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SUPERPHON PANELS PROVIDE REVERBERATION CONTROL AT NEW SCHOOL

CMS Danskin Acoustics’ SuperPhon panels are contributing to reverberation control at a newly built school in East Hertfordshire, helping to ensure standards for acoustics in new school buildings are met.

 

Buntingford First School is a school for around 330 children between the ages of three and nine, which opened for the 2023 autumn term.  Built to Passivhaus standards by Morgan Sindall Construction for Hertfordshire County Council, the 1,643 sqm school includes a nursery and ten classrooms.

During construction 175 SuperPhon panels of varying sizes and colours were installed by SCL Interiors, mainly on classroom walls, to absorb sound and provide reverberation control.

SuperPhon provides up to Class ‘A’ acoustic performance and has a Noise Reduction Coefficient from 0.80 to 1.15 – an NRC of 0 indicating perfect reflection and an NRC of 1 indicating perfect absorption.  The sound absorption coefficient is tested to BS EN ISO 354:2003.

New school buildings must satisfy the requirements of Section 1 of Building Bulletin 93 (BB93) – setting out the constructional standard for acoustics in new school buildings.

SuperPhon is available in standard sizes, thicknesses and finishes, including wipe clean and art panels, but also as bespoke panels in terms of size, thickness, shape or fabric facing.  Designed for use in applications, including recording/rehearsal studios, audiology rooms, cinemas and theatres, schools, call centres and conference rooms, SuperPhon has been installed at the Liverpool Academy, Edinburgh Observatory, Jodrell Bank and the Hydro Arena in Glasgow.

CMS Danskin Acoustics, part of SIG plc, provides a free reverberation calculation service as well as full technical and on-site support.  The panels are manufactured at their Warrington site.

SCL Interiors are a leading suspended ceiling and partitioning contractor, providing services including SFS, dry lining, suspended ceilings, glazed screens and acoustic rafts/wall panels throughout the East Anglia region.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE CMS DANSKIN WEBSITE

 

 

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A lesson in acoustic control in education

With research highlighting that ineffective sound control has a lasting negative impact on education performance , it’s an ideal time for those involved in the education build sector to reflect on whether they are implementing adequate acoustic control to ensure building compliance in accordance with BB93. Here Rodney Davidson, Head of Specifications at AG looks at current standards and highlights Cheltenham Ladies College where AG’s Alphacrete® Acoustic masonry was used to create an aesthetically pleasing, calm, safe and health-promoting space.

Acoustic control: Why it’s important

The link between ineffective noise control and a poor education performance affects those involved in the Education build sector two-fold. Firstly, careful consideration should be given as to whether the correct building products to control external noise pollution and safeguard the health and wellbeing of the school’s surrounding community and local residents have been used. For example, a gymnasium housing a loud basketball game with cheering crowds should not be heard in nearby classrooms where lessons are taking place. Beyond the obvious distraction to students, proven hormonal responses to loud, unpredictable sounds suggests that students exposed to chronic loud noises over time are at risk of damage to their general health and mental wellbeing, not to mention academic performance.

Secondly, consideration should be given as to whether the correct building products have been specified to instil adequate reverberation time control within each particular room or space. Without appropriate acoustic control measures in place large unfurnished areas like sports halls or assembly halls will have extremely long reverberation times; in layman’s terms this means that the room will have a lot of echo and it will be difficult to hear and understand speech or music within that space which is not at all ideal for students in a learning environment.

What are the current standards?

BB93: February 2015 sets out, minimum performance standards for acoustic requirements of school buildings. The overall objective of the performance standard is to ensure that the design and construction of school buildings provide acoustic conditions that enable effective teaching and learning.

All parties involved in the build have a responsibility to ensure the products used successfully help to control reverberation time and meet the performance standard set out in section 1.5 table six of BB93: 2015.

Achieving the right reverberation characteristics is critical to the acoustic performance of an interior space, particularly in school buildings. Good acoustics reduce distraction from airborne noises and make it easier to hear people speak, which is critical in a learning environment and helps aid and enhance pupils’ learning capabilities.
Acoustic control in action

AG completed the impressive gymnasium at the Cheltenham Ladies College in Gloucestershire using AG’s Alphacrete® acoustic block range; providing structural support and optimumal light reflectance value (LRV) for sports halls according to Sport England’s guidance.

The low-maintenance blocks arrived on site in the chosen colour (Ernestone Buff) negating the need for painting or adding a protective sealant, and were built below wooden panelling at Cheltenham Ladies College to create a distinctive contrasting aesthetic that was practical too. Alphacrete® acoustic block’s durable surface made the hall hard-wearing against knocks, bangs and wayward balls, whilst also absorbing sound efficiently.

The brief included the need for a brand-new wall mounted basketball and netball nets. Sports equipment, door frames and window sets are all easily integrated with Alaphacrete® acoustic when installed in line with AG’s design guidelines.

Alphacrete® acoustic blocks are compatible with a wide range or mortar blends. For this particular project M4 Medium Buff mortar was used as supplied by CPI Mortars.

Peace of mind with Alphacrete

Design and build contractors and Specifiers can now have the BB93 reverberation time compliance confirmed prior to construction when AG’s Alphacrete Acoustic range is used, negating the need for post construction testing. For more details contact AG’s specification team at specifications@ag.uk.com or visit www.ag.uk.com.
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Fermacell partitioning is “positively” perfect for research complex

Dry-lining panels by Fermacell feature throughout the new IGMM complex building in Edinburgh.

Gypsum fibreboard partitioning by specialist building panel manufacturer Fermacell was specified for a redeveloped research facility for a quadruplet of reasons at least, its fire and acoustic properties, robustness and weight bearing capabilities to name just a few.

Some 5,000m2 of 12mm square-edged fermacell was used throughout the University of Edinburgh’s £11 million development of the Institute for Genetics and Molecular Medicine (IGMM) at the city’s Western General Hospital.

It was specified by the city’s Oberlanders Architects LLP for the five-storey building which links three existing buildings in the complex – the Medical Research Council’s Human Genetics Unit, the Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, and the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre – to form a world-class research facility.

Frequent Fermacell specifiers, Oberlanders’ brief was to repurpose existing laboratories to enable expansion of IGMM research programmes. The project included dry-lab computational research space linked by a spiral stair within a dramatic south-facing, double-height space, dedicated lecture facilities (including a 180-person lecture theatre) and a social hub and café.

The Western General Hospital campus in which the IGMM complex is located is an amalgamation of medical buildings built in the hospital grounds over the past 140 years, beginning with St Cuthbert’s Poorhouse which opened in 1868 and subsequently renamed a “hospital”.

In contemporary contrast, the new IGMM building uses a steel frame allowing large clear spans internally. The main façade is essentially single aspect and has glass curtain walling to maximise natural daylight and create an appealing working environment. Brick is used extensively to provide solid book ends to the curtain walling. A spacious roof terrace with overhanging canopy is provided at top floor level, affording stunning views of the Edinburgh skyline.

There were many landmark stages for the build in a live research/hospital environment with complex existing services to contend with.

Oberlanders senior architect Rob Bunworth said: “Certainly the ability of the contractor to get the build wind- and water-tight against the sometimes harsh Scottish climate was a milestone, allowing the fermacell internal walling systems to progress apace.”

The fermacell panels were installed by specialist sub-contractors ORR Fire Protection and Alexander Gatey for phase one main contractor BAM Construction and construction, refurbishment and maintenance contractor Clark Contracts.

Rob Bunworth added: “The building has been an unqualified success. Key to this is delivering connectivity to the previously separate institutes as well as delivering on the client’s aspirations for bright, well-lit and appealing working environments. The building also delivers on the client briefing requirements by offering many informal study and breakout environments to help foster interdisciplinary crossover and synergy.

“Our previous positive experience with fermacell on several education projects in the UK led us to use the range of partition products again due to its robustness and fire/acoustic properties. An additional benefit is fermacell’s weight bearing capacity without the requirement for additional lining or support, thus providing flexibility in locating shelving, fixtures and equipment internally during the fit-out phase of the project.

“The project uses fermacell partition and independent wall lining systems extensively – all internal walls are fermacell. The large spans of fermacell partition systems are particularly visible to the large 17m-high central atrium linking the reception and foyer to the upper circulation areas.

“The fermacell systems as utilised in the build allowed Oberlanders the flexibility to specify many different variations on partition types dealing with myriad fire and acoustic issues. Its robustness and severe duty rating, in addition to its loadbearing capacity, allowed for flexibility in our design response across the project.”

He emphasised: “The internal wall components have stood up well alongside the other finishes on the project. Fermacell was able to achieve the height, performance criteria (fire and acoustic), surface finish and robustness characteristics to several demanding environments within the project.

“10mm deflection joints required for movement within the fermacell partition system have been specifically set out to provide a coordinated and ultimately pleasing grid pattern within the highly-visible four-storey atrium space located at the heart of the building.”

For more information please visit www.fermacell.co.uk.
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The silent scream

Juliet Woodcock talks to Paul Barrett, Product Manager at ROCKWOOL Ltd, about acoustic issues in commercial and educational buildings.

These days within my local library, there seems to be no issue regarding offering overspill space to the neighbouring crèche and play group, gathered in loud restless circles containing a dozen or more exuberant infants. However, there was a time when such municipal facilities demanded a peaceful environment for reading or cultural enrichment, while the stern voice of a librarian calling “Quiet please!” quelled noise in an instant.

Intrusive noise coming from without as well as within is a fact of modern life, though fortunately, there are companies out there that do care about creating a peaceful environment for us to live, work or learn in, as Paul Barrett – Product Manager at Rockwool, explains: “Acoustics in commercial and educational buildings matter. It’s imperative that ambient noise is kept as low as possible to minimise intrusion and distraction in these environments. It’s no surprise that studies consistently show that quieter classrooms and workplaces achieve better results. Unfortunately, a large number of schools and office buildings in the UK suffer from poor acoustics.”

Paul Barrett asserts that the most serious issue regarding poor acoustics is caused by flanking transfer, and went on to explain: “The noise is transmitted indirectly via paths such as external wall cavities, voids above partitions and internal corridors, or where there are problems of excessive reverberation within the rooms themselves.”

But it is not just the internal environment that should be considered when trying to improve a building’s acoustic performance. Indeed, when refurbishing or specifying a new school or commercial premises, plans to reduce the noise from outside from wind, rain, hail and traffic, as well as playgrounds and sports centres should be included.

Stone wool insulation is renowned for its excellent acoustic properties, its open fibrous structure making it ideal for absorbing and regulating noise in the building for the lifetime of the property.

Paul Barrett continues: “It is also incredibly versatile, with products and systems available to suit a wide variety of building applications. These include metal and standing seam, flat, green and pitched roofs; ground, exposed and separating floors; internal partitions and separating walls; fire protection and fire stopping; HVAC and masonry cavity walls.
“Fully tested to meet the rigorous demands of today’s legislation, stone wool insulation solutions are proven to reduce ambient, impact and reverberation noise in educational and commercial buildings.”

Utilizing ROCKWOOL’s HARDROCK® Multi-Fix (DD) product on a flat roof, for example, as a 0.25W/m2K single layer or 0.18W/m2K dual layer, mechanically fixed roof solution can provide an acoustic performance of Rw 35dB (single) and 39dB (dual layer) and Class C sound absorption. HARDROCK® Multi-Fix (DD) also provides an impressive fire safety rating as a flat roof board insulation with a Euroclass (A1) non-combustible fire classification and LPCB approval (LPS 1181: Part 1 (Ext-A).

My local library was the last bastion of peace and quiet in my town; I used to know I could go there and get away from other people’s noise – including my adorable nephew’s teething tantrums. I would feel rested there, browsing through books, and in the early days of my journalistic career, going through the micro-fiche with the librarian to order tomes for research that would arrive up to six weeks later pre-Internet days ….. Good acoustic insulation in buildings is vital to our health, our capability to work and learn.

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