Sound barriers

Noise from adjacent spaces can be very disturbing to building occupants. Careful detailing and high quality construction materials can greatly improve the sound reducing abilities of an interior partition or door.

This features aims to increase acoustic comfort by reducing sound transmission from adjacent spaces through construction detailing that exceeds standard practice.

Part 1: Wall Construction Specifications

The following spaces, if present, have interior partition walls which meet the Noise Insulation Class (NIC) described:

a) Enclosed offices: minimum NIC of 35 when a sound masking system is present, or of 40 when no sound masking system is used.

b) Teleconference rooms: minimum NIC of 53 on walls adjoining private offices, conference rooms or other teleconference rooms.

c) Conference rooms: minimum NIC of 53 on walls adjoining private offices, teleconference rooms or other conference rooms.

Part 2: Doorway Specifications

Doors connecting to the teleconference rooms, conference rooms and private offices are constructed with at least one of the following:

a) Gaskets.

b) Sweeps.

c) Non-hollow core.

Part 3: Wall Construction Methodology

All interior walls enclosing offices, conference rooms and teleconference rooms are constructed for optimal performance by reducing air gaps and limiting sound transmission through the following:

a) Properly sealing all acoustically rated partitions at the top and bottom tracks.

b) Staggering all gypsum board seams.

c) Packing and sealing all penetrations through the wall.

Part 99: (OLD) Workstation-Light Staggering

To avoid indirect glare from overhead lights, the following requirement must be met:

a) Computers are staggered so they are not directly beneath any downward facing lights.

Immune

Nervous

	Core & Shell	New Construction	WELL Interiors
Part 1: Wall Construction Specifications	-	O	O
Part 2: Doorway Specifications	-	O	O
Part 3: Wall Construction Methodology	-	O	O
Part 99: (OLD) Workstation-Light Staggering	-	-	-

	Commercial Kitchen	Education	Multifamily Residential	Retail
Part 1: Wall Construction Specifications	-	O	-	O
Part 2: Doorway Specifications	-	-	-	O
Part 3: Wall Construction Methodology	-	O	O	O
Part 99: (OLD) Workstation-Light Staggering	-	O	-	-

Verification Methods Matrix

	Letters of Assurance	Annotated Documents	On-Site Checks
PART 1 (Design) Wall Construction Specifications	Architect
PART 3 (Design) Wall Construction Methodology	Contractor

Show Standard Citations

90

U. S. General Services Administration Center for Workplace Strategy Public Buildings Service. Sound Matters: How to Achieve Acoustic Comfort in the Contemporary Office. Washington, D.C.: General Services Administration Center for Workplace Strategy Public Buildings Service; 2012: 11, 29, 32, 33, 36.
81.1.c	The General Services Administration's Sound Matters recommends a minimum NIC of 48 for meeting rooms.
81.1.a	The General Services Administration's Sound Matters recommends this NIC value for private offices.
81.1.b	The General Services Administration's Sound Matters recommends this NIC value for teleconference rooms.
81.2.a	The General Services Administration's Sound Matters recommends door gaskets to help prevent noise intrusion into offices.
81.2.b	The General Services Administration's Sound Matters recommends that the undercut should be shielded in some fashion such as a sweep or drop seal gasket.
81.2.c	The General Services Administration's Sound Matters advises that as it relates to acoustics, hollow core doors are only good to poor.
81.3.a	The General Services Administration's Sound Matters recommends caulking gypsum partition slabs as an effective sound blocking technique.
81.3.b	The General Services Administration's Sound Matters recommends staggering gypsum partition slabs as an effective sound blocking technique.
81.3.c	The General Services Administration's Sound Matters recommends plugging holes as an effective sound blocking technique.

This is a legacy version of the WELL Building Standard. Please check the latest version here.

81. Sound barriers