"FensterKlang" - Contributing to the personalized selection of windows by making sound insulation audible

How do windows sound?

Windows play a key role in the design of a façade. They reduce the amount of sound entering the building. Selecting windows with the “right level” of sound insulation is particularly important when it comes to personal sound protection. However, until now it has not been possible to take into account what sound insulation actually sounds like under exposure to different types of noise. The aim of the “FensterKlang” project worked on by the Performance Center Mass Personalization is therefore to build a digital tool for listening to the sound insulation of windows, enabling different sound scenarios to be considered so that windows can be chosen in a more extended and personalized way.

 

Highlight of the Performance Center

WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT

online tool for making the sound insulation of windows audible
© Fraunhofer IBP
View of the online tool for making the sound insulation of windows audible: After entering the calibration (listening volume), target size and sound profile, three windows are automatically selected from a database and compared. Two diagrams show the frequency-dependent sound reduction indexes (left) and sound pressure levels (right) for each proposed window.

The sound reduction index is calculated on the basis of frequency-dependent measurement results. A standardized reference curve is used to determine a single-number value Rw for classification into sound insulation classes. The extent to which the subjectively perceived frequency-dependent sound insulation of the window is suitable for achieving the best possible sound insulation in the on-site noise situation can only be determined to a limited extent on the basis of the single-number value.

The aim of the project is thus to make the sound reduction index audible as a criterion for personal selection and product development before new windows are installed. Finally, the potential of this method is demonstrated by implementing a prototype in the form of a digital tool. This allows people even without acoustics skills to subjectively evaluate the sound insulation.