Standards: ASTM E1222: Standard Test Method for Laboratory Measurement of the Insertion Loss of Pipe Lagging Systems and ISO 15665: Acoustics - Acoustic insulation for pipes, valves and flanges.

Certification Required: Acoustical certification is currently not required by building codes. However, insertion loss data is usually required in order reduce noise levels generated by mechanical systems in buildings.

Scope: This test method covers the measurement of the insertion loss of pipe lagging systems under laboratory conditions. The International Standard defines the acoustic performance of three classes (Classes A, B and C) of pipe insulation. It also specifies three types of construction that will meet these acoustic performance classes. Furthermore, the International Standard defines a standardized test method for measuring the acoustic performance of any type of construction, thereby allowing existing and new insulation constructions to be rated against the three classes.

Applicable Products: Pipe insulation and lagging systems. The standard test pipe shall be at least 13 ft long and mounted horizontally within the reverberation room. It shall be a nominal 12-in. diameter carbon steel pipe with a nominal wall thickness of 1⁄4 in. Other pipes may be used but they shall have a wall thickness of at least 1⁄4 in., a nominal diameter of at least 6 in., and shall be at least 13 diameters long. For the ISO 15665 test, the pipe needs to have one 90-degree bend in the pipe between the outside the reverberation room and the loudspeaker.

Test Procedure: Noise is produced inside a steel pipe located within a reverberation room using band-limited white noise as a test signal. The noise must be produced by a loudspeaker or acoustic driver located at one end of the pipe and an anechoic termination of the other end. Average sound pressure levels are measured within the reverberation room for two conditions, one with sound radiating from the bare pipe and the other with the same pipe covered with a lagging system. Average sound pressure levels are also measured with the reference sound source operating in the reverberation room for two conditions, one with the bare pipe and the other with the same pipe covered with a lagging system. The insertion loss of the lagging system is the difference in the sound pressure levels measured with sound radiating from the bare and lagged pipe, with an adjustment for changes in room absorption due to the presence of the lagging system.

End Result: The test report will include the average sound pressure levels measured with sound radiating from the bare pipe and lagged pipe, average sound pressure levels measured with the reference sound source for both the bare and lagged pipe, and the insertion loss (IL or Dw) from 50 to 10,000 Hertz.

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