The standard “EN ISO 10140 Acoustics - Laboratory measurement of sound insulation of building elements”, which is based on a European standard and later published by the International Standards Organization (ISO), consists of several sub-sections published under the same title. Namely,
The general requirements for the boundary conditions and assembly of the test element in the laboratory are included in the ISO 10140-2, ISO 10140-3 and ISO 10140-5 standards. Additional and more detailed requirements for preparation, assembly and operating conditions and conditioning are specified in the standard annexes. For products not included in these annexes, a new annex may be added in subsequent revisions based on current knowledge and practice. In general, when testing in accordance with the ISO 10140 standard (all parts), this standard should always be checked for requirements related to specific elements and products and the annexes should be applied as appropriate. The essential conditions specified in the ISO 10140-2 or ISO 10140-3 standards should always be followed.
The structure and content of all annexes are described in detail in this standard. The purpose of these annexes is to define the boundary, installation and operating conditions for specific elements, products or product groups. For some elements or products, certain clauses may not be relevant. Future extensions or updates of the annexes and future annexes containing application rules for new specific products will have the same structure.
The appendices are organized under the following headings:
The test results can be used to compare the sound insulation properties of building elements, to classify elements according to their sound insulation capabilities, to assist in the design of building products requiring specific acoustic properties, and to predict in-situ performance in completed buildings. Measurements are carried out in laboratory test facilities where sound transmission via side paths is suppressed. The results of measurements made in accordance with this standard are not directly applicable to the field situation without taking into account other factors affecting sound insulation, such as side transmission, boundary conditions, and the total loss factor.
Laboratory test facilities must comply with the requirements given in ISO 10140-5. The equipment used to create the sound field must meet the requirements given in ISO 10140-5. The equipment used to measure sound level and the requirements for calibration of this equipment are specified in ISO 10140-5.
Measurements are carried out in laboratory test facilities where sound transmission from side paths is suppressed. The results of measurements made in accordance with this standard cannot be directly applied to the field situation without taking into account other factors affecting sound insulation such as side transmission, boundary conditions and loss factors. A test method is specified using a standard tactile machine to simulate impact sources such as human footsteps when a person is wearing shoes. Alternative test methods are also specified to simulate impact sources with strong low frequency components such as human footsteps (bare feet) or children jumping, using a modified tactile machine or a heavy or soft impact source. This standard is applicable to all types of floors (heavy or light) with any type of floor covering. The test methods are only valid for laboratory measurements.
All quantities shall be measured using one-third octave band filters with centre frequencies specified in hertz in the standard as a minimum. If additional information is required in the low frequency range, one-third octave band filters with centre frequencies also specified in hertz in the standard shall be used. Guidance for additional measurements at low frequencies is included in the annex of the standard (Annex A).
For the measurement of sound pressure levels, the energy average sound pressure level is obtained by moving a single microphone from one position to another, using a fixed microphone array, or using a continuously moving microphone. The minimum separation distances for microphone positions are the minimum values specified in the standard and should be exceeded whenever possible.
This standard applies to laboratory test facilities where structural isolation is provided between source and receiver rooms and radiation from adjacent elements is suppressed. This standard specifies the qualification procedures to be used when commissioning a new test facility with equipment for sound insulation measurements. It is intended that these procedures be repeated periodically to ensure that there are no problems with the equipment and the test facility.
Laboratory test facilities for airborne sound insulation measurements shall consist of two adjacent reverberatory chambers with a test opening between them in which the test element is placed. The area of the test opening may vary depending on the type of test element. This standard defines full-size test openings, a specific reduced-size test opening and alternative reduced-size test openings. For the measurement of the improvement of the sound reduction index by acoustic coverings, these chambers shall be separated by a standard base element into which the tested covering is placed, as specified in the annex to this standard (Annex B).
The volume of the test chambers should be at least 50 m3. The volumes and corresponding dimensions of the two test chambers should not be exactly the same. A difference of at least 10 percent in room volumes and linear dimensions is recommended. The ratios of the room dimensions should be chosen so that the eigenmode frequencies in the low frequency bands are as evenly spaced as possible. When measuring the sound insulation of walls or floors, theoretical calculations and tests have shown that the test element should cover the entire partition wall or ceiling of the test chamber, i.e., the test opening should extend from wall to wall and from floor to ceiling. In such a case, a volume of 50 m3 to 60 m3 is suitable, considering the recommended size of the test opening.
Large changes in the sound pressure level in the room indicate the presence of strong dominant standing waves. In this case, diffusion elements should be installed in the rooms. The positioning and number of diffusion elements should be arranged in such a way that the sound reduction index is not affected by the installation of more diffusion elements. For some types of test elements, for elements with one surface significantly more absorbent than the other, the installation of diffusion elements is mandatory.
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