Measurement and Prediction of Airborne Sound Insulation Performance of Different Vertical Partition Walls in Indoor Environments: A Case Study

This paper presents a case study in which the airborne sound insulation performance of vertical partitions is experimentally assessed and model-predicted by incorporating the indoor environment’s geometric configuration and material characteristics into the analysis. An experimental campaign was carried out to verify whether the partition actually installed in situ complies with the minimum acoustic requirements and to validate the results obtained from the predictive model, subsequently used to evaluate the acoustic performance of alternative configurations. Specifically, a case study was conducted on an existing wall separating two indoor environments at the University of Calabria (Italy), where experimental measurements revealed that the current structure fails to meet the minimum acoustic insulation requirement set by Italian regulation. To evaluate the potential improvement in acoustic performance resulting from the use of alternative structures, predictive modeling based on UNI EN ISO 12354-1 was carried out. In the simulations, the rooms were modeled according to their actual geometry, and different types of vertical partitions between the two spaces were assessed, including heavyweight masonry walls, lightweight gypsum-based systems, and drywall linings, all built using commercially available acoustic insulation materials. In addition, four other cost-effective insulated walls were evaluated, which were insulated, at most, using standard thermal insulation. In addition to acoustic performance, implementation costs were also considered. Among the acoustically insulated partitions, the highest-performing construction achieved a Rw′ of 58.0 dB for €168.9/m2, while a cost-effective construction based on double gypsum boards reached a Rw′ equal to 51.4 dB with a cost of €65.9/m2.