2.

7 NOISE CONTROL 41 sustainable communities

Noise control
Noise can interfere with sleep, rest and Communities usually agree about what noise >S
 hop locally and buy locally made products
conversation and cause fatigue, irritability, volumes are acceptable and what are not to reduce freight travel.
headaches and stress. We all need to but there are several subjective elements
>R
 eport noisy vehicles.
contain and reduce noise in order to enjoy a that determine our response to noise. Our
healthy life. Thoughtful design and practice perception of noise is affected by subjective Work with your neighbourhood, local council,
can reduce the impact of noise on our factors. These include the type of noise, our community organisations and government to
lives and improve the quality of our living mood, the time of day, background noise levels create more livable communities with reduced
environment. and our expectations. traffic noise. Central to this is the creation
of urban villages based on public transport,
walking, cycling, traffic calming and other traffic
Neighbourhood noise Options to reduce noise reduction initiatives. [See: 2.6 Transport]
Common sources of neighbourhood noise Recognising these subjective factors helps
include: us determine when others are creating noise
unfairly and how to respond. If neighbourhood Surveys show that noise is an
> Road, rail and aircraft traffic.
noise is a genuine problem for you there are important environmental concern
> Air conditioners, refrigeration units. some actions you can take: for most Australians. Many
> TVs and stereos. > Choose a quiet neighbourhood. people complain that traffic noise
has the greatest direct impact.
> Burglar and car alarms. > Reduce the noise by talking it over with
whoever is causing the problem, or by
> Household appliances.
lodging a complaint.
> Dogs and other animals.
> Block the noise with barriers, sound absorbent Noise in Buildings
> Industrial premises and backyard workshops. materials and appropriate home design. Non-traffic related noise complaints are rising,
> Music from houses, commercial premises > Minimise your own contribution to particularly in medium and high density housing
and concerts. neighbourhood noise. areas. Many new medium and high density
developments are unnecessarily noisy.
> Road and building maintenance and > Carry out noisy activities during the day.
construction. It can be very difficult or expensive to do
> Inform your neighbours whenever you need anything about a noise nuisance after a house
Sound pressure level is measured in decibels to generate noise, such as a party at home. is built or purchased. Consider potential noise
(dB) and some typical values are given below.
> Design your home to minimise noise transfer problems before you buy, build or renovate.
to your neighbours. Ask for design specifications for noise
Sound level (dB) Perception Example
levels before buying a multi residential unit and
120 Extreme jet take off at 100 m ask your solicitor to link them to your contract
Traffic noise
110 Pop group as a performance measure. This will give you
100 Loud car horn For most Australians road noise is the most more options if you discover a problem after
important neighbourhood noise issue as it moving in.
90 Very loud heavy traffic
affects a high proportion of the population, and
80 Noisy office Part 3.8.6 of BCA Volume Two contains sound
the problem is growing as traffic levels increase.
insulation requirements and technical solutions
70 Loud busy street [See: 2.6 Transport]
for separating walls and floors for single
60 Average office Minimise the impact of traffic noise on your dwellings.
50 Noisy normal conversation home and your contribution to the problem:
40 Moderate quiet office > Cycle or walk, rather than drive.
30 Quiet conversation
> Buy a quiet car, and drive it less.
20 Quiet room
> Drive slowly and calmly and maintain your car.
10 Very faint normal breathing
0 Threshold of hearing
sustainable communities 42 2.7 NOISE CONTROL

The following design sound levels are The table below outlines what this means in Place screens such as fences, trees and
recommended for an inner suburban house. practice for building elements. hedges between the noise source and your
home. Place driveways/garages away from
Recommended design levels bedrooms and living rooms.
STC Effect on speech perception
(dB) Activity Satisfactory Maximum
25 Normal speech can be heard easily
Recreation areas 35 40 30 Loud speech can be heard easily
Building layout and design
Bedrooms 30 35 Loud speech can be heard but not > Locate quiet rooms as far away from noise
35 sources as possible, without compromising
understood
Work areas 35 40 passive solar design principles.
42 Loud speech heard as murmur
From Table 1 AS 2107
> Install windows away from noise sources if
45 Must strain to hear loud speech
possible.
48 Loud speech can be barely heard
Types of noise > Locate noisy areas together and away from
53 Loud speech cannot be heard quiet areas.
There are two types of building noise to
consider: > Avoid putting laundries, bathrooms or living
2. Structure-borne noise rooms next to, above or below bedrooms
1. Airborne noise without adequate sound insulation.
Structure-borne noise, also called impact noise,
Airborne noise comes from common sound
is produced when part of the building fabric is > Accommodate teenagers by providing extra
sources such as voices, TVs and radios.
directly or indirectly impacted. Energy passes soundproofing for their rooms and locate
The noise performance of a building system
through the building structure and creates noise them away from adult living and sleeping
is called the Sound Transmission Class
in nearby rooms. Examples are heavy footsteps areas, and neighbours.
(STC). The higher the STC the better the
(particularly on bare timber or tile floors),
system is at isolating airborne noise. An
banging doors, scraping furniture, vibrations
STC rating of 45 means that the element
from loud music, and plumbing noise. The
reduces the sound passing through it by
Impact Insulation Class (IIC) is used to rate the
45dB.
impact noise insulation of floors.
Rooms with a lot of hard surfaces can be
very noisy as they readily reflect sound. Soft
IIC
furnishings, drapes and rugs can make a
significant improvement. People walking around are
45
clearly audible
A change of 3 STC (or dB) in the sound level
means a doubling or halving of the sound People walking around are
50
audible and noticeable
energy. As the human ear does not perceive
sound in a linear way, a 3dB change is barely People walking around audible Noise is a particular problem within medium
55
perceptible. The table below shows the but acceptable and high density housing, and special care in
subjective perception of sound energy. 62 Walking heard as low frequency thump design is needed to avoid problems. If people
are unable to open windows to keep cool in
Heavy walking heard as low summer they may need to install mechanical
reduction in 70
frequency thump
sound energy cooling.
reduction Subjective > Minimise the need for noisy mechanical
in dB % perception Noise and good design cooling.
3 50 Barely perceptible > Use solid dividing fins between balconies.
Site planning
4-5 70 Significant > Build units around quiet courtyards and face
Consider noise sources such as shops, hotels,
them away from roads.
Sound appears garbage and recycling collection when siting
6 75 to be reduced by buying or renovating your home. > Keep pedestrian and vehicle thoroughfares
about 1/4 away from bedrooms and living rooms.
7-9 87 Major reduction > Avoid placing windows and doors of
neighbouring units opposite or adjacent to
Sound appears to
10 90 be less than half one another.
original

Construction
Screen The BCA Building Code of Australia (BCA)
specifies the minimum STC wall and floor
requirements between adjoining dwellings.
Noise
source
The BCA uses a sound reduction index (Rw)
which is directly equivalent to STC.
 2.7 NOISE CONTROL 43 sustainable communities

The BCA specifies the minimum required Rw Walls

(airborne) + Ctr (impact) sound values for
separating wall construction in new single
dwellings (Class 1 building). For further
information please refer to Part 3.8.6 of the
Rw32. Using 10mm plasterboard on
Volume Two of the BCA.
100 x 50mm timber studs at 450mm centres
Exceeding the minimum specifications is highly provides very little sound insulation and is not
recommended, particularly given the trend recommended for occupied rooms.
towards higher density living.

The BCA does not specify IIC, but certain

construction types are deemed to comply.
Rw42. 100mm low density AAC block with
Rw levels in the BCA only consider individual
10mm adhered plasterboard both sides.
building elements as measured in a laboratory.
Sound transmission properties of the structure
as a whole or on-site construction practices are
not taken into account. These can reduce the
Dense materials will, however, readily transmit
effective value by up to 5 Rw due to flanking Rw45. 90mm calcium silicate brick with
impact noise.
sound transmission paths. adhered 10mm plasterboard both sides. This
complies with the BCA minimum for adjoining Composite construction using combinations
Good design detail and construction practice
dwellings. of light and heavy mass materials are best to
is critical to the performance of both heavy and
reduce noise transmission.
light construction.
Airborne noise is easily reflected. Provide
Pay attention to elements like floor and ceiling
screen walls to shield noise and use acoustic
plates and installation of services such as
Rw50. 90mm solid concrete block with materials to reduce noise reflection.
plumbing and power outlets to ensure the
adhered 10mm plasterboard both sides.
desired performance is achieved.

BCA Rw requirements for walls between

Screen wall to
adjoining dwellings are: shield noise
Rw50. 16mm fire protective plasterboard on
Minimum Rw
staggered timber 70 x 45mm studs at 600mm
Floors above dwellings 50 centres both sides with 120 x 35mm timber
plates and 50mm glass fibre batts.
Walls between a bathroom,
laundry or kitchen and a habitable 50
room in adjoining dwelling*
Floors Acoustic
Other walls 45 material

*These walls must also have a satisfactory level of impact

insulation as outlined in the code

For the BCA minimum requirements for Rw Rw35. Bare 20mm floorboards on
(airborne) + Ctr (impact) sound values for 200 x 50mm joists at 450mm centres, with
separating wall construction in new single one layer of 13mm plasterboard. This provides
dwellings (Class 1 building) please refer to very little sound or impact insulation and is
Table 3.8.6.1 Required Rw airborne and impact Noise
not recommended. source
sound levels for separating walls.

Although the BCA specifies no sound insulation

requirements within dwellings it is important
to consider sound transmission in homes now Rw48. 150mm concrete slab (365kg/m2) with
Glass and noise
that multiple TVs, stereos and bathrooms are 10mm of plaster.
common. A 3mm single glazed window has a very low
STC, and windows can let in a lot of noise,
The Rw ratings of some typical wall and floor
open or closed. The potential sound reduction
construction methods are outlined here.
from a highly insulating wall can be substantially
reduced by poor window design.
Heavy dense materials, such as Rw50. IIC 50. Bare 20mm floorboards on
concrete, are generally better 200 x 50mm joists at 450mm centres, with Double glazing and laminated glass are both
two layers of 16mm fire protective plasterboard effective at reducing noise.
for sound insulation but a
on furring channels and resilient mounts, and
range of lightweight solutions 100mm batts. Using carpet and underlay will
are also available. increase the IIC to 70.
sustainable communities 44 2.7 NOISE CONTROL

The table below shows the percentage noise reduction compared to 3mm glass. Note that these
AC Unit
percentage reductions are not the same as STC values.

Voice noise reduction % Traffic noise reduction %

Glazing type (Single) Glazing type (Single)
6.38mm laminated 13 6.38mm laminated 24
10mm glass 24 10mm glass 38
10.38mm laminated 29 10.38mm laminated 43
Glazing type (Double) Glazing type (Double) Unsuitable location for air conditioning unit.

4mm /12mm space /4mm 19 10mm /12mm space/6.38mm laminated 46 Wall

10mm /12mm space/6mm 34 6mm /100mm space/4mm 57
6.38mm laminated/8mm space/4mm 46 AC Unit

Source Pilkingtons Note: Thicker glass generally does not improve thermal insulation.
For a combination of sound and thermal insulation use double glazing. [See: 4.10 Glazing]

Other noise abatement tips using double layers of plasterboard ensure

the joints overlap and offset joints on opposite
Suitable location for air conditioning unit.
sides of the wall.
PVC pipe
> Provide extra sound insulation for noisy rooms
75mm batts Sound insulation > Make sure outdoor noise sources (AC units,
such as laundries. Use acoustic mounts or
pool pumps) are not going to be a nuisance
pads for clothes washers and dryers.
for neighbours. If pumps cant be placed
Plasterboard > Avoid hard floor surfaces that are above far enough away, build a noise reduction
ceilings without good sound insulation. Use enclosure.
Timber stud cork, carpet or impact absorbing finishes
> There are laws governing noisy air
instead of bare timber or tiles.
conditioners that may annoy neighbours.
> Low density coverings such as carpet will have The best solution is to buy the quietest air
Sound insulation little effect on STC but will greatly reduce both conditioner suited to your needs. Install it as
impact noise (increasing the IIC by about far as possible from your neighbour or in a
PVC pipe 20 points) and internal sound reflection. well shielded location. Most air conditioners
in Australia have a label that specifies the
> Proprietary noise reduction underlays can be
amount of noise they make. The smaller the
75mm batts used to increase both STC and IIC ratings
Acoustic mount number of dBA on the label the quieter the
of floors. They are ideal for reducing sound
air conditioner. Get specialist advice from the
transmission on existing floors within a home.
> Plumbing and waste pipes should not pass supplier or installer.
close to quiet rooms orPower
should be adequately > Use built-in robes as sound buffers between
outlet
soundproofed. AStudrange of sound insulation bedrooms.
products exist for plumbing and waste pipes > Solid core doors are more effective sound additional reading
in walls and floors. insulators than hollow core. Use door closers Contact your State / Territory government or local
or foam/plastic strips on door frames to stop council for further information on noise control in
doors banging. residential areas.
www.gov.au
> Reduce sound reflection transmission
Stud through gaps with draught sealing strips. A ustralian Building Codes Board (2007), Building
Power
Staggered outlet Codes of Australia Volume 1 and 2, AGPS Canberra.
Overlapping
timber studs joins www.abcb.gov.au
Outdoor noise sources
> Site noisy areas like swimming pools and Principal author:
outdoor living areas away from neighbours Geoff Milne
Batts
Plasterboard windows.
Contributors:
> Hard exterior surfaces such as concrete Kendall Banfield
paving reflect sound rather than absorb Chris Reardon
> Pay special attention to details that might it. Softer surfaces are more desirable,
affect the integrity of sound insulation such particularly in higher density housing, as
as power points and plasterboard joints. they absorb sound. Permeable surfaces
Power outlets should be offset and placed also reduce stormwater run-off. [See: 7.5
in different sections of the wall cavity. When Stormwater]