EXPERIMENTAL IMPACT OF DOORS, SEALANT, AND OPENINGS ON THE WEIGHTED SOUND REDUCTION INDEX OF SHIPBUILDING WALL SYSTEMS
Abstract
Sound insulation performance of lightweight shipbuilding partition walls is highly sensitive to installation details and unintended leakage paths. In practice, laboratory-rated wall systems may not achieve the expected weighted sound reduction index (RW) when doors, perimeter joints, and local openings are introduced. This paper presents the results of a systematic laboratory investigation into the impact of typical installation-related modifications on the airborne sound insulation performance of a commonly applied shipbuilding wall system.
Airborne sound insulation measurements were performed in accordance with ISO 10140-2 (within the ISO 10140 series), and single-number ratings were determined according to ISO 717-1. A reference wall configuration was first tested, after which controlled modifications were introduced, including partial sealing of perimeter profiles, installation of a fire-rated door under different mounting conditions, removal of a door lock cylinder, installation of a power socket, partial removal of sealant, and creation of a localized panel opening. For each configuration, the corresponding RW value was determined and compared with the relevant reference configuration.
The results show that installation-related leakages can reduce RW by up to 5 dB, even when the primary wall construction remains unchanged. Door installation resulted in a reduction of more than 3 dB, while sealing the door-frame gap recovered approximately 3 dB, indicating that frame leakage is the dominant transmission path. Partial removal of perimeter sealant caused a further reduction of approximately 3 dB. In contrast, removal of the door cylinder and installation of a socket had negligible influence.Sound intensity measurements using a Microflown Scan & Paint 3D system were performed for selected configurations. RW values derived from intensity-based power estimates showed good agreement with laboratory measurements and proved effective in identifying dominant leakage locations. The findings highlight the critical importance of installation detailing in achieving the intended acoustic performance of shipbuilding wall systems.
Citation
Macleane, L., Søndergaard, L. S., & Fernandez Comesaña, D. (2026). Experimental impact of doors, sealant, and openings on the weighted sound reduction index of shipbuilding wall systems. In Proceedings of the 32nd International Congress on Sound and Vibration, ICSV32 (Amsterdam, The Netherlands).