ACCREDITED LABORATORY TESTS FOR SOUND ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT

Products to be tested:

  • Acoustic panels for ceiling surfaces
  • Acoustic panels for wall surfaces
  • Furniture
  • Textile carpets
  • Image-based acoustic panels
  • Partition screens
  • Curtains
  • Luminaires

FINAS Accreditation

The laboratory is FINAS accredited for this test method.

The full scope of the laboratory’s FINAS accreditation is described here: https://akustiikka.turkuamk.fi/en/accreditation/

Note: FINAS accreditation applies only to results provided in the form of a signed test report

Number of Specimens and Installation

The total absorption area of the specimen shall be 10–12 m². For individual furniture items, at least three pieces are required. Sound-absorbing panels are installed either directly on the floor or on a suspended frame, which is constructed by the university of applied sciences with dimensions agreed with the client. Typical suspension depths are 50 mm, 200 mm, and 400 mm. Furniture and other individual elements are placed in the room in a manner corresponding to normal use.

Method

ISO 354 specifies the laboratory measurement method for determining the sound absorption of a structure. The measurement is carried out in a reverberation room with dimensions L9.9 m x W5.68 m x H3.57 m and a volume of 201 m³. In this method the reverberation time of the room is measured both with and without the specimen. The result is expressed as the absorption coefficient αₛ and is reported in one-third octave bands for the frequency range 100–5000 Hz and in octave bands for the range 125–4000 Hz. If required, the product’s absorption class (A–E) is determined according to EN 11654 based on its absorption coefficient.

Figure 1. Acoustic absorption coefficient αₛ for a material at frequencies 100–5000 Hz measured according to ISO 354. Based on the circled values, the absorption class determined according to ISO 11654 is A.

 

Figure 2. Installation of a panel-type specimen on the floor of the reverberation room (Hyssny acoustic panel, Kurki Decoration Oy)

 

Figure 3. Installation of individual furniture items in the reverberation room (Lovi Oy, Lovi Tree).

 

Delivery and Location

The laboratory is located at Joukahaisenkatu 7, 20520 Turku. Instructions for deliveries can be found here.