Sources et types de bruit dans les bâtiments

Sources and Types of Noise in Buildings

• Airborne Noise: Noise originating and spreading through the air, further categorized into:

  • Road Noise: Exterior noise from roads.
  • Interior Noise: Noise such as speech and music originating inside the building.
  • Impact Noise: Noise caused by impacts on the structure, like footsteps or slamming doors.
  • Equipment Noise: Noise generated by appliances, HVAC systems, plumbing, etc.

• Noise Transmission: Noise is transmitted through a building either directly or through structures (solid).

Decibel (A)

• A unit measuring overall sound levels, considering how human hearing sensitivity varies with frequency.
• dB(A) values relate to perceived sound, highlighting how human ears perceive the intensity and frequency of sound.

Noise Isolation

• Paroi: A wall or partition separating spaces.
• Bruit émis (or Bruit transmis): Emitted (or transmitted) noise.
• Isolement acoustique: Soundproofing or insulation.
• Bruit réfléchi: Reflected noise.
• Bruit absorbé: Absorbed noise.

Acoustic Regulations

• New Acoustic Regulations (NRA, 1994): Define minimum acoustic performance standards for newly built residential structures.
• Location of Reception: Establishes noise level limits based on emitting location (e.g., noises from hallways, garages, or activities).
• dB(A): Unit for expressing acoustic levels considered in the regulation. Slight tolerance is allowed for these values.

Noise Control Solutions

• Mass-Spring-Mass System: The most effective acoustic insulation method.
• Building Materials: Various materials vary in their efficiency for noise control (e.g., concrete, brick, or insulation).
• Distance: Increasing the distance from the noise source significantly reduces noise levels.
• Barring transmission: Barriers help limit the spread of noise directly.
• Adding layers: Doubling or increasing the thickness of materials, especially those with dense materials, boosts noise reduction capabilities.
• Material Placement: Smart positioning of materials, like placing rooms generating noise in the center of the building, or isolating noise sources.
• Structure design: Creating symmetrical structures limits unintended vibrations.
• Design elements: Efficient layout and arrangement of elements in the building to control and minimize noise transfer.
• Different materials: Using different materials creates a better barrier to noise and vibrations.