Block out the noise! Can concrete blockwork cut sound pollution?

With urban jungles growing around us, something must be done about noise pollution. Here’s what Lignacite discovered when the sound insulation of their flagship blocks was put to the test.

There’s nothing worse than being able to overhear your neighbour’s chatter through the wall, which is why Lignacite set out to find out how well its flagship product performed in terms of sound insulation.

The results revealed that inhabitants of rooms built with Lignacite blocks can give their ears a well-earned rest.

Tested in accordance with BS EN ISO 10140-2:2010, a wall of 100mm blocks (laid flat and forming a thickness of 215mm) was exposed to sounds of 100 hertz (Hz) to 3,150Hz. A second wall with the addition of an attached acoustic panel was also put to the test.

The conclusion?

The bare wall had a remarkable Weighted Sound Reduction Index (Rw) of 56dB (2dB more than standard blockwork), while the one with an acoustic panel had an even stronger performance, with a rating of 66dB. To put this in context, human speech typically hits 65dB, which means future residents are less likely to suffer the effects of noise pollution when a Lignacite block wall is put in place.

This research means that Lignacite blocks are ideal for large residential, commercial or mixed-use developments, where noise pollution is a concern.

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