In general the stl of a concrete masonry wall increases with increasing frequency of the sound.
Stc 50 concrete wall.
Due to increased mass poured concrete and concrete blocks typically achieve higher stc values in the mid stc 40s to the mid stc 50s than equally thick framed walls.
Metal stud walls perform better than wood stud walls.
Area separation wall systems area separation wall submittal sheet sa925 wb2129 sheetrock shaft wall systems tested systems achieve up to 58 stc.
However the additional weight added complexity of construction and poor thermal insulation tend to limit masonry wall partitions as a viable sound isolation solution in many.
Stc ratings for wall floor and window materials and assemblies 3 appendix a stc ratings a 1 walls a 1 exterior a 1 interior a 9 wooden studs a 9 metal studs a 14 floors a 16 wood a 16 concrete a 21 windows a 24 doors a 27 exterior a 27 interior a 29 appendix b references b 1.
Usg provides resources here for our ul wall assemblies for seamless integration into any construction project.
This catalog of sound rated wall and the purpose of the indexing system is.
Weigh at least 50 less than masonry walls allowing faster easier installation for more information see the following brochures.
Sound transmission class stc provides an estimate of the acoustic performance of a wall in certain common airborne sound insulation applications the stc of a wall is determined by comparing sound transmission loss stl values at various frequencies to a standard contour stl is the decrease or attenuation in sound energy in db.
Many sound transmission loss tests have been per formed on various concrete masonry walls.
Stc 0 18w 40 where w pounds per square foot psf this information is provided as a tool to help estimate.
There are numerous other issues that need to be addressed to.
To view different wall assemblies click on each point below that may apply to your project.
The stc rating of a cmu wall can be estimated based on its weight using the following formula.
Dupree office of noise control california department of health services berkeley california 94704 introduction building codes.
The estimate could easily be off by as much as 4 db.
Insulation will noticeably improve the stc rating of an assembly.
Staggered or double stud walls are higher rated than single stud walls.
Determining sound transmission class stc for concrete masonry.