ACOUSTIC CONSULTANT (ACOUSTICIAN) Certified consultant that specializes in architectural acoustics and how to effectively control noise and vibrations as it relates to buildings. The Acoustic Consultant analyzes the source of the unwanted noise or vibration and suggests solutions that will contribute to constructing a more soundproof building.
ACOUSTICS OF BUILDING (ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS) Scientific and technological field that seeks to understand and control the sound quality of building such as office towers, hotels, apartments and condominiums.
AIRBORNE NOISE Noise that comes from, for example, voices, radio, television, etc. These noises are transmitted by the structures (floors or walls) or through openings in the room's inner wall and the outside shell of the building (windows, vents, etc.).
CONCRETE TOPPING Layer of cementitious products, resin or lime applied to the structural elements, intended to smooth, level, surface a support and/or embed elements (a heated floor system, for example), to which finished floor, for example ceramic tiles, a resilient floor or a parquet, glued or floated, is then applied.
CONCRETE SLAB Concrete surface in varying thicknesses (generally between 6" and 10") used for both structural purposes and general use in a building.
DOUBLE GLUED-DOWN Installation of a glued floor with an acoustical membrane by applying adhesive (glue) under and over the membrane.
FLOOR/CEILING ASSEMBLY The cross section of all materials of a floor structure, that is to say from the ceiling of the unit below to the finished floor of the upper unit. The term "sandwich" is often used in the industry and has the same meaning.
HEARING ACUITY Bandwidth of frequencies perceptible by the human ear and the threshold perceptibility. The range of sound perception varies according to the person's age, heredity and the ear abuse of intense activity, which make the ear more sensitive to sound. The hearing threshold of the human ear is 0 dB and the threshold of pain occurs at around 120 dB.
IMPACT NOISE Noise that comes from a shock or a vibration and transmitted by vibrating through the structure, walls and floors of the building. An impact noise transmitted directly through the wall inevitably becomes an airborne noise.
LIGHT CONCRETE Concrete mix of 8 megapascal (MPa) and Styrofoam, used to leveled existent concrete slabs on structures that can't support the increased weight of standard concrete.
NOISE Complex sound produced by various vibrations, often diffused and not harmonic. A noise is usually disturbing and unpleasant, whether the amplitude is high or low.
PINK NOISE Standardized noise where the acoustical energy is distributed uniformly in frequencies 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz.
PLYWOOD Sheet material manufactured from thin layers or "plies" of wood veneer that are glued together with adjacent layers having their wood grain rotated up to 90 degrees to one another.
PRECAST CONCRETE Concrete slabs, structures or building components which are cast off site, delivered and then lifted into place as required on the actual job site. Flooring slabs may have continuous circular cavities and are commonly referred to as 'core slab'.
RESILIENT CHANNEL (or RESILIENT BAR) Metal channel that reduces the transmission of vibrations while supporting gypsum boards which are effectively detaching the ceiling assembly from the structure.
REINFORCED CONCRETE Composite material provided with steel bars which combine resistance to compression of the concrete, and tensile strength of steel.
R VALUE Value that represents the thermal resistance of materials (insulating value). The higher the R-value of the insulation is, the more effective it will be in preventing the transfer of thermal energy.
STUD Pieces of dimensional lumber or metal that once assembled are used in the structural component of interior or exterior walls & partitions.
THERMAL BREAKAGE Partial or complete blockage of the transfer of heat flow from one material to another by a product with an R factor installed between these two conductive materials.
UNCOUPLING Process by which we prevent direct contact between the rigid materials of the structure and the floor finishes which could result in the transfer, transport or even the amplification, pending the application, of sounds and mechanical vibrations, by resilient materials.
WHITE NOISE A consistent sound or noise that has a relatively wide continuous range of frequencies of uniform intensity. A constant background noise which is capable of masking or drowning out other sounds.