Kawneer has carried out a comprehensive range of acoustic performance tests for its AA100 and AA110 stick curtain wall systems used throughout Europe.
Testing, carried out at the Vinci Technology Centre in Leighton Buzzard, included a range of Horizontal Flanking and Vertical Flanking sound performance tests according to BS EN 10848-2. Alongside this, airborne sound insulation properties aligned to BS EN 10140 were also tested with a range of different glass options.
Acoustic flanking occurs when airborne sound transmits indirectly through spaces surrounding a floor or wall. By undertaking tests with a range of acoustic enhancements and glazing materials, Kawneer is able to provide a data set that can be reviewed and tailored to a project’s needs.
Using different glass and panel infills, a range of mullion and transom slab interface conditions were tested, including single transom and double transom conditions for the Vertical Flanking.
Horizontal Flanking tests incorporated single and double mullion options, to give a range of solutions to suit project or legislative design needs.
Within the Vertical Flanking test regime, Kawneer tested a range of façade design conditions including continuous mullions and its standard expansion joints, allowing for thermal expansion. Additionally its enhanced movement joints, and SSG systems were also tested to give customers a range of options when considering noise suppression, particularly within mixed use and residential developments.
A suite of products from Kawneer’s specialist acoustics partner Siderise were used within the test plan, including its MI5 and MI6 acoustic inserts, CWFS120 Firestop and CWAB acoustic barriers.
The test results are calculated in ‘Dnfw’, a laboratory tested acoustic value for a system (measured in dB) to help determine airborne sound travel through adjacent rooms.
By testing a range of different solutions and design methods, Kawneer can now demonstrate a variety of results from 43 Dnfw through to 56 Dnfw for Vertical Flanking, while Horizontal Flanking performance ranges from 41 Dnfw to 57 Dnfw. Kawneer conducted the tests on a range of glass specifications between 41 dB and 45 dB.
