ASTM E90 Laboratory Measurement of Airborne Sound Transmission Loss of Building Partitions and Elements

ASTM E90 test method is part of a set for evaluating the sound-insulating properties of building elements. It is designed to measure the transmission of sound through a partition or partition element in a laboratory.

Talk to an Expert

ASTM E90 Laboratory Measurement of Airborne Sound Transmission Loss of Building Partitions and Elements

TRUSTED BY

Precision-driven testing for dimensional accuracy and compliance

Overview
Scope, Applications, and Benefits
Test Process
Specifications
Instrumentation
Results and Deliverables

Overview

ASTM E90 is a test procedure for evaluating the sound blocking capacity of walls, partitions, and other space-dividing elements. It measures the amount of sound passing through the air that is attenuated by the walls. It measures how well a building assembly reduces sound passing from one room to another.

It measures the transmission loss of the building by using sound pressure levels in reverberation chambers.

Scope, Applications, and Benefits

Scope

ASTM E90 describes how we test, in a lab, how well building parts will stop airborne noise. It examines walls of all types, movable partitions, floor ceilings, doors, windows, roofs, panels, and other building parts that separate spaces. This test procedure provides frequency-dependent transmission loss test results, which are obtained in a controlled lab environment.

Applications

Acoustic performance evaluation of building materials
Building code compliance testing
Product certification and labeling
Wall and partition system development
Door and window acoustic testing
Floor-ceiling system performance validation
Research and development of sound-insulating assemblies
Quality assurance in construction materials

Benefits

Provides standardized acoustic performance measurement
Determines frequency-dependent transmission loss
Supports building acoustics design
Enables product comparison under controlled conditions
Improves indoor noise control

Test Process

Installation and Sound Generation

The specimen is installed between two reverberation rooms, and a diffuse sound field is generated in the source room.

Sound Transmission

Sound strikes the specimen, causing vibration and transmission into the receiving room.

Measurement

Sound pressure levels are measured in both rooms, and absorption in the receiving room is determined.

Data Processing

The test may be repeated with room positions reversed, and results are averaged to obtain final transmission loss values.

Technical Specifications

Parameter	Details
Measurement Output	Transmission Loss (TL), dB
Frequency Analysis	Measured in multiple frequency bands
Test Environment	Dual reverberation room suite
Specimen Installation	Built into frame or test opening
Primary Measurement	Sound pressure level difference and room absorption

Instrumentation Used for Testing

Reverberation room test suite (source and receiving rooms)
Broadband sound source
Power amplifier
Microphones
Sound level meters or data acquisition system
Signal generator
Acoustic absorption measurement equipment
Data analysis software

Results and Deliverables

Frequency-dependent transmission loss (dB)
Averaged transmission loss values (if dual-direction testing performed)
Acoustic performance report
Comparative test analysis
Laboratory test report

Frequently Asked Questions

ASTM E90 is a test used to determine the sound transmission loss of building partitions in a controlled laboratory setting. The test measures the ability of walls, windows, doors, or floor assemblies to reduce airborne sound in specific frequency ranges.

Optimal room volumes are required to provide a diffuse field with an equal distribution of energy. This will reduce standing waves and room effects, ensuring that the sound reduction measured is a function of the partition's acoustic properties rather than room effects.

The sound transmission loss is determined by the difference between the average sound pressure levels in the source and receive rooms, taking into account the specimen area and the absorption in the receive room.

Yes, ASTM E90 shows the existence of frequency-specific sound insulation losses, including coincidence dips. Coincidence dips exist where panel motion is in phase with airborne sound wavelengths, thus aiding in material selection decisions based on panel stiffness, mass, and damping.

ASTM E90 represents ideal laboratory conditions and does not account for installation defects or flanking transmission. Field performance may differ, requiring additional evaluation for completed buildings or complex construction assemblies.