I do not have any hard data about the sound or vibration deadening
characteristics of papercrete.
Logically, it seems that MOST any material that provides good thermal
insulation will also provide good acoustic insulation. I don't have
any data to back that statement up, but it seems to make sense.
I have read multiple highly subjective reports about how quiet a
papercrete structure tends to be. I can't recall enough details to
point you to any of them, but my hazy memory can only do so much.
I do think that the surface treatment of the wall can be important
also. If the wall is plastered with a hard layer, it would probably
tend to trap and echo whatever sounds do manage to enter the
structure. Keeping a softer interior surface, perhaps fabric, on the
papercrete would seem to make sense. Again, I have no specific data
to back up my hypothesis.
My humble guess would be that the most difficult aspect of such a
chamber would be the details surrounding the ventilation system. I
suppose an unventilated room could be extremely quiet whether it's
sound isolated or not. A suffocated person won't hear much noise as
they lay on the floor unconcious. There must be a better way.
Insulated convective ducts would probably be the quietest. They'd
have no mechanical moving parts to squeak, rattle, or make other
noises.
Getting approximate measurments of acoustic properties of a room need
not be particularly expensive. Audio Decible meters are not
particularly expensive, and can be easily constructed from common
componenets. If you are interested in high precision calibration,
then I'm sure that the cost increases. Why does an average person
need to go that far? If you are only interested in relative
measurments to compare various techniques and potential improvements,
then the equipment need not be expensive.
Nothing wrong with using your ears either. What difference does it
make what the numbers are? Keep insulating until you can sit in
there and not hear anything. An experiemental "refridgerator box"
could be built from papercrete and modified until you can sit in it
and be satisfied that it's quiet enough FOR YOU. Then go build your
fancy room to the same specifications as your experimental box.
I have little doubt that a careful and detail oriented individual can
inexpensively construct a chamber that allows the loudest sounds in
the room to be the breathing of the occupant and the gurgling in
their digestive tract.
(Insert obligatory "pull my finger" joke here.) (uhhh... that's
another good reason for a ventilation system... hehehe)
--- In papercreters@yahoogroups.com, "chorizochub" <dalindsay@...>
wrote:
>
> STC (sound transmission class) refers to the ability of a building
> partition to absorb vibrations of various frequencies, thus reducing
> audible sounds from the other side, according to wikipedia.
> What I would like is to gather info on the properties of various
> mixtures of papercrete relating to sound insulation. If you have any
> info or suggestions, I would love to hear them.
>
><snip>
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