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Concept
Sound transmission class
Summary
Sound Transmission Class (or STC) is an integer rating of how well a building partition attenuates airborne sound. In the US, it is widely used to rate interior partitions, ceilings, floors, doors, windows and exterior wall configurations. Outside the US, the ISO Sound Reduction Index (SRI) is used. The STC rating very roughly reflects the decibel reduction of noise that a partition can provide. The STC is useful for evaluating annoyance due to speech sounds, but not music or machinery noise as these sources contain more low frequency energy than speech.
There are many ways to improve the sound transmission class of a partition, though the two most basic principles are adding mass and increasing the overall thickness. In general, the sound transmission class of a double wythe wall (e.g. two 4"-thick block walls separated by a 2" airspace) is greater than a single wall of equivalent mass (e.g. homogeneous 8" block wall).
The STC or sound transmission class is a single number method of rating how well wall partitions reduce sound transmission. The STC provides a standardized way to compare products such as doors and windows made by competing manufacturers. A higher number indicates more effective sound insulation than a lower number. The STC is a standardized rating provided by ASTM E413 based on laboratory measurements performed in accordance with ASRM E90. ASTM E413 can also be used to determine similar ratings from field measurements performed in accordance with ASTM E336.
Sound Isolation and Sound Insulation are used interchangeably, though the term "Insulation" is preferred outside the US. The term "sound proofing" is typically avoided in architectural acoustics as it is a misnomer and connotes inaudibility.
Through research, acousticians have developed tables that pair a given STC rating with a subjective experience. The table below is used to determine the degree of sound isolation provided by typical multi-family construction. Generally, a difference of one or two STC points between similar constructions is subjectively insignificant.
Official source
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