A successful architectural acoustics solution significantly reduces unwanted noise in the built environment. Architectural soundproofing works by containing unwanted sound and vibrations within a space or by isolating a space from outside noise.
When addressing the acoustics for a project there are 2 main sources of unwanted noise to consider.
Key Sources of Unwanted Noise and Vibration
At Vibra-Sonic Control, our technical experts design solutions that control noise and vibration resulting from mechanical equipment, environmental or human sources. This enables our customers to avoid risk and costly impact to productivity, privacy or quality of life.
To achieve good acoustic design, it is important to follow key steps.
Step 1: Identify and select the most suitable product to address your specific requirements.
Identifying the best product to meet your requirements is critical to your projects success. Working with one of our acoustical experts, you’ll get the best solution for your noise issues.
Step 2: Correctly install the architectural acoustics product.
Correct installation is crucial for the selected product. This enables the identification and isolation of vibrations in the structure.
At Vibra-Sonic, we take pride in providing exceptional support for every product we offer. Our highly experienced in-house staff provides assistance identifying, selecting and installing the right product for your project. We work closely with the product manufacturers’ acoustical engineering support team. All the manufacturers we work with are leaders in the field of noise and vibration control materials manufacturing.
Vibra-Sonic is proud to represent 2 of the industry leaders and innovators in architectural acoustics:
With best in class noise solutions for floors, walls and ceilings, we have you covered. From floating concrete slab systems to sound isolation clips for walls and ceilings we have a solution that reduces sound to meet your needs. Our solutions use different acoustic materials. They act as an acoustic insulator for sound absorption, background noise reduction and improved sound quality.
Mason Industries has been perfecting vibration isolation systems for over 60 years. They were the first to introduce jack up floating isolation slabs to the market in 1965.
With a focus on products to meet the most demanding specifications, Mason industries is a true industry leader. Mason products include spring and LDS rubber architectural isolation systems. These systems include floor mounts, wall sway braces, and hangers for drop ceiling systems.
Regupol Acoustics brings their over 65 years of experience in sustainability into every product they make. Regupol accomplishes this by using recycled rubber in the majority of their products.
They invented the original technology to recycle rubber tires into rubber flooring. Regupol has evolved this technology to manufacture flooring, multi-purpose surfaces, acoustic underlayments and specialty sound absorbing products.
Regupol Acoustics has eco-friendly products certified by Green Circle, earning LEED points. Our lab-tested products guarantee high IIC and STC ratings. This gives you confidence in the performance of your projects.
With these two leaders in building acoustics, we can offer your next project a wide range of acoustic options to control sound.
As engineering techniques and materials have improved over the years, our structures have become lighter. They use the spaces within them more efficiently.
This progress is making our built environments greener and healthier and has allowed us to increase density in cities. These advancements have created new problems and increased the likelihood of noise and vibration transfer that we need to address.
Another major change in our industry is the large scale adoption of mass timber construction. Many of the products used in mass timber construction can have an impact on the acoustical environment.
This includes:
Materials, such as CLT, provide a greener alternative to concrete. However, these green alternatives are considerably less dense building material.
The STC and IIC values of floor, wall and ceiling assemblies for mass timber building designs are lower than in concrete structures. Noise control design and planning used to only focus on certain spaces like theatres, music venues or gyms. However, it has now become a part of the standard process.
With Vibra-Sonic Architectural Acoustics specialists on your team we will be up to this challenge.
Understanding acoustical rating that relate to the built environment is important when evaluating products for mitigating noise and vibration. Here are some of the most commonly used ratings.
Sound Transmission Class (or STC) is an integer rating of how well a building partition attenuates airborne sound. Widely used across North America.
Impact Isolation Class (or IIC) is a measure of how well a floor/ceiling assembly blocks sound. Specifically, how well it can block the sound heard in one room from an impact made on a floor in the space directly above.
Apparent Sound Transmission Class (or ASTC), is a rating that measures how well a building system insulates sound. It relies on field tests and incorporates flanking as a variable.
JACK-UP FLOATING FLOOR SYSTEM PRODUCT LINE
Jack-Up Floating Floor System Product Line
FSN – LDS Jack-Up Mount
FS – Spring Jack-Up Mount
RISFD – Rubber in Shear Floor Damper
P7 – PVC Foam
NS – Closed Cell Neoprene Sponge for Perimeter Isolation
RISI – Rubber in Shear Floor Damper with Base Foot Insert Assembly for FS-C Castings
CFD – Floor Drain
SFFS – Seismic Floating Floor Snubber
MFS – Spring Mounting for Wooden Floors on Sleepers
CC – Gun and Pouring Grade Caulking Compounds
Form-work Floating Floor System Product LIne
EAFM – LDS Mount
WFD – Welded Drains
P7 – PVC Foam
NS – Closed Cell Neoprene Sponge for Perimeter Isolation
CC – Gun and Pouring Grade Caulking Compounds
SUSPENDED CEILINGS PRODUCT LINE
30NCC – Precompressed 30N Hanger with Ceiling Channel Clamp
W30N – Precompressed 30N with Eye Bolts
W30NCC – Precompressed 30N Hanger with Top Eye Bolt and Ceiling Channel Clamp
30CC – Precompressed 30 Hanger with Ceiling Channel Clamp
W30 – Precompressed 30 Hanger with Eye Bolts
W30CC – Precompressed 30 Hanger with Eye Bolt and Ceiling Channel Clamp
30CSCH – Compact Spring Ceiling Hanger with Precompressed 30 Series Springs
W30SM – Side of Joist, or Wall, Hanger with Precompressed 30 Series Spring and Eye bolt
30SMCC – Side of Joist, or Wall Hater with Precompressed 30 series Sprigs and Ceiling Channel Clamp
HDCC – Double Deflection LDS Rubber Element with Ceiling Channel Clamp
WHD – Double Deflection LDS Rubber Element with Upper Attachment Hole and Eye Bolt
WHR – Minimal 0.2” Deflection LDS hanger for Wire Attachment Freq 12 Hz
WHDCC – Double Deflection LDS Rubber Element with Upper Attachment Hole and Ceiling Channel Clamp
CRCH – Compact Ceiling Hanger with Double Deflection LDS Rubber Element
WHDSM – Side of Joist, or Wall, Hanger with Double Deflection LDS Rubber Element and Eye Bolt
HDSMCC – Side of Joist, or Wall, Hanger with Double Deflection LDS Rubber Element and Ceiling Channel Clamp
ISOLATED WALLS PRODUCT LINE
NPS – LDS Rubber Partition Supports
DNSB – Wall Braces
WIC – Space Saving Type W Neoprene Pad Interlocking Clip
WCL – Channel Shaped Sway Brace for Horizontal Steel Furring
SWW – Sheet Metal and 2-Layer W Pad Wall Support
AB-716 – Angle Bracket Supports for Walls
PIPE SEALS
SWS – 12” Long Split Pipe Seal for Wall, Floor and Ceiling Isolation
SPS – 4” Long Spool Pipe Seal for Wall, Floor and Ceiling Isolation
BUILDING ISOLATION PRODUCT LINE
BBNR – Rubber Isolation Bearings
SLFJ – Hydraulically Adjusted Spring Isolator
SLFJS – Hydraulically Adjusted Spring Isolator with Downstop
SLFPC- Precompressed Spring Assembly
SLRJ – Hydraulically Adjusted Spring Isolators
LDS – Low Dynamic Stiffness AASHTO Bridge Bearing Natural Rubber to minimize noise and vibration transmission. Maximum Dynamic Stiffness is 1.4.
STC – Sound Transmission Class is a single-number rating of a materials ability to resist sound transfer. A higher STC rating blocks more noise.
Air Gaps – For monolithic building components such as solid concrete, adding an air gap boosts the STC much more than adding mass.
Impact Isolation Class, (IIC) – measures how well a building floor lessens impact sounds, such as footsteps. A larger number means more attenuation. The scale, like the decibel scale for sound, is logarithmic.