There are many options available to determine the acoustic performance of glass; however, none of them achieve the same level of detail and commercial support, as the Acoustic Calculator in Guardian Glass UK’s business support programme – Guardian Plus.

Acoustics now play a key role in most architectural specifications, whether it is for commercial building, residential new build or refurbishment.  As our urban areas develop and the general infrastructure expands, there is an increased demand to reduce unwanted noise emanating from road traffic, aeroplanes, trains, even the noise from a busy street can be a nuisance that needs addressing.

Leading building assessment schemes like BREEAM also consider sound control and award additional credits for buildings which offer a comfortable and pleasant environment which can disconnect the building’s occupants from unwanted noise outside.

“All of these factors contribute to a greater demand for sound control performance.  Most acoustic calculators provide a dB (Decibel) rating for the glass, but little else!  This is where the Guardian Plus Acoustic Calculator offers a whole new level of commercial support” said John Pearson, Technical Manager at Guardian Glass UK and developer of the Acoustic Calculator.

By defining the different types of sound control performance and providing the noise reduction at octave centre frequencies, the Guardian Plus Acoustic Calculator allows the user to go beyond a single figure dB rating by also finding a suitable glass configuration to reduce specific nuisance noise.

The calculator also allows users to filter from a list of glass constructions and acoustic performances, to provide a range of glass or insulating glass unit constructions that will achieve the required sound control performance. This ensures that only the options which satisfy national and local regulatory requirements, as well as manufacturing capabilities are selected.

For insulating glass unit manufacturers and glass processors, the Guardian Plus Acoustic Calculator is the ideal tool to select the most competitive glass configurations, from a range of glass options, which suit the building project application.  Once the final decision has been made, the acoustic performance certificate for the glass or insulating glass unit may be downloaded, and supplied as part of the tender or finished goods specification to verify the acoustic performance and add value to both your business and the product.

The Guardian Plus Acoustic Calculator is part of the Guardian Plus Business Support programme which is entirely free to join.  For more information visit www.guardianplus.co.uk