Resumen de Limitations and applicability of a new small-scale measuring setup for sound insulation characterization
The development of soundproofing materials with exceptional acoustic properties has been of great interest in recent years. The acoustic characterization of such materials using full-scale reverberation chambers requires the preparation of relatively large-sized specimens, fulfilling the requirements of the ISO 10140 standards; this is a costly and time-demanding process. Recently, various methods based on the utilization of small-sized specimens have been developed by numerous researchers, so that the acoustic performance of a large selection of materials can be more rapidly assessed in the laboratory. However, such attempts to experimentally characterize soundproofing materials have specific limitations with regard to the validity of the measured sound reduction index. The article addresses the use of a small-scale measuring setup which can be used to study the sound insulation characteristics of a variety of materials, taking into account the limitations and applicability of the setup. The experimental analysis was performed on three materials that are widely used in building and civil engineering applications but have completely different internal structures and mechanical properties.
It is shown that the use of the proposed small-scale measuring setup is more appropriate for materials with lower structural stiffnesses and with higher critical frequencies, as well as for porous materials with open pores. © 2019 Institute of Noise Control Engineering.
