ACOUSTIC PARTITIONS
ACOUSTIC PARTITIONS
ADVANCED EQUIPMENT CORPORATION offers operable walls in a wide range of panel constructions. Each type of panel has been sound tested for STC value by a licensed acoustical engineer in an independent acoustical laboratory. AEC has established minimum NIC values which one can expect to achieve for each type of panel should the operable walls be field sound tested and providing that the surrounding building construction is compatible with the specified rating. AEC considers field measurement of NIC, either optional or mandatory testing, to be the way to determine and control acoustical effectiveness of operable walls. It is recommended that one should not rely on STC to predict Customer Satisfaction. One way to learn the location of Acoustical Consultants in your area is to contact the National Council of Acoustical Consultants – NCAC – in Springfield, N.J. NCAC does not endorse AEC products.
ACOUSTIC PARTITIONS
ADVANCED EQUIPMENT CORPORATION offers operable walls in a wide range of panel constructions. Each type of panel has been sound tested for STC value by a licensed acoustical engineer in an independent acoustical laboratory. AEC has established minimum NIC values which one can expect to achieve for each type of panel should the operable walls be field sound tested and providing that the surrounding building construction is compatible with the specified rating.
NIC – NOISE ISOLATION CLASS
A single number rating derived from a standardized ASTM field acoustical test procedure. The test is based on measurement of sound pressure lever differences on each side of the field installed product, adjusted to compensate for ambient noise levels. No adjustment of the value is made to compensate for sound absorption in the “receiving room”. Thus, the result is comparable to that perceived by the human ear. A NIC rating of 40 is considered very good for an operable wall. As with STC, the higher the rating the better the operable wall is at stopping sound transmission.
STC – SOUND TRANSMISSION CLASS
A single number rating derived from a standardized ASTM acoustical laboratory test procedure. Testing is conducted on a small 14’x 9’ operable wall specimen in a controlled laboratory environment. The rating provides an estimate of the acoustical performance and may be used to rank or compare the sound reducing effectiveness of operable walls. Typical values for operable walls range from 38 to 54. The lower the number the less effective the wall will be in stopping sound transmission to the adjacent space.
NRC – NOISE REDUCTION COEFFICIENT
A single figure rating derived from a standardized ASTM Acoustical Laboratory test procedure. Differences between the reverberation time within the laboratory, with and without a specimen of known area, and at various frequencies are used to calculate this measure of a percentage of reduction of sound energy due to frictional loss within the absorptive medium. Having an established value of noise reduction contributed by a known area and location of operable wall surface assists the Acoustical Consultant to evaluate, predict and adjust various acoustical properties of the space under study.