BS EN ISO 16283-3:2016 specifies procedures to determine the airborne sound insulation of facade elements (element methods) and whole façades (global methods) using sound pressure measurements.

These procedures are intended for room volumes in the range from 10 m3 to 250 m3 in the frequency range from 50 Hz to 5 000 Hz.

The test results can be used to quantify, assess, and compare the airborne sound insulation in unfurnished or furnished rooms where the sound field can or cannot approximate to a diffuse field. The measured airborne sound insulation is frequency-dependent and can be converted into a single number quantity to characterize the acoustic performance using the rating procedures in ISO 717-1.

The element methods aim to estimate the sound reduction index of a façade element, for example, a window. The most accurate element method uses a loudspeaker as an artificial sound source. Other less accurate element methods use available traffic noise. The global methods, on the other hand, aim to estimate the outdoor/indoor sound level difference under actual traffic conditions. The most accurate global methods use the actual traffic as sound source. A loudspeaker can be used as an artificial sound source when there is insufficient level from traffic noise inside the room. An overview of the methods is given in Table 1.

The element loudspeaker method yields an apparent sound reduction index which, under certain circumstances, can be compared with the sound reduction index measured in laboratories in accordance with ISO 10140. This method is the preferred method when the aim of the measurement is to evaluate the performance of a specified façade element in relation to its performance in the laboratory. The element road traffic method will serve the same purposes as the element loudspeaker method. It is particularly useful when, for different practical reasons, the element loudspeaker method cannot be used. These two methods will often yield slightly different results. The road traffic method tends to result in lower values of the sound reduction index than the loudspeaker method. In Annex D, this road traffic method is supplemented by the corresponding aircraft and railway traffic methods.

The global road traffic method yields the real reduction of a façade in a given place relative to a position 2 m in front of the façade. This method is the preferred method when the aim of the measurement is to evaluate the performance of a whole façade, including all flanking paths, in a specified position relative to nearby roads. The result cannot be compared with that of laboratory measurements.

The global loudspeaker method yields the sound reduction of a façade relative to a position that is 2 m in front of the facade. This method is particularly useful when, for practical reasons, the real source cannot be used; however, the result cannot be compared with that of laboratory measurements.


Cross References:
ISO 717-1
ISO 3382-2
ISO 12999-1
ISO 15712-3
ISO 18233
IEC 60942
IEC 61183
IEC 61260
IEC 61672-1
IEC 61672-2
IEC 61672-3
OIML Recommendations R 58:1998
OIML Recommendations R 88:1998


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