UNIALGLASS Insulating Glass Units Pass Sound Insulation Tests — Up to 41 dBA
A series of UNIALGLASS insulating glass units (IGUs) has successfully passed sound insulation tests — for both airborne noise insulation and traffic noise protection. The maximum result achieved is RA,tr = 41 dBA.
Standards used for testing
Sound insulation of transparent building envelope structures is determined according to a set of standards:
- GOST 26602.3-2016 «Window and door blocks. Method for determination of sound insulation» — the dedicated standard for windows, curtain walls and IGUs (complies with the Russian national standard, mandatory for the Russian market);
- GOST 27296-2012 «Buildings and structures. Methods for measuring sound insulation of building envelope structures» — the general measurement methodology;
- GOST R 56769-2015 (ISO 717-1) — single-number rating of airborne sound insulation;
- SP 51.13330 «Noise protection» — regulated values and the reference traffic noise spectrum.
What the indicators mean
Sound insulation is rated by a single number using several indices:
- Rw — airborne sound insulation index. An integral assessment of how much the structure reduces noise levels across the frequency range;
- C, Ctr — spectrum adaptation terms. C accounts for mid-frequency (domestic, «pink») noise, while Ctr accounts for low-frequency urban traffic noise. Written as Rw(C; Ctr);
- RA,tr — the window's sound insulation against traffic noise, in dBA. This is the parameter regulated for external transparent building envelope structures, and it shows the real reduction of urban traffic noise. It essentially corresponds to the sum of Rw + Ctr.
What 41 dBA means in practice
A result of RA,tr = 41 dBA means the IGU reduces traffic noise levels by 41 decibels (on the A scale). This is a high figure for a transparent building envelope structure: wall insulation is typically at least 10 dB higher than that of windows, which is why windows determine the overall indoor comfort level — and 41 dBA allows such units to be used on projects along busy roads and in noisy urban environments.
This figure is achieved through the selection of the IGU's build: asymmetric glass thicknesses, the use of laminated (triplex) glass with an acoustic interlayer, optimal cavity width and gas fill. For a specific project's requirements, we select the unit formula that delivers the required RA,tr value.
Regulatory framework: GOST 26602.3-2016, GOST 27296-2012, GOST R 56769-2015 (ISO 717-1), SP 51.13330.
