Acoustical Testing
Laboratory tests are performed on various building materials to determine their effectiveness at abating
and partition attenuating airborne sound.
ASTM C423 – 09a is a Standard Test Method for determining Sound Absorption and Sound Absorption
Coefficients of material assemblies. Test results are provided listing the assembly’s noise reduction
coefficients (NRC) and related sound absorption averages (SAA), which is a rating of their efficiency.
ASTM E90 - 09(2016) is a Standard Test Method used for measuring a building material’s ability to
partition sound and prevent it from transmitting from one space to another. It measures the airborne
sound transmission loss of building partitions such as walls of all kinds, floor-ceiling assemblies, doors,
windows, and other space-dividing elements. Sound transmission loss ratings are provided listing the
Sound Transmission Class (STC) of the materials tested.
Noise Reduction Coefficient – NRC
Sound absorption tests measure the sound reduction capabilities of a material by how well it either
absorbs or reflects sound energy. Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) are unit measures indicating a
product’s sound absorption qualities. An NRC rating of 0.00 indicates zero sound absorption and 100%
reflection; an NRC rating of 1.00 indicates 100% absorption with no refection occurrence. Ergo, the
higher the NRC measurement, the more absorptive the material is.
The NRC is calculated by averaging four mid-range sound absorption coefficients at frequencies: 250 Hz,
500 Hz, 1000 Hz and 2000 Hz, rounded to the nearest 0.05 increment. These frequencies represent the
general hearing acuity of human speech and thus the NRC provides a simplistic number of how well a
material will absorb the human voice.
Specifications for acoustical materials typically include an NRC, but its practical use may be limited when
assessing its effectiveness at controlling problem noises. A broader frequency range is required for most
other sound attenuation, e.g. music, school and work-place noise. Additionally, concentrated problem
noises are produced by amplified music and mechanical equipment, e.g. pumps, transformers, and
generators having substantial low-frequency energy below the NRC targeted frequencies.
Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) = (4) Frequency Average of Sound Absorption Coefficients
Frequency Scale - Hertz
10 12 16 20 25 31 40 50 63 80 1 1.3 1.6 2 2.5 3.2 4 5
0 5 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 K K K K K K K K
Sound Absorptive Average (SAA) = (12) Frequency Average of Sound Absorption Coefficients
Sound Absorptive Average – SAA
A more useful single number rating obtained from ASTM C423 testing is the Sound Absorption Average
(SAA). It is the average of the twelve sound absorption coefficients for the frequencies from 200 Hz to
2500 Hz, rounded to the nearest 0.01 increment. Superseding the NRC, the SAA provides a broader
scope of a materials ability to absorb sound. As with the NRC value, the higher the SAA value, the better
the material absorbs sound.
Sound Transmission Class – STC
Sound partitioning tests determine how well a building product or assembly performs as a barrier to
airborne sound passing through it. This airborne sound reduction efficiency is expressed as Sound
Transmission Class (STC). The STC is a "one-number" average derived from sound attenuation values
tested at sixteen standard frequencies from 125 Hz to 4000 Hz and indicate the product's sound barrier
qualities.
Sound Transmission Class (STC) = (16) Frequency Average
Frequency Scale - Hertz
10 12 16 20 25 31 40 50 63 80 1 1.3 1.6 2 2.5 3.2 4 5
0 5 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 K K K K K K K K
Utilizing dense, weighty, mass-laden materials are the most effective means to design and construct
walls to prevent problem noise from transmitting from one space to another. Poured concrete and
concrete block walls achieve significantly higher STC values than equally thick wood or metal framed
walls.
Even though SOUNDBLOX ACMUs have slots in one face shell, they still have slightly better sound
transmission loss than ordinary hollow CMUs of the same thickness and composition, because of the
acoustical effects of the resonator mechanism and their heavier-than-normal, solid-top
configuration. Although the primary function of SOUNDBLOX ACMUs is sound absorption, they can also
be utilized as effective sound barrier.
