Dealing with measurement uncertainties in building acoustics

Abstract

Building acoustics is a field where uncertainties have traditionally been reported as stated by an existing standard, or not reported at all. In a world where acoustic performance of building elements (measured in accredited laboratories) and acoustic performance of constructive solutions (measured in the field) must be tested and often judged to comply with a requirement, it is recommended to perform detailed uncertainty calculations. The existing standard "ISO 12999-1:2014 Determination and application of measurement uncertainties in building acoustics-Part 1: Sound insulation" includes general uncertainty values for typical measurands such as airborne and impact sound insulation under different measurement situations, both for third octave bands and single number quantities. This paper supports the idea of making individual uncertainty calculations not only for sound insulation measurements but for any acoustic measurement in building acoustics. A collection of such calculations are shown to support the thesis, showing that this individual uncertainty calculation becomes more important when single number quantities are considered.