ACOUSTIC AND

THERMAL
CONTROL IN
RCC FRAMED
BUILDINGS
SUBMITTED BY:
GURLEEN MALHOTRA
SHIKHA YADAV
SASI KALYAN
 Thermal insulation restricts heat transfer, whereas acoustic insulation restricts sound transfer or sound
reverberation. The combined product is thermal acoustic insulation, which is effective in both reducing
heat and noise transfer.
IF WE TALK ABOUT
”ACOUSTIC”,
“It is a science that deals with the production, control, transmission, reception, and effects of sound.”
It is the science of controlling sound within Buildings. The first application of architectural acoustics
was in the design of opera houses and then concert halls.
The acoustical design issues for buildings involve the principal issues like site noise considerations.
 Controlling all aspects of sound entering or leaving a room or building space is the essence of good
acoustical design. 

Acoustical Design “Proper acoustical planning eliminates many acoustical problems before they are built” Lee Irvine
If we talk about, Acoustic control in Building
■ At the time of designing the building, we need to see some designing parameters.
■ Choose good building materials for Acoustic control.
■ Barriers between the building and
the area from noise is coming.
CONCERT HALL

We should see the following

Take advantage of distance/barriers Distance
parameters: Match site to application
Match application to site
• Site
• Location
• Orientation
• Planning
• Internal Layout
Consider Acoustical Sensitivity Orient Building for Acoustical
of Activities Noisy Quiet Barrier Advantage Playground School
Techniques For Noise Control In Building Through
Architecture Design
 Acoustical materials can be divided in 3 typologies
■ Sound proofing:-If the objective is to stop sound from entering or leaving a space, then you will most likely
need sound blocking or soundproofing.
■ Sound absorbing:-If the objective is to enhance the properties of sound by improving speech clarity and sound
quality, then the answer is sound absorption or acoustic enhancement.
■ Sound damping:- Sound damping materials lower structure-borne noise levels by reducing the resonant
vibrational energy within metal, wood, glass, ceramic and surfaces.

3 Types of Surfaces
Soft surfaces, such as textiles, and fibre glass, tend to absorb sound waves, preventing them from further motion.

Hard surfaces, such as ceramic tile, gypsum board, or wood, tend to reflect sound waves, causing ‘echo’.
Reverberation is the term used to describe sound waves that are reflected off of surfaces.

Dense, massive materials, such as concrete or brick, tend to transmit sound waves through the material.
 Acoustical materials
■ Mineral-fiber insulation is a special, denser type of insulation, that can be used to improve a room’s level of soundproofing. Its
density is much higher compared to traditional fiberglass insulation, which makes it far more effective at stopping the transmission of
sound from one room to another. Mineral-fiber insulation also has a much higher burning point than standard fiberglass insulation, as
well as a lower rate of moisture absorption.
■ Sheets of limp mass, dense vinyl sound barrier are available for covering flat surfaces. The sheets are flame-retardant, and easy to
install with plastic-cap nails or staples, or one can use trowel-applied, multi-purpose vinyl flooring adhesive. They are also available
with an adhesive backing for even easier installation. These coverings are safe, inexpensive, and easy to work with. They can be cut
with a standard utility knife or scissors.
■ Floor de-couplers can be used to “float” a floor. De-coupling a floor is an effective way to minimize sound transmission. These
floaters can be placed between the existing floor and a new level of flooring installed on top of them. They are inexpensive and will
allow for the additional level of flooring to be removed at a later date, returning the floor to its original state.
■ Resilient channels are pieces of metal made in a special shape that gypsum board or any type of drywall can be attached to in order to
minimize sound transmission. One side of the resilient channel is attached to the stud, and the drywall is attached to the other side.
Drywall that is isolated from framing in this manner will transmit far less sound than drywall mounted directly to studs.
■ Precast concrete absorptive sound walls: it is a special type of concrete used to absorb the sound.
Both types of sound walls (absorptive and reflective) force sound waves take a longer path (over and around the barriers) thereby reducing
the amount of sound reaching the receiver. Known as diffraction, the phenomenon occurs when sound waves pass an edge, such as the
edge or apex of a sound wall. Sound walls are more efficient at eliminating higher frequencies (shorter wavelengths) from reaching the
receiver, since higher frequencies are diffracted at a smaller degree (angle) compared with diffraction of lower frequencies (longer
wavelengths).
HVAC NOISE CONTROL
■ Noise from central equipment: When operating heating and air-conditioning equipment, a good guideline is
“lower and slower”: lower volumes of air moved through the system with fans and blowers operating at a slower
speed. Central air equipment should also be acoustically isolated from spaces where airborne noise would be
objectionable. Equipment should be mounted on vibration isolators to avoid transmission of structure borne noise.
Sound traps or baffles will help to attenuate equipment noise in adjacent ductwork.
■ Noise in air duct systems: Heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning ductwork can be a source of noise as well as
a transmitter of it. Sheet metal ductwork without insulation can produce popping and banging noises due to
expansion and contraction caused by changes in air temperature. Components within the duct system, abrupt
changes in direction, and restrictions in the system can produce turbulence and air rush noise. Most of these noise
problems can be solved with fiber glass duct insulation in either of two forms:

• Fiber glass duct liner, designed for installation inside sheet metal ductwork to attenuate air rush and central
equipment noise as well as to control heat loss or gain through duct walls.
• Fiber glass duct board, combining acoustical/thermal insulation with a reinforced foil-kraft air barrier/vapor
retarder, from which complete air duct systems may be fabricated.
Octave band: A range of frequency where the highest frequency of the band is double the lowest frequency of the band.
The band is usually specified by the center frequency
 IF WE TALK ABOUT ”THERMAL
COMFORT”,
“That condition of mind which expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment and is assessed by
subjective evaluation”
Although thermal sensitivity varies from one person to another, according to age (the very young and
very old being particularly sensitive), gender, dress, activity, cultural habits, etc.,
The THERMAL COMFORT is experienced via a number of conscious interactions between three
personal and environment factors:
- Physiological : the way our bodies work and interact with our environment;
- Physical : the main parameters of the environment around us (air temperature, air humidity, air
movement, room surface temperature);
- Socio Psychological: the way we feel as a whole (for example, if we are tired, stressed, happy…)
and the kind of social environment we live in.

“The perfect heating and cooling system would be based principally on human comfort factors."
Michael McDonough Architect
How To Calculate The Thermal Comfort:

Thermal comfort can be measured as the predicted mean vote

(PMV), which is a scale from – 3 (cold) to + 3 (hot) (Table 1).
The value is derived from a complex equation that factors in a range
of criteria, including clothing insulation, metabolic rate, air velocity,
vapour pressure, and the mean radiant temperature (MRT).
Generally, thermal comfort guidelines recommend that interior
spaces be regulated such that the PMV is between – 0.5 and + 0.5. The predicted mean vote (PMV)

The predicted mean vote (PMV) scale for measuring thermal

comfort. From ASHRAE standard 55.
Factors affecting Thermal
The PMV can be used to calculate the predicted percentage Comfort:
dissatisfied (PPD). The PPD is a function of the PMV, and describes
the expected percentage of people dissatisfied with their thermal
environment given the PMV. As the PMV moves away from 0, the The THERMAL COMFORT is determined by:
PPD increases. 100 % PPD would indicate that 100 % of people • Air temperature
would be expected to be dissatisfied with the thermal environment. • Surface temperatures
Therefore, guidelines suggest that interior spaces should aim for a • Humidity
PPD below 10 %. • Absence of draughts
Thermal Comfort Can Be Achieved Through Good Design,
Construction, And Maintenance
THERMAL COMFORT is the outcome of a well-balanced combination of building systems adapted to both the
location of the building as well as the type of activity performed within the building or the room of the building.

 Use a HVAC system that regulates MRT

Using an HVAC system that actually measures and regulates the radiant component of operative temperature goes
a long way to achieving thermal comfort. The best way to achieve this is to install a radiant cooling / heating
system with a means to measure and monitor the MRT. In addition to the best regulation of the thermal
environment, these systems are energetically more efficient than all-air alternatives, as well as quieter and more
spatially efficient.

Radiant cooling / heating systems do not directly affect air temperature, and do not control ventilation or indoor air
quality (IAQ). Therefore, they have to be used in conjunction with a system that fulfils these purposes, such as a
dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS).
 Minimize leakage

1. Depending on the outdoor conditions, your HVAC system may be heating up and humidifying cold, dry air, or it
could be cooling down and dehumidifying hot, humid air. Either way, the air needs to pass through the HVAC
equipment for this to happen efficiently and effectively. If there is leakage in the building envelope and air is
transferring in and out of the building other than through the HVAC system, IEQ will be lowered.
2. Essentially, air could be coming in that is below or above the desired temperature and relative humidity. This will
substantially lower thermal comfort.
3. At the site of a leak, the pressure or temperature differential between indoor and outdoor conditions can create
drafts, which can further lower thermal comfort.
4. Leakage significantly lowers the energetic efficiency of an HVAC system. This is because air transfer in and out of
the building happens without passing through the air handling unit (AHU) and the energy recovery wheel (if one is
installed). This will cause the HVAC system to have to work harder to regulate indoor conditions.

 Passive Design Strategies For Façade

1. The expression “passive building” refers to a construction standard that can be achieved using various
types of construction materials.
2. The climate, the site condition and landscape are also important design factors.
3. The facade may be warmed up by the hot air through convection.
4. Green roof, green wall and water features may lower down the surrounding air temperature and provide higher
moisture in the air.
5. Trees are also good shading devices to protect glazing from direct sunlight, and lower the indoor air temperature.
 External Glass Curtain wall Cladding

1. A curtain wall is defined as thin, usually aluminum-framed wall, containing in-fills of glass, metal panels, or
thin stone. The framing is attached to the building structure and does not carry the floor or roof loads of the
building. The wind and gravity loads of the curtain wall are transferred to the building structure, typically at the
floor line.
2. Aluminum has a very high thermal conductivity. It is common practice to incorporate thermal breaks of low
conductivity materials, traditionally PVC, Neoprene rubber, polyurethane and more recently polyester-
reinforced nylon, for improved thermal performance.

Several Product Categories That Have A Direct Impact On

Thermal Comfort:
- Glazing to let the sun in or block it out depending on the climate
- Insulation to reduce heat loss or summer heat gains
- Plasters and plasterboards to improve THERMAL COMFORT
- Smart membranes to improve airtightness and manage moisture
- Renders that insulate and provide weather defense