Sound is an important issue in residential construction. Sound insulation tends to govern the choice of construction system because of its daily impact on quality of life. The references below provide information on acoustic considerations for timber-framed construction, including the sound-performance requirements for different classes of buildings within the Building Code of Australia (BCA).
Areas covered include sound insulation of wall, floor and ceiling elements relevant to Sole Occupancy Units and surrounding construction; and assistance for those wanting to improve and upgrade sound performance beyond minimum BCA requirements, including low frequency impact sound, vibration induced sound and flanking noise.
The links below are to the relevant Technical Design Guides:
- #11 Timber-framed Systems for External Noise
Providing assistance to the building industry by identifying the key issues to be considered when dealing with external noise using lightweight timber-framed construction. - #1 Timber-framed Construction for Townhouse Buildings Class 1a
Information about complying with the fire safety and sound insulation performance requirements in the BCA for Class 1a attached buildings. - #2 Timber-framed Construction for Multi-residential Buildings Class 2, 3 & 9c
Information about complying with the fire and sound performance requirements in the BCA for Class 2, 3 and 9c buildings.
External Links:
Standards and codes within Australia are controlled by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB), and the details and copies of the standards are available at the ABCB website.
City Sounds 2 - Acoustic Design Resource is an initiative of the City of Melbourne and RMIT University.