158-9

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