S-Shaped glass also stands for soundless. Sound insulation measurements and implication for building pratice

Abstract

This paper brings to discussion the sound insulation of a special type of glazing by studying a S(inusoidal)-shaped curved glass. This has been used in a concert hall (under construction) in Portugal with a forward-thinking Rem Koolhaass architecture requiring non-standard solutions: glazing with very large dimensions (22 m by 15 m) and each "S-glass panel" with a wavelength of about 1.0 m and an amplitude of about 0.35 m will be applied as a double facade. The restrictions in ISO 104-3 laboratory measurements (standard test opening for glazings 1.25 m by 1.50 m and niche depth of 0.45 m) were not appropriate and not completely fulfilled due to differences in dimensions between the small standard test sample and the real required ones used on site as well as the silicone joints that connect the glass elements in their frame. For these reasons, the standard laboratory test opening of 10 m2 was used. These aspects are described and analyzed. The tests results (showing satisfactory sound insulation) were essential to understand the effect of the shape and the efficiency of the glass. This study aspires to be helpful to building designers who can, in this way, lose dependency on production process constraints and bring into being all kind of shapes.