If a room does not meet the expected acoustic requirements, the glass partition is often among the first building elements to be examined. This is understandable — glass is visually transparent and intuitively feels like the weakest link. But the measurement of a completed room includes the entire construction, and the execution of the work around the wall has a decisive impact on the overall result.

“We see it again and again. If the sound requirements are not met, the glass walls are immediately blamed. Because you can see through the glass, it feels like the weak point. But that is actually far from the case,” says Anders Hem-Jensen, Chief R&D Officer at DEKO.

Strict acoustic requirements place new demands on the overall construction

Requirements for sound insulation have increased significantly, and today both architects and building owners are looking for solutions with high sound reduction. This development places greater demands on the materials: where 12 mm toughened glass was previously standard, thicker laminated glass with acoustic interlayer is now increasingly used.

A laboratory measurement documents a solution’s measured properties under controlled conditions. In the completed building, however, the solution forms part of a larger context, where connections and installations in particular can reduce the overall performance.

“In the laboratory, we can document very strong results. But in practice, you always lose a little — that is completely natural. Often, the real culprit is uneven walls, incorrect installations or hidden openings in the construction,” explains Anders Hem-Jensen.

New technology reveals the weak point

To identify the exact cause of sound leaks, DEKO uses an advanced acoustic camera. The camera’s microphones register the sound and convert the measurements into a visual colour map that shows precisely where the sound is passing through.

This provides a more concrete basis for investigating the problem — whether the leak is caused by a door, an installation or an opening in the construction. At the same time, the insights are actively used in product development and quality assurance of DEKO’s own systems.

“Previously, it was difficult to document where the problem was. Now we can point precisely to whether it is a ventilation pipe, a poorly installed door or a hole in the wall,” he says.

Less discussion — faster solutions

When the exact path of the sound is mapped, it becomes much easier to correct the fault. This shifts the focus from assumptions about individual building elements to an assessment of the entire construction.

“Glass has specific acoustic properties and a natural frequency of around 1000 Hz. We can handle this effectively with lamination and acoustic interlayer. But that does not help if there is a hole in the partition next to it. We want to spend less time on discussions and more time ensuring a good overall result,” explains Anders Hem-Jensen, adding:

“Poor sound insulation is best, fastest and most cost-effectively solved when the full construction is assessed from the start.”