Sound insulation of bulkhead panels
J. Nurzyński
Abstract
The sound insulation of bulkhead walls and the dynamic stiffness of resilient core materials were investigated. Bulkhead panels are expected to be lightweight, stiff, and good sound insulation, i.e., exhibiting features that are usually incompatible. The research aimed to investigate how different panel components influence the acoustic performance, examine the various effect of a core, and face modifications and provide practical guidelines that may be useful for design purpose. The study is based on laboratory measurements; seven full-scale models of bulkhead partitions were tested. The panels consisted of a core made of mineral wool and metal faces bonded to it on either side. The position of fundamental mass-spring-mass resonance was examined in particular. This depends on the dynamic stiffness of a core, which is standardly tested under a static load of 200 kg/m2 whereas in practice the mass of faces is much lower; thus, the influence of the preload on the measured values was analysed experimentally. Adjustment of a solid core’s technical parameters influenced the acoustic performance of a panel in a limited degree. Further modifications of the core and faces gave more promising results. The weighted sound reduction index of 50 mm thick models ranged from 31 dB to 45 dB.