Acoustic wall panels

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Contents 1 Material analysis 1.1 Traditional uses 1.2 Emerging uses / trends 1.3 Finish and aesthetic qualities 1.4 Surface forms / shapes 1.5 Cost analysis 2 Material properties 2.1 Material performance 2.2 Dimensional and opening restriction 2.3 Acoustic property 2.4 Manufacturing process and assembly 3 Environment and Life Safety 3.1 Environmental impact 3.2 Flammability rating 4 References 4.1 Notes 4.2 Student contributions 5 See also 5.1 Similar materials 5.2 Building References 6 External links 6.1 Leading manufacturers

Material analysis

MasterFormat Number: 09 84 00

Traditional uses

• Improve sound quality and speech clarity.
• Sound and noise absorption.
• Can be used in theaters, offices, conference rooms, hotels, recording studios, universities, gyms, swimming pools, and really anywhere that noise control is a concern.

Emerging uses / trends

• Variety of materials provide design/decorative options.
• Customization allows complete room integration and increases aesthetic quality.

Finish and aesthetic qualities

• Fabric, wood, tack board, metal, vinyl, foam, or fiberglass.
• Fabric panels can span a whole wall or be broken up into individually designed panels like the The Common Wealth Collection from Acoustical Solutions Inc. ^[1]
• Wood panels are made by drilling tons of tiny holes into the surface wood/veneer. These perforations range in size from small to larger, peg-board looking holes. Examples of this are from the Woodworks Ekox Series by Armstrong ^[2] and another product, offered by Acoustical Solutions Inc. called the WoodTrends System.
• Foam baffled panels are applied to the wall like SONEXone One Wall Panels from Pinta Acoustic ^[3]. They come in a variety of color and texture patterns.

Surface forms / shapes

• As stated previously, there is a large variety of materials, resulting in a multitude of surface forms, from flat to highly textured/baffled.

Cost analysis

• Price ranges vary depending on material and size.
• See individual manufacturer for exact pricing.

Material properties

Material performance

• If wall impact is a possibility, like in gyms or schools, many manufacturers offer a high impact version of their product.^[4]

Dimensional and opening restriction

• Thicknesses range from 3/4" to 3" depending on material.
• Can come in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on application and material (entire wall panel or smaller individual panels making up a wall). Standard sizes include 2'x2', 2'x4', 2x6', up to 6'x30" or 8'x30" in full wall applications.

Acoustic property

• Can absorb 50% to 90% of sound hitting the surface, reducing noise within a space and noise tranfser.
• Range with an NRC rating of .50 - .90.

Manufacturing process and assembly

• Completely depends on specified material/product.
• In many cases, the panels substrate, consisting of anything from mineral fiber to fiber glass, is layered or wrapped with the surface material. These layers are bonded in the factory by adhesives.
• For installation, the panels can screwed into the wall, applied with adhesive, or attached to a track/channel given by the manufacturer.

Environment and Life Safety

Environmental impact

Once again, depends on the specified product. For example, one of Armstrong's Acoustical Wall Systems line, known as Soundsoak, is described as "environmentally friendly", constructed from 100% post-consumer recycle materials, while the products substrate is recycled composition is 78% for the vinyl panels, 65% for the mineral fiber panels, and 40% for the Fiberglass panels.

Flammability rating

• Depends on material.
• Referring back to the previously mentioned Soundsoak product, it includes compliance with the acceptable crideria of the full-room procedures of UBC 8-2 and NFPA 256 (Corner Burn Test), MEA # 162-87-M, tested on ASTM E84-25/200, CAN/ULC SI02* - 25/4500, and has a Composite Class A rating for fabric, substrate, and adhesive.

References

Notes

1. ↑ http://www.acousticalsolutions.com
2. ↑ http://www.armstrong.com
3. ↑ http://www.illbruck-sonex.com
4. ↑ http://www.kineticsnoise.com/interiors/highimpact.html

Student contributions

• Amanda J Davidson, Spring 2008

See also

Similar materials

• Metal ceiling panels

Building References

• Simmons Hall, 22 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, Simmons Hall Information, Steven Holl, Dorm Residence

External links

Leading manufacturers

• Armstrong – Fabric and wood acoustic wall panels
• Acoustical Solutions - Fabric and wood wall panel options
• Pinta Acoustic - Fabric and foam wall panels
• Kinetics Noise Control - High impact and hardside panels