Evaluation of internal building walls used in Brazil and Portugal under the perspec-tive of the users regarding neighbour noise

Abstract

Concerning building acoustics in residential constructions, the sound insulation rating of the constructive systems must meet the user’s expectancy concerning the acoustic environment inside the partitions. Globally, sound insulation requirements have been developed and prescribed by public regulation agencies, including Brazil and Portugal, to ensure minimal performance levels, in terms of sound insulation. These performance standards consider sound energy levels that can be stablished inside rooms from internal building sources but with majorly low energy levels, which is not always the case concerning neighbouring noise. This way, the aim of the article is to evaluate if internal partitions usually used in Brazil and Portugal are adequate to provide a low annoyance probability for the building users considering the neighbouring noise in residential buildings. The analysis highlighted that complimenting minimal performance standards doesn’t ensure an environment where the users won’t feel annoyed with the neighbour noise, demonstrating sound insulation insufficiency. For the cases proposed, only a building wall that meets the superior performance level in Brazil, and can be used in Portugal, could be considered adequate for the user’s acoustical satisfaction against neighbour noise.