OITC
From loud bass music, low-flying airplanes, sirens and the steady rumble of traffic, chances are your clients have noticed that the environment around them has gotten noisier. In the past, they may have accepted a reasonable level of noise disruption during their day and night, but recent trends like working from home have changed that, prompting a need for a solution that would alleviate the intensifying noise and chaos disrupting day to day living.
Unmitigated noise is one of the most common sources of stress nowadays and in order to combat the constant disruptions, many have turned to their facility designer in search of soundproof solutions. As a building professional, you certainly should be familiar with OITC.
OITC, which stands for Outdoor-Indoor Transmission Class, is a means of measuring the sound transmission between indoor and outdoor spaces. The concept is similar to that of the more common Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings, but OITC focuses more on outdoor disturbances while STC is limited to indoor evaluations.
STC is not designed to measure low frequency noise in the 80-100 hertz which causes the most disruption. Low frequencies like bass, construction, engine and traffic noise lean toward the lower end of the scale while STC is typically used to measure frequency range from 125-4000 hertz and is most suitable for mid and high frequency disturbance like conversations in an indoor setting.
Another difference between STC and OITC is that STC is a point system wherein all components of the wall, door, flooring and ceiling assemblies are added up to come up with the STC rating whereas OITC is measured in decibels. The measurements are analyzed against standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), resulting in an overall OITC rating. The higher the rating for both STC and OITC the better and more effective the particular sound barrier is to mitigating noise.
While still a relatively new unit of measurement, considering OITC ratings when making soundproofing decisions for projects can create more productive, comfortable spaces for clients.
We specialise in thermal, moisture, acoustic and fire insulation materials as such, we can offer tailor fit insulation solutions that meet specific needs of our clients while addressing insulation performance, material durability, compliance to standards and environmental considerations. We are well-versed with the properties, characteristics and performance of our various insulation products that we offer which translates to our ability to deliver better outcomes for your projects. Choose us for your insulation needs and give us a call.
