Building Acoustics Measurement Solutions — Sound Insulation, Reverberation Time & ISO 16283
Professional building acoustics measurements for sound insulation (airborne and impact), reverberation time (RT60), facade sound insulation, and room acoustic characterization. Building acoustics measurements are required for building certification, planning compliance, building handover documentation, acoustic treatment specification, and the resolution of noise complaints between neighbors in residential, commercial, and educational buildings. Correct measurement technique and standards-compliant equipment are essential for results that will be accepted by building authorities and used in legal or contractual contexts.
Building acoustics covers a wide range of measurement types. For sound insulation between rooms, the measurement determines the apparent weighted sound reduction index (R'w) or the standardized level difference (DnT,w) — both referenced to ISO 16283-1. For floor impact sound, the standardized impact sound pressure level (L'nT,w) is measured per ISO 16283-2. For room acoustics, parameters such as reverberation time (T20, T30), early decay time (EDT), clarity (C80), and speech transmission index (STI) are measured per ISO 3382-1 and ISO 3382-2.
Applicable Standards
ISO 16283-1 — field measurement of airborne sound insulation (DnT,w) between rooms in buildings
ISO 16283-2 — field measurement of impact sound insulation (L'nT,w)
ISO 16283-3 — field measurement of facade sound insulation
ISO 3382-1 — measurement of room acoustic parameters in performance spaces (auditoria, concert halls, theatres)
ISO 3382-2 — measurement of reverberation time in ordinary rooms (offices, classrooms, dwellings)
EN ISO 10140 — laboratory measurement of sound insulation of building elements
National building regulations requiring acoustic performance (Approved Document E in England and Wales, DIN 4109 in Germany, NEN 5077 in the Netherlands)
Recommended Instruments
Bedrock Elite i10 — RT60 (EDT/T20/T30), 1/3 octave band analysis, ISO 16283 and ISO 3382 workflows, FFT, all building acoustics capabilities in one instrument
Bedrock Elite i9 — RT60, 1/3 octave analysis, ISO 3382 measurements, sound insulation with third-party source
BRELUXE05 — ISO 3382 and ISO 16283 compliant omnidirectional dodecahedron sound source for RT60 and sound insulation measurements
Bedrock SB41 SoundBox — portable battery-powered sound source for standard building acoustics measurements
Bedrock BIMK — impulsive source kit (balloon and pistol) for RT60 measurements