Author:

Keywords:

acoustics, building acoustics, housing, noise

Abstract:

There is evidence that the currently applied sound insulation requirements and descriptors do not consider the residents' experience of the building acoustical comfort sufficiently. Appropriate rating systems are about to be improved in close relation to current country and social related living aspects by consideration of the frequency range at least down to 50 Hz. Despite the expected improved correlations it still remains an open topic of investigation if the currently applied adaptation term spectra are really representing the given contemporary sound spectra in multi family houses of today. Recordings were carried out with the aim to screen a contemporary living noise spectrum in dwellings of multi storey buildings. All the living noise relevant sound events of the recordings were specified and analyzed afterwards. A wide range of so called living noise events have been recorded. Living noise spectra with considerable content in the low frequency range have been mostly recorded when the residents were listening to particular pieces of music and if hi-fi - Appliances and loudspeaker systems of sophisticated quality were used. The analysis of the recorded range of spectra led to a proposal for an alternative living noise spectrum, which is discussed in the paper.