[GSBN] sound test for bale walls

[Rene Dalmeijer]

Bob,

As you might know we have done a test for sound insulation in a proper acoustic test facility here in Eindhoven, The Netherlands many years ago. This results of this test you can find in The Design of straw bale Buildings. Since then comparable tests have been executed in Germany these have a formal status. Although probably straw bales behave differently in Germany then in USA.

ie in all cases the numbers we have come up with are around 45 dBA (meaning A weighted) Variance between test results is can be declared due to variances in the structure of the test section.  


Rene Dalmeijer Proces Advies
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On Feb 22, 2017, at 04:30, Bob Theis wrote:

> Hello All, 
> 
> As some of you know, we have had two proposed multi-unit bale projects here in California shot down recently because we couldn’t provide testing that demonstrated bale walls provided the required sound isolation between units.  Absurd.  
> 
> A group of us is  looking to remedy that this year. While we research the lab test option, we are also looking at the field test route. But there are no multi-unit bale  projects to test, because we need tests  before they can be built. Can you say Catch-22?
> 
> So one thought is to test projects that have an interior bale wall, and argue that, given the right adjoining assembles,  this is equivalent to testing a wall between units. 
> 
> I’m sending this out to solicit candidates for built  projects: 
> 1. In California
> 2. With no door in said interior wall, and decent dampening of flanking sound transmission paths.  
> 3. In a building we can invade and disrupt for a day. 
> 
> And more broadly,  to invite comments and suggestions from this august body of crazies. 
> 
> Bob
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