New Swedish standard
The new Swedish standard SS 25268:2007 Acoustics – Sound classification of spaces in buildings is now available. The standard supports the planning- and evaluation process of the sound environment in offices, schools, day care centres, healthcare premises, hotels and restaurants.
Highlights from the new standard:
- Room types are now based on activity
- Shorter reverberation times in healthcare premises
- Reverberation time is to be measured in diffuse sound fields, which in practice means the standard requires specific amounts of absorption, according to ISO 354
- Four sound quality classes (sound class A-D), instead of three as in the previous standard
- Guidelines of how to evaluate the acoustics in a finished building
The intention of the standard is to secure a certain quality of the building, to provide its users with a good sound environment and to support building owners in setting reasonable targets for the acoustic environment.
The standard includes five acoustic parameters:
- Airborne sound insulation
- Impact sound insulation
- Room acoustics
- Sound from services and appliances
- Sound indoors due to traffic noise
The standard can be ordered from www.sis.se and is available in Swedish.
Ecophon, together with major acoustic consultancy firms Ingemansson and WSP, are writing guidelines of how to use and interpret the standard. These guidelines will be presented later this spring.
