Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

AAMA Releases Updated Sound Control Document

  • 03/05/15

Schaumburg, Ill. — The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) has updated a document specific to sound control for fenestration products. AAMA TIR-A1 provides detailed technical information for the reduction of sound transmission through building envelopes in terms of the design and construction of both commercial and residential buildings. Some new definitions were added to this document, which was last updated in 2004.

Newly-defined terms include “Apparent Outdoor-Indoor Transmission Class” and “Outdoor-Indoor Transmission Class,” as well as “Sound Transmission Class.” The document was prepared for those who require information on how sound is transmitted and measured, and how its transmission can be controlled. It is intended to serve as a guide for anyone from window designers working with architects to sales teams trying to meet customers’ needs regarding sound control.

One of the significant updates to the document is the clarification and differentiation between the two methods of fenestration product classification: Sound Transmission Class (STC) and Outdoor-Indoor Transmission Class (OITC), as well as the clear definition of their appropriate application.

“The document provides a helpful resource for fenestration designers, architects and consultants who want to enhance their understanding of sound control related to windows and doors,” says Scott Warner (Architectural Testing), Chair of the AAMA Methods of Test Committee. “This highly technical topic is presented in laymen’s terms such that building owners and sales staff will be able to understand and describe the important differences between OITC and STC as well as interior and transportation noise abatement.”

AAMA TIR-A1, along with other AAMA documents, is available from AAMA’s Publication Store. - www.aamanet.org

Featured

  • Round Rock ISD Completes New Early College High School

    Round Rock ISD near Austin, Texas, recently announced that construction is complete on a new, 46,500-square-foot campus for Early College High School, according to a news release. The new facility will allow the school’s students and staff to move from portables into a permanent building and increase its enrollment to 500.

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.

  • Houston-Area High School Breaks Ground on 117,000SF Multi-Use Facility

    North Shore Senior High School, part of Galena Park ISD in Houston, Texas, recently broke ground on a new multi-use facility for student extracurriculars, according to a news release. The North Shore Multi-Use Facility will include dedicated practice and training space for the school’s athletics and fine arts programs.

  • How a Portable Sink Helped an Art Classroom Run More Smoothly

    Classroom design decisions can have outsized effects on instructional time and safety at schools juggling mismatched infrastructure, strict budgets, and crowded schedules — particularly in the arts. Between spilled paint and dirty brushes, art classes run smoother with a sink in the studio. But many schools don’t have a sink in every art classroom.