CISBE 2016 - Reducing Noise and Vibration Caused by MEP

CIBSE Technical Symposium, Edinburgh, UK 14-15 April 2016
Acoustic Insulation for Mechanical Spaces,

Reducing Noise and Vibration Caused by MEP
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METE OGUC MSC,
Acoustic Design Engineer, Acrefine Engineering
m.oguc@acrefine.com
DENIZ HADZIKURTES BSC,
Seismic Design Engineer, Acrefine Engineering
d.hadzikurtes@acrefine.com
M. MARTIN DEVECI MSC,
Managing Director, Acrefine Engineering
m.deveci@acrefine.com
Abstract
An increase in population and limited land availability in modern cities means that
concrete and steel frame high-rise buildings are being constructed more than ever.
These buildings are technologically advanced, offering occupants comfortable
environments, which is achieved by the use of building services installations.
Mechanical rooms form part of these services and with multi-story buildings they are
inevitably located on intermediate floors, close to occupied areas. Noise and vibration
generated from equipment and other installations in these rooms is emitted to
surrounding spaces in the form of airborne and structure borne noise. Installing the
correct type of vibration isolation can eliminate structure borne noise from machinery
and reduce the vibration to acceptable limits. To overcome the air borne noise,
floating systems can be implemented, which are based on creating an air gap with a
resilient surface. These floating systems are very effective in eliminating air borne
noise by acting as barriers, which can be installed on structural walls, floors and
ceilings in any room that requires acoustical treatment. Since MEP equipment and
installations differ in size and shape and have their own operating characteristics,
acoustical treatment and vibration isolation requires a technical and specialized
approach. To achieve higher performance levels each piece of equipment will need
individual attention besides investigating the whole installation.
Keywords Acoustic Insulation, Vibration Control, Seismic Safety
Page 1 of 8
1.0 Introduction
An effective noise control method is to locate noise sources away from noise
sensitive spaces. Unfortunately, it is normally necessary to locate electrical and
mechanical services on top or in mid floors to have an efficient working installation for
high rise buildings. By choosing the right vibration isolators for the equipment and
designing a well-insulated technical room through the use of floating floors, and floors
and insulated secondary walls, it is possible to locate these services adjacent to
occupied spaces.
Equipment which is directly attached to a wall, ceiling or a floor transmits vibration

through the structure to the other parts of the building. Floating rooms are resiliently
mounted systems that create air gaps between the walls, ceiling and floor so that
vibration and noise transmission paths are avoided. They are used to isolate sound
when transmission loss through the standard structure is not adequate. A floating
room performs acoustically on the principle of creating an impedance mismatch such
that the transmission loss is much greater than a continuous design.
On the other hand, if the region is seismically active then seismic restraint
requirements should be considered for Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP)
services. The purpose of seismic restraint for MEP services is to assure that the
systems will function after an earthquake without requiring any repair and/or
replacement of neither equipment nor utilities like air ducts and pipes, electrical cable
trays and busbars, lighting fixtures, firefighting (sprinkler) systems etc. For life
supporting systems the main goal is damage prevention to keep the systems
functioning right after an earthquake. For all other systems seismic mitigation is still
an important objective first for human safety second for damage minimization. And to
achieve this objective all the equipment and distribution lines should be restrained to
the structure while considering acoustic insulation and vibration isolation.
2.0 Seismic Design Force for Non-Structural Component

Earthquakes are difficult to predict and impossible to prevent. Nobody can foresee a
coming earthquake and escape from its consequences. What can be done is to
observe earthquakes, collect empirical data and analyze this data for estimating
effects of future earthquakes. Eventually, these calculations will form the basis of a
protection system for the buildings and their services at risk of damage.
According to ASCE-7_10 seismic forces acting on an architectural, mechanical and
electrical component are calculated with the following formula [4]:
0.4 ∙ 𝑎𝑃 ∙ 𝑆𝐷𝑆 ∙ 𝑊𝑃 𝑧
𝐹𝑃 = [ ] ∙ [1 + (2 ∙ )] (1)
𝑅𝑃 ℎ
𝐼𝑃
Seismic design force (FP) acting on the location of related component, spectral
response acceleration at short period (SDS), component amplification factor (a P),
component importance factor (IP), equipment weight (W P), response modification
factor (RP), component height above grade (z) and roof height above grade (h)
(formula 1).
Page 2 of 8
3.0 Applications for MEP Services

3.1 Vibration Isolation and Seismic Restraint for Distribution Lines
If rigid mounted distribution lines are connected to any equipment with moving parts
(when functioning), these may cause disturbing vibration and noise in buildings. In
such cases the distribution lines should be isolated with vibration hangers within 15
m from the equipment connection [5], see figure 1.
Figure 1. Vibration isolation and seismic restraint for distribution lines [6].
3.2 Vibration Isolation and Seismic Restraint for Suspended Equipment

All equipment located in or adjacent to a space where comfort conditions are critical
should be isolated in accordance to the forcing frequency [5], see figure 2. Such
equipment would include fans and pumps, the isolator could be formed from metal
springs or synthetic rubber depending on the environmental conditions (oil and/or
heat are typical).
Figure 2. Vibration isolation and seismic restraint for suspended equipment [6].
Page 3 of 8
3.3 Vibration Isolation and Seismic Restraint for Floor Mounted

Equipment
Equipment located in mechanical rooms such as chiller, pumps or compressors may
need vibration isolation (springs or rubber) depending on the forcing frequency . In
critical applications such as pumps and compressors, equipment should be mounted
to an inertia mass which have a weight 1-1.5 times the operating weight of the
equipment [6], see figure 3.
Figure 3. Vibration isolation and seismic restraint for floor mounted equipment
[6].
4.0 Applications for Architectural Components

Acoustic insulation for a mechanical space shall be designed according to the
equipment type, expected noise levels and the sensitivity to noise of the occupants of
the adjacent spaces. Excessive use of insulation materials causes unnecessary
expensive expenses. Whereas, insufficient insulation could lead to unacceptable
performance, would cause issues that are very expensive to solve through
retrofitting.
4.1 Acoustic Insulation, Vibration Isolation and Seismic Restraint for

Floating Floors
The design stages of a building is the correct phase to determine the physical
properties of floorings and ceilings. Floating floors are preferred in mechanical
spaces which contain equipment with high noise levels such as chillers and
generators [5], see figure 4.
Page 4 of 8
Figure 4. Floating floor application for mechanical rooms (as per ASHRAE).
If the primary concern of the design is to isolate the room against vibration caused by
the working machinery then the use of rubber or spring vibration isolators would be
suitable. Floating floors are not meant as a means to isolate equipment, but serve
primarily to control airborne sound transmission [7]. It is possible to calculate the
expected airborne sound insulation performance of flooring by computing the floating
floor and housekeeping pad structures sound insulation performances separately and
then calculating their composite performance [8].
Mounting equipment using vibration isolators directly to a floating floor can reduce
flanking paths and may decrease the vibration transmission. However, this system
will have two degrees of freedom and as such improper selection of insulation
materials and vibration isolators could increase the transmitted vibration rather than
reduce it [6]. Also, the load that a floating floor system can withstand is limited by the
concrete floating floor slabs load carrying capacity. Therefore, it is recommended to
rigidly attach heavy equipment to the building structure, as seen in figure 4.
If equipment is to be mounted on an access floor, then the weight of the floor system,
weight of all equipment fastened to the floor, and 25 percent of the weight of all
equipment supported by but not fastened to the floor, should concern the designer
when making overturn calculations [4].
Page 5 of 8

Partition, Clad and Secondary Walls
The walls of a mechanical space should not be selected or designed solely on their
single numbered performance descriptors such as STC and Rw values. These sorts
of descriptors are developed to evaluate walls, doors and windows sound insulation
performances against speech noise or other types of noise could have very low
energy levels in low frequencies. However, low frequency noise components are
dominant in mechanical equipment. Low frequency sound insulation performance of
structures depend on mass and stiffness of the materials. Therefore, it is more
reasonable to use structures with high insulation performance at low frequencies
such as masonry walls. Also, it should be remembered that the sound insulation
performance of walls also depend on their connection types and clearances [5]. To
conclude, after the total sound power level caused by the machinery in a room is
calculated and the spectral sound reduction levels of the walls and structures in
contact are determined, the wall design should be improved according to the noise
level expectations at the adjacent noise sensitive space.
Vibration Isolated
Restraint
Figure 5. Vibration isolated wall supports.
All partitions greater than 6ft (1.8m) in height and the partitions that are tied to the
ceiling shall be laterally braced to the building structure. Such bracing shall be
independent of any ceiling lateral force bracing, see Figure 5. Horizontal deflection of
partitions shall be limited by bracings which should be spaced such that they meet
ceiling deflection requirements [4].

Suspended Ceilings
Suspended ceilings with acoustic insulation are typically composed of multiple layers
of gypsum boards attached to a frame suspended from the structure above with
vibration isolating hangers. Mechanical equipment should be placed below the sound
barrier ceiling to ensure a continuous isolating layer if the noise levels in the occupied
space above is critical. If the occupied space below the sound barrier ceiling is
critical, than ceiling penetrations should be kept minimal and the mechanical
equipment should be placed above the sound barrier ceiling. Regardless of the
positioning of the mechanical equipment, ceiling penetrations should be minimized
which causes a reduction in insulation performance of this structure. There should be
no rigid contact between the sound barrier ceiling and other structures such as
ductwork, piping, hangers and supports [7], see figure 6.
Page 6 of 8
Figure 6. Seismic restraint application for suspended ceiling supporting
construction.
International codes and standards such as IBC, ASCE and FEMA established the
minimum design requirements for the seismic safety of such structures. Loads that
are going to be applied to these structures should be calculated according to ASCE
7-05 Section 13.3.1, 13.5.6.1 and the parameters (site class, SS, S1, IP, Fa, Fv etc.)
defined in these sections should be chosen from respective tables to determine the
related seismic forces. Thereby, a correct selection of anchorage types and seismic
restraints can be made [4].
All perimeter closure angles or channels shall provide a support ledge of 22mm or
greater unless the perimeter ends of each cross runner and main runner shall be
independently supported as specified in ASTM E 580/E 580M. All ceiling
penetrations (columns, sprinklers, etc.) and independently supported fixtures or
services shall have a minimum of 9mm clearance on all sides by using suitable
elastomeric elements and perimeter closure details [10].
5.0 Conclusion
Building a floating room for increased acoustic insulation performance and vibration
insulation performance with a floating floor, secondary walls, suspended ceiling,
vibration hangers and vibration isolators is a straight forward solution to reduce
sound and vibration transmission from an equipment room to an occupied space
sensitive to noise. It is recommended to decouple structural components to avoid
flanking sound transmission through structural components in such cases. However,
it is also required to mount heavy equipment to rigid housekeeping pads, to leave
clearances on all sides of ceiling penetrations such as columns and independently
supported fixtures or services, and to rigidly support floating structures to avoid
displacement of equipment and floating structural components during an earthquake.
Consequently, having both seismic safety and acoustic insulation measures within a
project creates a dilemma if both are not interpreted from an engineering point of
view. Loss of acoustic insulation and vibration insolation performance of structures
Page 7 of 8
where seismic safety measures applied should be carefully investigated for optimum
solutions. With these types of solution designers can reduce costs and create much
more effective MEP systems. Lowering energy consumption reduces running costs
and results in sustainable buildings and the potential to lower carbon emissions.
References
(1) J.R. Tauby, R. J. Lloyd, T. Noce, J. T. F. M. Tunissen: ASHRAE: Practical Guide
to Seismic Restraint, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning
Engineers, Inc., USA, 1999.
(2) Gunes, O., "Turkey's grand challange: Disaster-proof building inventory within 20
years", Case Studies in Construction Materials 2, pp. 18-34, 2015.
(3) Fragidakis, M., Vamvatsikos, D., Karlaftis, M.G., Lagaros, N.D., Papadrakakis, M.,
"Seismic assessment of structures and lifelines", Journal of Sound and Vibration,
334, pp. 29-56, 2015.
(4) ASCE/SEI 7: Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, 2010.
(5) Schaffer, M.E., A Practical Guide to Noise and Vibration Control for HVAC
Systems 2nd Ed., American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning
Engineers, Inc., USA, 2011.
(6) Kalafat, E., Tesisatlarda Deprem Güvenliği, Tesisat Dergisi, 116, S. 146, Teknik
Yayıncılık, 2005
(7) J. Lilly, A. Mitchell, B. Rockwood, S. Wise, ASHRAE Technical Committees,
Chapter 48 – Noise and Vibration Control, 2011 ASHRAE Handbook – Heating,
Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning Applications, SI Edition, American Society of
Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc., USA, 2011.
(8) Oguc,M., Hadzikurtes, D., “Acoustic Evaluation of Floating Floor Applications in
Mechanical Rooms”, Euronoise 2015, 31 May – 3 June, Maastricht, 2015.
(9) Fierro, A.E., Perry, C.L., Freeman, S.A., Reducing the Risks of Nonstructural
Earthquake Damage: A Practical Guide 3rd Ed., FEMA 74, 1994.
(10) ASTM E 580/E 580M, Standard Practice for Installation of Ceiling Suspension
Systems for Acoustical Tile and Lay-in Panels in Areas Subject to Earthquake
Ground Motions, 2010.
Acknowledgements
This project has been funded by Acrefine Engineering Services Ltd.
Page 8 of 8

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CIBSE Technical Symposium, Edinburgh, UK 14-15 April 2016

Acoustic Insulation for Mechanical Spaces,

Keywords Acoustic Insulation, Vibration Control, Seismic Safety

Equipment which is directly attached to a wall, ceiling or a floor transmits vibration

2.0 Seismic Design Force for Non-Structural Component

3.0 Applications for MEP Services

3.2 Vibration Isolation and Seismic Restraint for Suspended Equipment

3.3 Vibration Isolation and Seismic Restraint for Floor Mounted

4.0 Applications for Architectural Components

4.1 Acoustic Insulation, Vibration Isolation and Seismic Restraint for

4.2 Acoustic Insulation, Vibration Isolation and Seismic Restraint for

Figure 5. Vibration isolated wall supports.

4.3 Acoustic Insulation, Vibration Isolation and Seismic Restraint for

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