ABSTRACT
Sound insulation of lightweight plasterboard walls is strongly influenced by construction details. Walls of semi identical basic structure may significantly differ in acoustic terms. The empirical study on acoustic performance of frame walls based on laboratory tests results is presented. Influence of plasterboard fixing conditions on the sound insulation characteristics is analyzed. Details which are frequently not precisely reported like screw spacing, filler hardening or screw loosening are discussed. The results prove that such secondary technical parameters may significantly contribute to the acoustic performance of a wall. For certain partitions vibration velocity level was measured in several points located on the wall surface. Based on the results preliminary values of radiation efficiency σ for plasterboard walls were established. Sound insulation based on vibration measurements was calculated and compared with standard sound reduction index. The comparison shows good conformity. Vibration method and collected data may be used when analyzing paths of sound transmission in a particular building with lightweight plasterboard partitions.
