ASTM E90 Standard Test Method for Laboratory Measurement of Airborne Sound Transmission Loss of Building Partitions and Elements

Get Certified ASTM E90 Testing for Reliable Sound Transmission Loss Evaluation

ASTM E90 testing is a certified test useful for building sound insulation of elements and partitions for airborne sound. The test quantifies the effectiveness of a specimen in blocking sound transmission under laboratory-controlled conditions. The results are used by engineers to compare acoustic performance to support product development, verify material designs, and demonstrate compliance with project requirements. The test is used for walls, floors, doors, windows, partitions, and other building elements. ASTM E90 testing helps ensure accurate measurements, consistent procedures, and dependable sound transmission loss evaluation.

• Building Partitions: Covers walls, operable partitions, floor-ceiling assemblies, and other separating elements.
• Building Elements: Applies to doors, windows, roofs, panels, and similar construction elements.
• Sound Transmission: Measures airborne sound transmission loss under controlled laboratory conditions.
• Test Environment: Uses two adjacent reverberation rooms with approximately diffuse sound fields.
• Transmission Path: Requires the test specimen to constitute the primary significant sound transmission path.
• Frequency Range: Standard measurements use one-third-octave bands from 100 to 5000 Hz; applicable façade measurements extend from 80 to 5000 Hz.
• Laboratory Testing: Provides controlled measurements rather than direct field sound-isolation measurements.
• Measurement Output: Calculates sound transmission loss as a decibel value that is dependent on frequency.

What are the Uses of ASTM E90 Testing?

The airborne sound transmission loss of building partitions and assemblies can be evaluated using the controlled laboratory procedure outlined in ASTM E90. Consequently, engineers can use the results to assess how effectively walls, floors, doors, windows, and other building elements reduce airborne sound transmission. The ASTM E90 standard-

• Measures acoustic transmission loss of building partitions in the air.
• Measures acoustic performance in selected frequency ranges.
• Describes how sounds are transmitted through wall and floor-ceiling assemblies.
• Evaluates doors, windows, roofs, panels, and other building components.
• Facilitates comparison of similar construction systems under controlled conditions.
• Delivers frequency-dependent transmission loss data for acoustic evaluation.
• Calculates applicable single-number acoustic ratings from transmission-loss data.
• Assists engineers in assessing the direct sound transmission of building elements.

Which materials can be tested under ASTM E90?

ASTM E90 is applicable to building partitions and elements that are made of materials and assemblies designed to divide spaces or prevent the transmission of airborne sound. The method can be used to evaluate whole walls, floor-ceiling assemblies, doors, windows, roofs, panels, operable partitions, and other space-dividing constructions if they can be installed in the same way they will be in their intended construction and mounting condition.

Why is ASTM E90 Important?

The significance of ASTM E90 is that it provides a set of controlled laboratory data for airborne sound transmission loss of building partitions and elements. The method sets up conditions that limit the presence of alternate transmission paths and approximate diffuse sound fields, which enables engineers to characterize the transmission through the tested specimen. However, ASTM notes that laboratory results do not directly represent building sound isolation because field installations can introduce flanking transmission paths.

The procedure outlined in ASTM E90 is as follows-

ASTM E90 Testing Process and Data Collection

ASTM E90 testing involves technicians creating a controlled sound field in the source room and measuring the sound pressure levels in both the source room and the receiving room. The absorption in the receiving room and the area of the exposed specimens are also calculated. The sound transmission loss is calculated by the analysts based on the measured acoustic values for each 1/3 octave. When measurements are performed in both directions, the corresponding transmission-loss values are averaged to obtain the direction-averaged result.

Common Challenges and Troubleshooting

Many of the common problems encountered in ASTM E90 testing are related to flanking transmission, sealing of the specimen, background noise, lack of diffuse sound fields, microphone response error, and measurement errors of receiving room absorption. Before testing, technicians should check the transmission limits, specimen mounting, perimeter sealing, acoustic field uniformity, microphone performance, and background noise in the laboratory. Additionally, the temperature and relative humidity in the receiving room shall not exceed the above during measurements made when appropriate.

• The laboratory reports mean values of the sound pressure levels in the source room and in the receiving room for each one-third-octave band.
• When calculating transmission loss, the analyst takes into account receiving-room sound absorption and exposed specimen area.
• The reported transmission-loss curve shows changes in acoustic isolation across the measured frequency range.
• When the laboratory tests in both directions (transmission and receive), the engineers check the directional measurements and average them.
• The results can support calculation of applicable single-number ratings and comparison of similar building elements under controlled laboratory conditions.

Link to ASTM E90