ACOUSTIC PRIVACY

We live is high urban density.  In a place like singapore, we are now discovering the importance of acoustic privacy and the isolation of sound and vibration.

Illustration from Ministry of Education New Zeland : Designing Quality Learning Spaces - Acoustic

 
High rise residential development in some countries, require noise insulation to prevent transmission of noise through structure. Ironically, it is the less dense urbanity that has generated these standards.

Example of structural acoustic protection from Belgium

If you live in the public housing in Singapore, you occasionally hear the sound of marbles rolling on the floor above your apartment.

Most of the time it is generated by men removing their pants forgetting the coins they have in the pockets falling out randomly hitting the floor finishes.

Then we have this work from home lifestyle where the end user bring in chairs with wheels so that they can sit and work like in the office. the rolling nature of the chair may too create noise for the floor below.

IKEA KOLON floor protector

If you are more home bound, then activities would intensify, such as a child playing with
a ball, running within the apartment chasing causing the noise of frequent running. This
produce a low frequency thumping almost like an inevitable migraine.

Acoustic floor buffering layer used in Croatia

Other home bound activity such as flexible space design where one use becomes another use may also cause more unusually noise such as converting a living room into a spare bedroom, or making the dining into an communal work space.

Acoustic control on continuous floor slab by means of floor acoustic buffering and acoustic walls.

During this pandemic, South Koreans were locked at home creating a slew of complains about noisy neighbour because everyone was home.

 

Prior to the pandemic, the regular urban noise varies on different levels of a building.

Urban Noise Study in South Korea for high rise building making comparison between noise measured in [dB] and [dB(A)] where [dB(A)] scale is based on intensity and on how the human ear responds. Interestingly, Intensity of noise are louder at some mid levels instead of lower levels in terms of [dB].
 

Sense-around and home theater which is fast becoming an affordable feature is also become a nuisance as a large range of sound are produced to give a theater effect. The bass speaker is typically placed on the floor without design thought about where this noise moves in the building structure.

Example of Sense-around home theater system that have extensive speakers from all directions.

 

Without the science of acoustic control your experience may also be marred by unwanted echos and reverberations

Smart homes with frequent reminders and beeping sounds now invade your senses affecting your neighbors, having you occasionally wondering whose phone or equipment is beeping.

 

The french have acoustic requirements within residential buildings

High density living also mean larger and heavier vehicles that you will use such as buses, construction vehicle transporting material of a larger quantity at a time.

3d noise mapping of noise impact or highway to facade

These vehicles generate a low hum and toxic fumes sometime even having the vibration shaking
the building structures. Even more reverberation is experience when the street is small but the buildings are tall. This means the texture the facade need to now diffuse noise instead of bounce. 

 

3-D models of Tseung Kwan O Road Project show noise levels at building façades without noise barriers (left) and with them (right). [Environmental Protection Department Hongkong 2009]
 

Freimann Noise Reduction Barrier

 

Aircon compressor vibrating and emitting noise can affect the surrounding end users.

NAVCON cross section study of Air Conditioner compressor vibrations and noise affecting the facade and interior

Poroelastic road paving for vehicular noise reduction

High population also create high traffic movement, hence noise from the streets, even if all vehicles became electric, the hum of the movement and a new type of vehicular sound will invade your interior. This means better facades and windows. windows with stronger gasket will not suffice as your work from home video meetings will be affected hence, sound studio noise isolation is now required for the facade.

Natural Air vent that absorbs ambient noise by Soundscoop

Danish research on acoustical fenestration

 

Acoustical Fenestration for Hongkong use

If work from home culture persist, how would an apartment be renovated then on? Perhaps a drier method of construction would be prescribed for all apartments from now on.

Danish solution putting timber joist on sound absorbent pedestals, air spaced between timber floor and concrete hollow core structural floor slab. Party walls are dry walls. (note the gypsum drywalls are triple layered)

 

We have already touched on personal sound barrier in a previous article here involving home based learning and work from home.