New Form INC

1.0 sound insulation and architectural acoustics systems

Noise and sound are important factors in the amenity of people, whether at home or at work. The use of sound insulation within buildings is a means to control the levels of sound which may be intrusive. Within New Zealand, building elements which are common between occupancies (and common spaces) are required to be constructed to prevent undue noise transmission in accordance with Clause G6 of the NZBC (ref 8). Specifically, performance requirements are:

For airbourne sound insulation, the sound transmission class (STC) of walls, floors and ceilings, shall be no less than 55 (specified in clause G6.3.1 of NZBC).
For impact sound insulation, the impact insulation class of floors (IIC) shall be no less than 55 (specified in clause G6.3.2 of NZBC)

It is not within the scope of this document to provide detailed acoustic theory and definitions, however extensive coverage is included within “Architectural Acoustics” (ref 3).