Retrofit structural insulated panels (SIPs) increase sound transmission loss of existing single family houses impacted by highway noise

摘要

Owners of newly constructed houses complained of interior noise from a nearby interstaternhighway. The houses were constructed using Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) as opposedrnto conventional 2x4 wood studs. The SIPs are composed of 3.5 inches of expandedrnpolystyrene insulation sandwiched between two layers of oriented strand board (OSB) andrnexhibit higher thermal efficiency than conventional construction. Sound transmission lossrntesting of the standard SIPs, however reveals relatively low acoustical performancernespecially in the 630 Hz range. This characteristic acted as a band pass filter allowing onlyrna portion of the broadband traffic noise to enter the house. The observed traffic noiserninside the house had a clear tonal quality adding to the annoyance of the traffic noisernimpact. After consideration of several remedial options the builder decided to retrofit thernexterior of the impacted houses using a combination of standard resilient channel,rninsulation, and additional OSB. Some window replacements were also required. Theserntreatments resulted in reduced interior noise levels especially in the 630 Hz range.