FLUID CONTROL SOLUTIONS
Rushing water through pipes? An innovative solution arises
Noise pollution has increasingly become a concern in urban environments, particularly in multi- occupancy buildings. One common complaint revolves around water rushing through pipes. Thomas Merton, technical manager at Armacell, looks at how development of specialist thin acoustic lagging multilayer solutions and a better understanding of where noise is generated is helping address the issue
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s our urban environments continue to grow noisier, investing in quality acoustic insulation is not just a luxury, but a necessity for creating sustainable,
comfortable living spaces that stand the test of time. The importance of effective sound attenuation in buildings cannot be overstated. It is therefore essential that measures are consistently planned and properly carried out, both when constructing new buildings and when modernising existing ones. Thin acoustic lagging, a modern solution to noise pollution, involves the application of sound-absorbing materials. These materials are made from an optimised design combining flexible foam and a heavy eva-epm barrier. Together, they effectively offer a good insertion loss by damping sound waves and by reducing noise transmission from drainage pipes. Unlike traditional thick insulation methods, thin acoustic lagging offers superior sound protection by catching directly the noise at the source without significantly reducing living space.
Noise disturbance from pipework
A common complaint among residents is the noise generated by water rushing through rainwater and wastewater pipes. Where these elements lack acoustic mitigation measures, the noise of moving water is transferred to wall and ceiling elements, and from there to adjoining rooms. Noise can severely affect the quality of life in urban settings, leading to stress, sleep disturbances, and overall discomfort. According to studies, a considerable percentage of the population is affected by environmental noise, around one in three, with many reporting that sounds from plumbing systems are particularly bothersome. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), excessive noise can seriously harm human health, disturb sleep, cause cardiovascular effects, reduce performance and provoke annoyance responses and changes in social behaviour.
when sound travels along elements shared by adjacent structures, flanking noise transmission also occurs. Noise can also be amplified by boarding, with unsealed pipework apertures between rooms creating a pathway for sound to travel to other areas. All buildings, where appropriate acoustic mitigation measures are not implemented, have the potential to generate noise disturbance for occupants. It is a particular concern in multi occupancy structures such as apartments, schools, hospitals, care homes and hotels. In most of these cases, specifying acoustic insulation foams, which are relatively inexpensive and easy to install, can significantly improve occupier comfort. For instance, the ArmaComfort® AB Alu Plus product consists of a 2mm thick foil faced acoustic EPDM-EVA barrier and a 9mm elastomeric foam layer for decoupling. In comparison to traditional acoustic insulation products, tests show that these types of flexible insulation foams achieve a much
One of the best ways of preventing noise
breakout is to apply fully integrated acoustic lagging systems for piping networks, plant and other equipment on-site. And indeed, the NHBC (National House Building Council) guidelines 6.3.7 Sound Insulation recommends that ‘all sections of soil and vent pipes, including those in bathrooms or ground floor stub stacks, should be fully soundproofed’. The key to making sure that acoustic measures
are effective, yet don’t take up too much space is to choose those that offer extremely high performance at low thicknesses. This is also best achieved by choosing visco-elastic resilient layers between installation and structural connection points, which prevents acoustic bridges and significantly reduces breakout noise.
Sources of noise in multi- occupancy buildings
Sound within the home occurs in a number of different ways. One of the most difficult to tackle is impact sounds. Even small impact sounds like water rushing though a pipe especially when it reaches a bend or changes direction can carry and even amplify as it travels. Plus,
greater reduction in sound level and with a thinner wall thickness.
Independent tests by CSTB (Centre Scientifique
et Technique du Bâtiment) confirmed that these acoustic multilayers can reduce the airborne sound pressure levels of a Geberit vertical drainage pipe by 16 dB (A) at 2 l/s water flow. Similar tests on a horizontal PVC pipe, where the vibrations caused by flowing water are stronger, achieved a noise reduction of 24.5 dB (A). The human ear perceives a reduction of 10 dB (A) as halving the volume.
Acoustic foam materials have very good acoustic damping and acoustic isolation properties across the frequency range relevant for building acoustics – irrespective of whether it is installed on cast iron or PVC rainwater and wastewater pipes. They also display very good fire behaviour, achieving the best fire class for organic products in the European SBI test. Contractors will find that the thinner thicknesses required to achieve the required decibel reduction are an advantage because it makes installation in tight spaces easier.
Tackling noise at the source
Noise has become one of the greatest environmental problems of our times. Whether at work, in public buildings or in the home – hardly anything disturbs us as much. The consequences of deficits in the acoustic insulation are usually only noticed when the building is occupied, and then they are often very expensive to remedy. It is essential that noise protection measures in the form of thin acoustic lagging are consistently planned and properly carried out, both when constructing new buildings and when modernising existing ones. Effective sound protection measures are relatively inexpensive yet increase both the living comfort and the asset value.
20 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER MAY 2025 Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk
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