PABCO Gypsum announces the latest edition of The Sound Design Guide, which will be introduced at INTEX EXPO 22, being held in Grapevine, Texas, April 6-7, 2022. The most comprehensive, transparent resource for sound and fire information in the industry has been enhanced with new designs, a new section on 2x6 wood stud framing, updated tests and much more.
New wall designs have been added throughout the 2022 edition to provide more assembly options for construction professionals. The 74 new designs bring the book’s total to 177 sound and fire tested assemblies on different steel and wood-framed partitions, using various stud thicknesses, configurations and materials. “You will find assemblies in our guide that use combinations of traditional gypsum wallboard and our QuietRock® sound reducing drywall. We test both fire and sound on the same design, so you don’t have to guess the STC (Sound Transmission Class) performance when you build to the fire-rated designs,” says Mike Amaral, Manager Architectural Sales, PABCO Gypsum.
The new designs include an additional section on 2x6 wood stud framing assemblies, useful for residential construction. Low frequency STL (Sound Transmission Loss) data tables have also been added to assemblies that feature QuietRock® 545. “When designing walls for low frequency transmission loss, STC results do not provide enough data,” says Ben Shafer, Technical Services Manager, Acoustic Systems for PABCO Gypsum.
The new edition also features an enhanced layout of the assemblies which now includes a side-by-side comparison of results for studs spaced 16” o.c. vs. 24” o.c. This allows the reader to easily see the effect that stud spacing alone can have on the STC performance of a wall.
STC results can further be affected by mil thickness of the steel frame design. This led to the guide’s further emphasis on mil thickness rather than gauge. “We found that the specification of steel gauge can be problematic for accurate sound isolation design in buildings,” says Shafer. “Steel framing may be listed as 20 gauge; however, 20-ga steel can range from 19-mil thick up to 33-mil thick. Our testing has indicated that there is a very large difference in STC rating and STL performance for this large range of steel thickness. Steel gauge is, therefore, not an accurate, nor useful specification when it comes to sound isolation design.”
As the number of designs continue to increase in The Sound Design Guide, it is important that the numbering system be easy to follow. That led to the development of a new set of numbers for the designs which make it easier for construction professionals to find the design they need. “We’ve developed a numbering system that provides more
insight into the design. You will be able to identify the stud type, configuration and spacing, just from the number,” says Amaral.
Other enhancements include updated tests on current assemblies and an enhanced educational section with additional sound and fire information.
The 2022 Edition of The Sound Design Guide is being launched at INTEX. You can pick up a copy at the PABCO Gypsum Booth #319 or download it online during the convention.
About PABCO® Gypsum
Family owned and operated, PABCO® Gypsum has been providing high performing gypsum panel products and superior customer service throughout North America for nearly 50 years. The company produces a broad range of gypsum panels for residential and commercial applications including mold, fire, glass mat, sound and impact-resistant boards. This includes QuietRock®, the first and most technically advanced sound reducing gypsum panel in the industry. PABCO® Gypsum, along with PABCO® Paper and PABCO® Roofing Products are divisions of PABCO® Building Products LLC that services the building industry in the United States and Canada.