1.

2 PLANNING, DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, AND COMMISSIONING

•mntttll
Design Criteria for Minimum Sound Isolation Performance Between Enclosed Rooms1

Adjacency Combination STCc'

Patient Care Units

Patient room Corridor (with entrance) 35 3

Patient room Patient room (wall-same floor) 454

Patient room Patient room (floor-to-floor) 50

Patient room Consultat ion room 50

Patient room Public space 50

Patient room Service area 60'

Patient room MRI room 60'

Diagnostic and Treatment Locations

Examination room Corridor (with entrance) 35 3

Examination room Examination room (with electronic masking) 406

Examination room Examination room (no electronic masking) 50

Examination room Public space 50

Examination room MRiroom 605

Treatment room Corridor (with entrance) 353

Treatment room Treatment room 50

Operating room Operating room 50

Operating room MRI scanner room 605• 7

Consultation room Public space 50

Consultation room Corridor (with entrance) 353

Public Areas

Toilet room Public space 45

Public space MRI scanner room 50

1
Addit ional spaces shall be added based on the building program.
2The STC values stated assume the need for normal speech privacy as shown in Table 1.2-7 (Design Criteria for Speech Privacy for Enclosed
Rooms and Open-Plan Spaces)-except at corridor walls with doors-assuming a background sound level of at least 30 dBA. When selecting
assemblies based on their tested or published STC ratings, it should be noted that laboratory STC test reports can, in general, be considered
accurate to +I- 2 STC points. Consequently, an assembly with a tested or published STC rating as low as 2 points below the stated minimum
may be considered acceptable.
3
1n cases where greater speech privacy is required between patient care rooms when both room doors to the connecting corridor are closed,
the composite demising wall performance requirement shall be STCc 50.
4
Th is is the performance required for the wall around the door. Note that sound isolation in these instances will be limited by the door's
performance (e.g., STC 20 for a close-fitted 5-PSF door).lt is up to the faci lity to determine if doors require a higher acoustic performance or if
ful l perimeter gasketing and bottom seals should be required. Doors are not required to be sound sealed to maintain the STC rating, although
a facility may choose to do so for specialty patient environments such as bereavement rooms, consultation rooms, sleep therapy roo ms, etc.
sRelaxation of STC 60 ratings shall be permitted if compliance with room noise requirements is achieved with lower performance
constructions. See Table 1.2-5 (Maximum Design Criteria for Noise in Interior Spaces Caused by Building Systems).
6
Electronic masking shall provide a maximum background level of 48 dBA.

Gu i delines for Design and Construction of Hospitals 53