Sound

Sound 1
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Sound 2
Q1. Using diagrams list and explain three ways that construction design solutions are used to
reduce noise at the source. (20 marks)
 Acoustic architectural design
Noise control in buildings can be achieved by proper design with keen considerations of the
acoustic principles in placement of windows, room arrangements, balconies, building heights
may significantly help in reducing the noise impact without necessarily using costly acoustic
materials for construction (Federal Highway Administration, 2017).
 Acoustic construction
It is possible to intercept noise as it passes through windows, walls, floor, ceiling and doors
of a building. Noise reducing materials for walls include the use of air space, use of resilient
attachments, wide spacing of wall studs, staggered studs and increased mass (Federal
Highway Administration, 2017). For windows, the architect can increase the glass thickness
or use double glazed windows.
 Barriers
Providing a barrier as an obstacle between the source and the receiver in order to interrupt the
noise path. This can be achieved by different substances which include creating berms,
building fences with building materials such as concrete, wood and metal and even planting
trees and creating dense bush (Federal Highway Administration, 2017).

Sound 3
The impact of noise can also be reduced by the use of single storey building as shown above
Balcony near the road may reflect traffic noise directly into the house interior as shown above
Q2. In a diagram explain some of the pathways for flanking sound transmission
in building structure. How is this best dealt with?
Flanking sound is the sound that is transmitted from one room to another indirectly. It
can either move over or around the main separating component (Scholl, et al., 2011).

Sound 4
Flanking sound manages to move to the next space despite the fact that the main separating
component is made of a material that has great acoustic insulation properties (Hopkins,
2012). Some of the main channels of the flanking noise are the ceiling, ductwork and the
slab.
Flanking sound can however be reduced through the paying attention to each and
every possible transmission point within a structure. For instance, ducts can be modified in
such a way that lined ducts with sound absorbing materials are done to aid with the
absorption of any sound that gets its way into them (Scholl, et al., 2011). For the case of slabs
and floors, floating floors are advisable. A sound proof sealant is introduced in between the
existing slab and the floating floor thus preventing any noise from penetrating from the
floating floor to through the slab. Having adjacent rooms designed and finished in a different
way also helps in the reduction of the flanking sound since the sound frequency movement
will be disrupted by the sudden change in finish material since different construction
materials have different sound transmission capabilities (Hopkins, 2012).