Catalog

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Seminar Report Abstract (1) ········································································································································ 6
noise control techniques in building ····························································································································· 7
 PES INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND
MANAGEMENT
NH-206, SAGAR ROAD, SHIVAMOGGA – 577204
(Affiliated to VTU, Belagavi & Recognized by AICTE, New Delhi)

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

Certificate

This is to certify that Mr. YASHAVANTH H A bearing USN 4PM17CV055 of

8th semester has satisfactorily completed his Technical Seminar on “Noise

control techniques in building”, as prescribed by the Visvesvaraya

Technological University in Civil Engineering Course in partial fulfillment

of the requirement leading to the award of Bachelor of Engineering during

the academic year 2020 – 2021.

------------------------------------- -------------------------------
Prof. RAKESH M.K. Dr. M.N. HIREMATH

GUIDE HOD
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Behind the success of anything there would be many people whose

guidance, suggestions and help rendered at the need is unforgettable
and it is my bounded responsibility to convey whole -heartedly a word
of thanks to all of them.

I am extremely indebted and would like to express my deep sense of

gratitude to my guide Prof. RAKESH M.K., for his keen guidance
throughout this work.

I extend my sincere and heartfelt thanks to Dr. M.N. HIREMATH,

HOD, Department of Civil Engineering, who has given me the moral
support in successful completion of the Technical Seminar

I would like to thank Dr. CHAITANYA KUMAR M.V., Principal,

PES Institute of Technology and Management, Shivamogga.

On presenting the report on “ NOISE CONTROL TECHNIQUES IN

BUILDING”, I feel great to express my humble feelings of thanks to

all who have helped me directly or indirectly in the success ful
completion of this work

YASHAVANTH H A

(4PM17CV055)
NOISE CONTROL TECHNIQUES IN BUILDING

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SL.NO. PARTICULARS PAGE NO.

Abstract i
Table of Contents ii
List of Figures iii

List of Tables iv

1.0 Introduction 01
1.1 Noise pollution: source & effects 04

1.2 Effects of noise pollution 05

1.3 Steps to control noise pollution 06

1.4 Building as noise shields 07

2.0 Summary 14
REFERENCES

ii
NOISE CONTROL TECHNIQUES IN BUILDING

LIST OF FIGURES

FIG NO. DESCRIPTION PAGE NO.

1.1 Sound moves 02

1.2 Planned unit development & residential 09
cluster development
1.3 Earth berm cross section 10
1.4 Sound waves reflected by walls 12

iii
NOISE CONTROL TECHNIQUES IN BUILDING

ABSTRACT

The energy consumption in the building sector can reach up to 40% of the total energy
demand of an industrial country. For this reason, green building strategies can be extremely
effective as far as fossil fuels savings and greenhouse gases reduction. Sustainable materials
can play an important role, since less energy is generally required for their production than
the one needed for conventional materials. Comfort, including personal control Research
work in the 1980s into what was then called sick building syndrome (now building related
ill health) confirmed to a new generation of researchers what was already well known to an
older one - that people’s perception of control over their environment affects their comfort
and satisfaction. However, many modern buildings seem to have just the opposite effect.
They take control away from the human occupants and try to place control in automatic
systems which then govern the overall indoor environment conditions, and deny occupants
means of intervention. In the last years many new materials for noise control have been
studied and developed as alternatives to the traditional ones (glass or rock wool); these
materials are either natural (cotton, cellulose, hemp, wool, clay, etc) or made from recycled
materials (rubber, plastic, carpet, cork, etc.).

i
NOISE CONTROL TECHNIQUES IN BUILDING

NOISE CONTROL TECHNIQUES IN BUILDING

1.0 Introduction:

In any heavily populated area, there is enough activity going on at once during the day to
generate all kinds of sounds across the audible spectrum of human hearing. Planes take off
and land, traffic moves along roadways, construction crews repair roads, dogs bark, music
blares, sirens sound, lawns are mowed, etc. Even within a building, mechanical noise from
heating or air conditioning can be audible, phones ring, and voices, radios and TVs are heard
through walls, and so on. We rely on construction practices and materials to provide a
sufficient barrier from the loud goings-on that surround us every day. Inspectors may be
interested to learn how building materials and techniques influence the transmission of sound.

Noise control inside a building can be achieved by following construction techniques

while construction of a building. The construction techniques of walls, windows, doors and
floors and selection of appropriate building materials are discussed for better acoustic control
in buildings.

The discomfort of noise within the building goes on increasing if the structural elements
within the building too don’t show any resistance against the noise. It is found that the noise
transmission is intercepted when it passes through the walls, floors, windows, ceilings and the
building doors.

HOW SOUND MOVES

Sound energy travels from a source through air, water and solid objects. When sound waves
hit the eardrum and cause vibration, we perceive them through our sense of hearing. The
path a sound takes before it reaches our ears can be either airborne or structure-
borne. Airborne sounds are radiated from a source directly into the air, such as a loud
jackhammer. Structure-borne sound is sound that travels through solid materials before we

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NOISE CONTROL TECHNIQUES IN BUILDING

hear it. An example would be heavy footsteps audible from the next room. This is why
structure-borne sound is often referred to as "impact noise".

Sound waves radiate around the source and decrease in loudness as they travel farther
away. The energy of a sound wave is reduced by half when the distance from the source
doubles.

Sound Absorption

Sound absorption is the capability of a surface, or building material, to absorb sound instead
of reflecting it. Sound waves will continue to bounce around a room for a time after they are
created if the majority of surfaces in a room is reflective. Surfaces that absorb sound better
will not allow for reflections to bounce around as much, and will deaden the sound wave
more quickly. Many common building materials, such as gypsum board, wood, concrete,
brick and tile, are fairly reflective and do not absorb much sound. Softer materials, such
as carpet, foam padding, and fiberglass insulation, are far better at absorbing sound.

Fig.1.1 Sound moves

The use of absorptive materials can be helpful in controlling sound. Fiberglass insulation is
very absorptive and can be used where sound control is a concern. Thick carpet with padding
is also very absorptive, and acoustical ceiling tiles are designed to absorb rather than reflect
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NOISE CONTROL TECHNIQUES IN BUILDING

sound. Even in cases where these options are not viable, absorptive materials can be added to
finished rooms in other ways: furniture with thick cushioning is extremely absorptive, as are
thick and heavy curtains and drapes. Items such as these can be added or arranged in ways
that will allow for greater sound absorption. Acoustical baffles with absorptive materials can
be purchased for use in areas where sound is a major concern, and most are designed to be
unobtrusive and visually nondescript so as to allow for installation without drastically altering
the aesthetics of a rooms.

Airborne Sound Transmission

Airborne sound transmission in interiors deals with how well sound is controlled from room
to room, and from the outdoors to indoors (or vice versa) through walls and ceilings. Sound
transmission loss is the decrease in sound energy when it passes through a building
element. Different materials provide different levels of transmission loss and, thus, different
levels of diffusion of sound.

Dense, heavy materials increase the mass of floors and walls, allowing less sound to pass
through. De-coupling can also be used to control sound, in this case. A break in framing or a
resilient drywall connection breaks the path of vibration for the sound wave, causing it to
halt. This is the most effective method for controlling strong, low frequencies, which are the
hardest to block. Blocking airborne sound from leaking through gaps and cracks by sealing
them is also effective.

Impact-Sound Transmission

After an impact noise is transmitted through a floor or ceiling assembly, the airborne sound
that has made it through is the impact-sound transmission. The sound of someone stomping
around on the floor above you is an impact sound transmitted through the ceiling to the room
you are in. As with airborne sound transmission and sound absorption, the media of building
materials used in construction come into play.

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NOISE CONTROL TECHNIQUES IN BUILDING

Wood joist floor-ceiling systems transmit a lot of impact sound. Adding fiberglass insulation
will improve their capability of blocking impact sound, as will decoupling by using a wire-
suspended drywall ceiling. Lightweight concrete flooring is generally good at reducing
airborne sound transmission, but it does not do as well blocking impact sound. De-coupling
is crucial to improving impact sound control in this instance. Resilient underlayments
beneath floating floors can isolate the finished flooring from the concrete slab.

1.1 Noise pollution: Source & Effects

Sources of Noise Pollution

1. Industrialization: Most of the industries use big machines which are capable of
producing noise. Apart from that, various equipment’s like compressors, generators,
exhaust fans, grinding mills also participate in producing noise.
2. Poor Urban Planning: In most of the developing countries, poor urban planning also
play a vital role. Congested houses, large families sharing small space, parking lots,
street noise, honking, commercial zone leads to noise pollution which disrupts the
environment of society.
3. Transportation: Large number of vehicles on roads, aero planes, trains produce
heavy noise. The high noise leads to a situation wherein a normal person lose the
ability to hear properly.
4. Construction Activities: Construction activities like mining, construction of bridges,
dams, buildings, stations, roads, flyovers take place in almost every part of the world.
These construction activities have to be continued to meet the demand of ever
increasing Population. It also creates noise pollution.
5. Miscellaneous Sources: The automobile repair shops, market places, schools,
colleges, bus stands, and railway stations etc. are other sources of noise pollution.

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1.2 Effects of noise pollution

Human response to noise varies from man to man according to age and temperament. It may
vary even in the same individual from time to time because of change in health, fatigue and
other conditions (Fig). The effects of noise on human beings are as under:-

1) Auditory effects: It includes deafness or auditory fatigue

Deafness or impaired hearing: Prolonged exposures to noise lead to gradual

deterioration of internal ear and subsequently hearing loss or deafness. It may occur due to
continuous exposure to noise level of more than 90 dB. It may be temporary or permanent.
Explosions or other high intensity sounds can also cause immediate deafness by rupturing the

Auditory fatigue: It is defined as a temporary loss of hearing after exposure to sound.

Continuous humming sound such as whistling and buzzing in the ears.

2) Non auditory effects: These are:-

Trouble Communicating: High decibel noise can put trouble and may not allow people
to communicate freely. Constant sharp noise can give you severe headache and disturb your
emotional balance.

Effect on non-living things: The noise booms cause cracks in walls of buildings as well
as in hills. Sonic boom can break window panes and buildings.

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1.3 Steps to control noise pollution

Noise pollution can be effectively controlled by taking the following

measures:

(1) Suppression of noise at source: It can be achieved by following methods:

(a) Covering noise-producing machine parts with sound-absorbing materials to check
noise production.
(b) Reducing the noise produced from a vibrating machine by vibration damping i.e.
making a layer of damping material (rubber, neoprene, cork or plastic) beneath the
machine.
(c) Using silencers to control noise from automobiles, ducts, exhausts etc.

(2) Acoustic Zoning: There should be silence zones near the residential areas, educational
institutions and above all, near hospitals. Zoning of noisy industrial areas, bus terminals
and railway stations, aerodromes etc. away from the residential areas i.e. increasing the
distance between source and receiver.

(3) Sound Insulation at Construction Stages: It reduces the chances of noise nuisance
in future. Some of these measures could be:

(a) The space/cracks that get left between the door and the wall should be packed with
sound absorbing material.

(b) Sound insulation can be done by constructing windows with double or triple panes of
glass and filling the gaps with sound absorbing materials.

(c) Acoustical tiles, perforated plywood etc. can be fixed on walls, ceilings, floors etc. to
reduce noise (especially for sound proof recording rooms etc.)

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1.4 Buildings as Noise Shields

The concept of using building while are less sensitive to noise as the shields for mitigating
the noise that may reach the noise sensitive building is a feasible one. One study shows that a
two-story building can reduce noise levels on the side of the building away from the noise
source by about 13dBA.(Hans et al., 1963)

Merits

● Using buildings eliminates the need for other sound barriers.

● Urban areas lacking space for other measures can adopt this measure to deal with the noise
of a bustling urban area.

Demerits

● If the buildings used as a shield are noise sensitive, they have to be soundproofed.

● Gaps between buildings will reduce the effectiveness of the noise shield

Construction. Pre-existing buildings or new buildings can be used to insulate the inner area
from noise.

Cost. In preplanned places, the incurred cost is that of an acoustic planner only. However, in
places where buildings as noise shields are used at later stages of development, the cost of
repurposing a preexisting building and cost of soundproofing a building used for noise-
sensitive activities should also be considered.

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NOISE CONTROL TECHNIQUES IN BUILDING

Planned unit development and residential cluster development

Planned unit developments (PUDs) and cluster developments are forms of land design that
usually focus on the integration of the natural features of a site with the new development to
be constructed on the site.

Cluster (or Clustering) is a site-planning technique that concentrates buildings and structures
in specific areas on a lot, site, or parcel to allow the remaining land to be used for recreation,
open space, or preservation of features or structures with environmental, historical, cultural, or
other significance.

Maintaining adequate distance by keeping open spaces between noise source and residence,
PUD, and cluster development can be used as a proactive measure to deal with noise.

Merits

● The appearance of communities can be maintained properly.

● Planned and predetermined ways of land usage allow for greater development flexibility of
neighboring communities.

Demerits

● Due to the positioning of open spaces closer to the noise source, noise-sensitive recreational
activities may be hindered.

Construction. Construction of planned unit development and residential cluster

development is dependent on long term planning. It requires foresight from planners, central
government, local bodies, and citizens.

Cost. It depends on local factors like the size of the area, planned zones, land acquisition,
manpower available.

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Fig.1.2 Planned unit development and residential cluster development

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NOISE CONTROL TECHNIQUES IN BUILDING

Barriers

Barriers are the obstructions placed between the source of a sound and the receiver (Federal
Highway Administration, 1972). To be effective, barrier height must cover the line of sight
between them. The most commonly used barriers are earth berms and solid walls. Absorptive
sound barriers are better than reflective ones as these reduce the chances of formation of the
echo chamber.

To achieve a 5-decibel reduction of noise, a barrier must be built at the line of sight (and
hearing) of the average individual. The primary determinant of its effectiveness is its height:
every additional meter above the line of sight reduces the sound by an additional 1.5 decibels.

Earth Berms

Earth berm is a sloped structure built adjacent to highways within its right of way. Its height
ranges from 5’ to 50’ depending upon the impedance required.

Fig.1.3 earth berm cross section

Earth berms reflect and absorb sound waves. Since earth berms are inclined, and not exactly
vertical, the sound gets deflected upwards with many reduced chances of echo chambers being
created.

Merits

● A berm can provide noise attenuation of up to 15 dBA if it is several feet higher than the
“line of sight” between the noise source and the receiver. (Federal Highway Administration,
1972)

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● Compared to walls of the same height, earth berms provide 1 to 3 dBA better noise
attenuation.

Demerits

● Building earth berms later is significantly costlier than building the wall at the same time.
The cost of constructing earth berms can rise significantly with a slight increase in its height.

Construction. Earth berm must cover the line of sight between source and recipient of noise
to work effectively. Further increase in height depends upon the required insulation. The
ground area covered depends upon the height and slope of the berm.

Cost. The cost involved in the construction of an earth berm are:

● Construction cost: Land acquisition cost is dictated by the area upon which construction goes
on. Seeding and plantation costs are also included as construction costs.

● Maintenance cost: Drainage, erosion prevention, mowing, etc are maintenance costs to be
considered.

Wall

Thin, vertical structures made of rigid particles like steel and concrete can be used to prevent
direct transmission of sound to neighborhoods. Generally, walls work by reflecting sound
waves. Walls of absorptive nature can also be constructed with grooves on walls, and walls
with vegetation.

Merits

● A wall can provide noise attenuation of up to 15 dBA if it is several feet higher than the “line
of sight” between the noise source and the receiver.(California Division of Highways, 1972)

● As vertical walls are of small thickness, they can be installed easily at places with limited
space thus allowing walls to be built as post-construction noise mitigation measures.
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Demerits

● Though effective for residents living within its vicinity, walls are less effective at larger
distances.

● Due to the reflective nature of walls, residents previously undisturbed by highway noises
complain of disturbance after the construction of walls.

Fig.1.4 sound waves reflected by walls

● Commuters as well as residents complain of damage to scenery due to construction of walls:

"It turns backyards into prison walls", "With walls roads feel like a tunnel with no roof."

Construction. Walls can be constructed of any solid structure high enough with adequate
mass and density. Generally used materials are wood, precast concrete, and woods; among
these, precast concrete has been observed to lack durability. With these materials, walls can be
made of virtually unlimited designs as a requirement.

Cost. Cost is largely dependent upon the type, manpower, maintenance, weather condition,
and other local factors. It is worth noticing that the cost of installing precast concrete walls on
one side of the highway in California has reached up to 2 million USD.

Plantations

Planting vegetation adjacent to the street can also reduce noise to some degree. Plants absorb
and scatter sound waves. Plants also provide psychological relief, providing appealing
aesthetics and hiding sources of noise from.

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NOISE CONTROL TECHNIQUES IN BUILDING

Merits

● They provide pleasant aesthetics and are psychologically relaxing.

Demerits

● The performance of plants as a barrier is quite unsatisfactory compared to other alternatives.

● Deciduous plants will be effective during some periods only.

Construction. Building a proper plantation barrier needs enough land, adequate plants, as
well as time for plants to grow to desirable height are required monetary and time cost.

Cost. Costs are much more dictated by factors like plants used, maintenance required, etc.

Combination of various barrier designs

Often, the most economical, acoustically acceptable, and aesthetically pleasing barrier is some
combination of the barrier types previously discussed.

In addition to cost advantages, an earth berm with a barrier wall on top of it possesses several
other advantages over both a wall and a berm alone:

● It is more visually pleasing than a wall of equivalent height.

● The berm portion of this combination is less dangerous for a motorist leaving the roadway.

● The non-vertical construction of the berm does not reflect noise to the opposite side of the
highway the way a wall does.

● The combination requires less land than would be required for a berm of equivalent height
and slope.

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2.0 Summary

We have discussed some of the methods pertinent to the reduction of noise in residential
buildings. While the applicability and adeptness of the aforementioned methods may differ
concerning the location, space of the building, and the nature of the noise, it is established that
the use of the said methods can be of huge help for noise reduction. As discussed already the
proper acoustical design and construction is applicable in case of the buildings which are yet
to be built; these methods being generally economical are applicable even in case of regular
building construction. Planned unit development and residential cluster development are the
most feasible and cost-efficient when implemented as proactive measures to protect
communities from noise. Barriers can be used as both proactive and reactive measures; the wall
is often the most effective when noise sources like highways are constructed near to a
preexisting community, whereas other barriers like earth berms and plantations are better suited
to preserve the appearance of communities along with protecting them from noise.

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References

[1] J. L. Pizzutti et Al., “Acoustic potential of calabash residue as sound absorption alternative
material”,

[2] http://cig.bre.co.uk/envprofiles.

[3] http://www.pre.nl/eco-indicator99/default.htm.

[4] F. Asdrubali, K. Horoshenkov, “The acoustic properties of expanded clay granulates”,

Building Acoustics, 9 (2), 85-98, 2002.

[5] D. B. Pedersen, “Acoustic performance of building elements with organic insulation

materials”, Proc.

[6] V. Chilekwa, G. Sieffert, C.A. Egan, D. Oldham, “The acoustical characteristics of reed
configurations“,

[7] V. Desarnaulds et Al., “Sustainability of acoustic materials and acoustic characterization of

sustainable materials”, Proc. of ICSV12, Lisbon, Portugal, 2005. .

[8] http://www.natureplus.org/

[9] http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/index_en.htm

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