Project outline
To improve the acoustic performance in indoor environments it is vital to have a good understanding of all possible transmission paths between points in a building. This research focuses on steel stud-based double leafed walls which are building components that act as partitions inside buildings forming separate units or “rooms”. I am specifically focusing on the transmission path through the studs and how the design of double-leafed walls can be improved by the design of the studs.
This project aims to conduct an in-depth analysis of the acoustic performance of steel studs in double-leafed walls. The influence of the stud’s geometry on the acoustic performance of the system of the wall is relatively poorly understood as it is dominated by better understood effects such as the presence of a discontinuity like an air gap or insulative layer. This research will investigate the effect of the stud profile and studs manufacturing process on the acoustic performance of the wall under dynamic loads. The methodology will integrate finite element method (FEM) analysis of various profiles; the investigation of analytical and semi-analytical solutions based on existing shell theory and laboratory experiments to verify the findings. This combined approach is intended to validate the numerical and theoretical findings and to provide recommendations for optimising stud profile to maximise desirable acoustic properties of double-leaf wall systems.
Project Partners
This project is hosted at the University of Sheffield and supported by the Hadley Group.
Student
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