Sound transmission loss in solid ceramic brick walls

Abstract

This paper analyses experimental, numeric, and analytical results concerned with the sound transmission loss (TL) of a solid ceramic brick wall, and compares those results with data from the literature. The experimental determination of the sound transmission loss was performed according to the ISO 140-3 standard. The numeric simulation was carried out using a commercial computer software that uses the Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA). The physical-mechanic and acoustic parameters for the simulations and calculations, such as density, elasticity modulus, Poisson’s ratio, shear modulus, were established in experiments. The frequency of coincidence of 630 Hz obtained in the tests were confirmed by the simulations, and had only a small deviation in relation to the calculations. Moreover, the dip that results from the resonance of wall thickness was emphasized. The influences due to variations in the physic-mechanic and acoustic parameters were confirmed. Some suggestions for the improvement of acoustic performance of buildings are presented, such as, for instance, a new value for the width of the base of the Plateau Method.