Technical glossary

Acoustic insulation – partition capability of ensuring protection against noise. As regards plasterboards, Acoustic insulation is equated with protection against air-carried sounds. Acoustic insulation is expressed in decibels [dB], mainly using the R_W, R_A,1, R_A,2, R’_A,1 and R’_A,2 coefficients.

The basic requirements regarding acoustic insulating power are defined in the PN-B 02151-3:1999 standard. Presently, work is underway to include the new version of the PN-B 02151-3:2015 standard in the Ordinance on technical conditions to be met by buildings and their locations.

Five fire resistance classes are established for the building, denoted by letters in order from highest to lowest 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E'.

Elements of a building included in a given fire resistance class must meet the conditions defined in the Ordinance of the Minister of Infrastructure of 12 April 2002 on the technical conditions to be met buildings and their locations.

These are documents issued on the basis of tests by authorised research units which define the fire resistance classes(e.g. EI 30, EI 60) for tested building elements, e.g. as regards drywall lining systems - partition walls, curtain walls, suspended ceilings, attic linings and dry screeds. Fire classifications also contain detailed descriptions of solutions, information on materials used, drawings, solution details, joint details, etc.

Declaration of Performance (DoP) – document containing information on a product type and its performance. On 1 July 2013, on the basis of the Regulation no. 305/2011 (CPR) of the European Parliament and Council (EU) of 9 March 2011, a DoP replaced a certificate of conformity.

A DoP confirms that a construction product has been approved for marketing. A Declaration of Performance is attached to products subject to a Harmonised Technical Specification or a European Technical Assessment

Issuing a Declaration of Performance and marking products with the CE mark means that a manufacturer is responsible for product conformance to the declared parameters.

A fire resistance class describes fire resistance required for a given partition / building element.

Fire resistance classes usually combine the ordinary criterion E and I, or R, E and I, e.g. EI 15, EI 30, EI 45, EI 60, EI 90, REI 120, REI 180.

See the “Fire resistance“ definition for a more precise explanation of the E, I and R criteria.

Fire resistance is an ability of a partition / building element to meet applicable requirements in conditions simulating a fire situation. During a fire, the most vital element is the possibility of evacuation so the measure of fire resistance is the time from the beginning of the (expressed in minutes), during which the following criteria are still met:

• R - fire load capacity, i.e. a condition in which a described element endures the fire load. The loss of fire load capacity results from a mechanical damage, loss of stability or exceeding of limit values for deformation or displacement. Drywall systems are described by the R parameter only if they constitute fire separation elements.
• R - fire tightness, i.e. a condition in which a described element provides a separation. Fire tightness is degraded when flames, cracks or gaps of width exceeding the limit values appear on non-hearted surfaces, which are permeated by gases or flames or when an element is detached from a structure.
• I - fire rating, i.e. a condition in which an element fulfils an insulating function in order to protect against high temperatures. A fire rating is degraded when excessive temperature appears on the external side of a tested element.

K – flanking sound transmission, i.e. an allowance for the sound transmitted by neighbouring partitions (ceiling, adjacent walls). The K allowance depends on the partition geometry, method of joining it with other partitions and the type of adjacent partitions. Calculating the flanking sound transmission is usually a complex task for which an acoustician should be employed.

Applicable requirements for the required acoustic insulating power coefficients are defined in the PN-B 02151-3:1999 standard (presently work has been underway to include the new version of the PN-B 02151-3:2015 in the Ordinance on the technical conditions for buildings and their location).

R’_A,1 – specific Acoustic insulation approximate assessment coefficient R’ taking into account the spectral adaptation coefficient C. The R’_A,1 coefficient takes into account the Acoustic insulation protecting against medium- and high-frequency air-carried sounds achieved in given application conditions. R’_A,1 thus takes into account the flanking sound transmission K. The value of the coefficient is obtained during a field acoustic test or estimated in calculations. It is used mainly to assess the acoustic insulating power of the majority of internal partitions.

This coefficient is determined by decreasing the specific acoustic insulating power coefficient R_A,1 by an allowance for performance errors (R_A,1,R = R_A,1 – 2 dB). The coefficient is used to assess partition walls in multi-family building flats and to estimate the acoustic insulating power R’.

R_A,1 – specific acoustic insulating power assessment coefficient taking into account the spectral adaptation coefficient C (R_A,1 = R_W + C), expressed in [dB]. A value obtained in a laboratory test performed on a partition. A coefficient corresponding to acoustic insulating power protecting against medium- and high-frequency air-carried sounds characteristic for e.g. social noise generated by people. This coefficient is used mainly to assess the acoustic insulating power of internal partitions.

R_A,2 – specific acoustic insulating power assessment coefficient taking into account the spectral adaptation coefficient C_tr (R_A,1 = R_W + C_tr), expressed in [dB]. A value obtained in a laboratory test performed on a partition. A coefficient corresponding to the acoustic insulating power protecting against low-frequency sounds characteristic for, e.g. external noise (heavy street traffic).

This coefficient is used mainly to assess the acoustic insulating power of external partitions.

R_W – weighed specific acoustic insulating power coefficient, expressed in [dB]. It is used to generally assess a partition according to requirements applicable in the majority of EU countries. A value obtained in a laboratory test performed on a partition. The value corresponds to the 500 Hz sound frequency on a reference curve from a acoustic insulating power chart for a partition.