Rain noise of roof constructions

When raindrops fall on horizontal building elements such as roofs, skylights or window sills, they sometimes generate unwanted noise. This effect can cause noise pollution for building users or neighbors both outside and inside the building. Therefore, our scientists use our rain noise testing facility to measure the sound intensity level Li,A (sound power per 1 m² of roof area) that is generated when reproducible “standard rain” falls on sloping roof surfaces. These measurements are particularly relevant for roof constructions made of materials such as foil cushions, metal or sheet metal, as well as standing seam roofs and profiled roofs (ETFE).

The roof constructions to be tested are either installed over the existing roof aperture 3.7 x 2.7 m in size at a roof pitch of 5°, or in the mounting frame for skylights with a clear opening of 1.25 x 1.50 m at a roof pitch of 45°. The skylight mounting frame can also be used for conducting parameter studies on roofs (e.g. sheet metal roofs with and without coating, thermal insulation, etc.).

For the excitation, heavy rain according to DIN EN ISO 10140 is typically used because this creates a standardized and reproducible measurement environment. The same setup can also be utilized to measure airborne sound insulation according to DIN EN ISO 10140. Due to the existing mounting frame, however, the set-up is only suitable for up to Rw ≈ 35 dB for skylights or Rw ≈ 45 dB for roofs.

These measurements are crucial for manufacturers and planners so that they can minimize noise pollution caused by rain noise and improve the quality of life in and around buildings. Contact us to find out more about our services related to rain noise tests and optimizing roof constructions.
 

Technical data

Special features

• The installation frame can be adapted to arbitrarily shaped test samples.
• Controllable rain intensity and impact velocity of rain drops
   

More information

Airborne sound insulation of installed test samples can be determined.