ASTM E90 SOUND TRANSMISSION LOSS TESTING

We perform  ASTM E90 testing on materials as diverse as brick and stucco to drywall and fabric. We test everything from PTAC units to boat hulls and would love to hear what you need to test.

Performed to determine the amount of sound that travels through a material or object, we conduct ASTM E90 transmission loss testing on test specimens installed between two reverberation rooms in a laboratory test suite. The suite has a source chamber and a receiving chamber. Specimens can be any size that can fit into the sample opening between the two rooms. If necessary, a filler wall, or contoured buck, will be constructed to accommodate the sample. NOAL staff designed and built the chambers to transmit sound only through the test specimen. We create loud noise with a high-powered sound source, producing a continuous random noise stream in the source chamber. We measure and subtract receiving levels from the source chamber’s sound levels. Results provide 1/3 octave band Transmission Loss (TL) and Sound Transmission Class (STC) numbers. Acousticians, architects, and engineers use data to design and specify appropriate noise isolation between architectural spaces. 

Our Saint Paul, MN facility sets itself apart from other labs with an extremely high 89+ flanking limit that allows us to measure very high STC value wall assemblies.

You provide the testing goals and we devise an efficient test plan and cost proposal. Your goals may be to comply with a regulatory standard, find a marketing advantage over a competitor, or investigate a product based on customer inquiries. At the lab, our staff carpenters acquire all the materials necessary to build out your test assembly; all you need to do is observe. You are encouraged to witness the installation and testing of your products so that you can enjoy the added benefit of consulting directly with our seasoned acoustical experts. You will have plenty of opportunities to take photos and ask questions. The results are shared in real-time as we complete tests, providing insight into your products and allowing for R&D adjustments on subsequent tests. You will receive a test summary detailing all the results of the test. Data is further analyzed, and if requested, a formal, accredited test report is generated. 

Every test has unique characteristics, so managing cost means managing time and materials. Variables include test location (in the lab or field), which test standard and equipment to use, how much labor is required, what materials we need, and how much data we need to reduce.