In spite of the law requirements, todays building and renovation projects tend to minimize
energy costs, while noise issues are rarely addressed. Because of the presence of external
noise, we need buildings that comply with law demands that are designed to protect
inhabitants from negative exposure to environmental noise, while also considering location of
the building and external noise levels. Therefore, I tested the adequacy of seven façades,
taking into account different areas of noise protection, defined in laws, while also considering
size of the windows. By using the computer program URSA Fragmat-Akustika, I have tested
four massive and three light types of external envelope constructions. Taking into account
the correction factors for traffic noise on urban roads I have established which façades offer
adequate protection against noise, while also taking into consideration various window sizes.
The results show that light external envelope constructions do not comply with law demands,
not even with small window size. However, heavy façade types match the law requirements.
Variants with bigger windows failed to comply with the law demands, showing that this
weaker part of external envelope constructions has a big impact on its insulation properties.
It is crucial to consider all the parts of a façade and ensure that all of them have adequate
sound insulation properties. Buildings with weaker sound insulation are not suitable for areas
with higher levels of external noise and affect the quality of living and present a plausible
threat for health of the inhabitants.
|
