Optimizing Acoustic Performance in Pipe Systems

Acoustic Solutions on the Market

Design Considerations 

Keep tenants happy by designing pipe systems with acoustics in mind. Here are some things to consider when designing the piping systems for multi-unit office and residential buildings:

1. Isolate plumbing pipes. Isolate the plumbing system pipes and drains from your walls or ceiling assemblies. Ideally, where plumbing is installed in double-stud assemblies, it should be installed only on the stud row of the unit that it serves.

2. Specify the right products. Using a heavy pipe for wastewater, such as cast iron, will help minimize noise. Ideally, the pipe would be enclosed in the wall assembly, located in a space where this noise would be more acceptable, such as a hallway. When you have a pipe in a wall assembly, specify gypsum panels around the pipe. Gypsum board panels can help reduce background noise. Where PVC is used, fibrous pipe lagging with a jacket can reduce breakout flow noise.  The heavier the jacket, the greater the performance will generally be. Using mass-loaded vinyl  would be best, and a PVC jacket would provide better performance than just an all-service jacket.

3. Ensure that insulation is correctly installed. Design teams must work together with installers to make sure that insulation around the piping systems is installed correctly. When insulation is not installed properly, acoustic performance can be much lower than what was expected.  

4. Insulate walls properly. Insulation isn’t just about thermal performance, it’s also about acoustical control. As more designs incorporate single-stud assembles, walls are becoming thinner, which results in more noise traveling among units. So it’s a good idea to fill the cavity in a wall assembly with a fibrous insulation product. An empty wall cavity can turn into a drum chamber, transmitting and amplifying noise. Most wall assemblies without fibrous insulation will not meet International Building Code minimum performance requirements and may result in noise complaints. 

5. Do it right the first time. The cost of retrofitting an existing piping system to reduce unwanted noise would be extremely high and involve either replacing existing pipes with cast iron or installing mass-loaded vinyl jacketing over the existing pipes. Installing jacketing will be less invasive than a complete pipe replacement. However, both of these approaches would involve opening walls and having to redo finishes. Further, it is extremely unlikely that any retrofit would be able to incorporate all of the elements that can be included in the original construction when taking a proactive approach to the project. 

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