Acoustic Installation Works & Services
In acoustics, performance is earned twice: first on the drawing board, and again on site. Airo Dyne treats installation as a measurable craft. Slab prep, edge breaks, gasket compression, anchor spacing—every small decision shows up later in your NC curve, your STC gap analysis, and your Ln,w readings. That is why our work is built around rigorous method statements, mock-ups when needed, and commissioning to the same standards you used to specify the job.
Floating Floors — design intent, applications, and the way we build them
A floating floor is a tuned system, not just “a layer under the screed.” The substrate is decoupled from the finished walking surface with resilient elements so structure-borne energy cannot jump directly into the building frame. We design to the applicable airborne and impact metrics—ASTM E492 / ISO 16283-2 for impact; ASTM E90 / ISO 10140 for airborne; results summarized to IIC/ΔIIC (ASTM E989) or Ln,w/L’n,w (ISO 717-2)—and we size the isolators by load, dynamic stiffness, and target natural frequency.
Gymnasiums and fitness suites
Free-weights and sprint sleds dump energy at 31.5–63 Hz. To keep that out of bedrooms or offices below, we combine a mass layer (high-density concrete or panelized mass boards), a resilient layer (recycled rubber, mineral fiber, or engineered springs), and a sacrificial wear layer on top. Typical targets: L’n,w ≤ 55 dB for mixed-use shells, tighter for premium residential. Where weight drops are frequent, we locally reinforce with point-load pads and double mass layers. Tuning the system to 6–10 Hz often yields ΔLw 20–30 dB improvements without over-softening the walking feel.
Theatres, studios, and performance rooms
Here the enemy is low-frequency leakage and modal build-up. We specify spring-isolated or fiber-isolated slab-on-slab systems tuned around 3–8 Hz, with continuous perimeter breaks. When a room-within-a-room is required, the floating floor ties into resiliently supported walls and ceilings to avoid flanking. Commissioning checks include RT60 (ISO 3382) and field airborne (ISO 16283-1 / ASTM E336) to confirm the assemblies deliver their calculated Rw/STC.
Hotels, residences, education
Impact comfort matters more than heavy isolation. Thin systems under tile, LVT, timber, or carpet are selected for ΔLw 15–25 dB improvements, delivering IIC 60+ in North-American metrics or L’n,w ≤ 58–60 dB in ISO terms for mid- to high-spec buildings. We coordinate floor finishes early—carpet and underlay can buy 5–10 dB versus hard finishes.
Mechanical floors, pumps, and plant plinths
Sometimes the “floor” is an inertia base. We cast concrete bases with embedded steel and mount them on spring or elastomer isolators sized by equipment mass and the drive frequency. Properly tuned, isolation efficiencies of 85–98% are achievable (selection guided by the ASHRAE Applications Handbook). Piping and conduits cross the isolation plane with flexible connectors so we don’t defeat our own decoupling.
How we install floating floors (field-proven sequence)
We start by cleaning and leveling the slab and setting continuous perimeter isolation—no gaps behind skirtings. Resilient elements are laid to the grid, checked for load distribution, and protected with slip sheets.
Final checks include a visual edge continuity review and tapping-machine tests to ISO 16283-2 where the contract calls for them.
Standards we work to (selection): ASTM E492, E989, E90; ISO 16283-2, ISO 10140, ISO 717-2; ISO 3382; ISO 10137 for vibration in buildings.
Acoustic Cladding systems — barriers, absorbers, screens, and over-clads
Cladding is where acoustics, weather, and structure meet. An acoustic screen that blocks line-of-sight but floods the courtyard with reflections has not solved the problem; nor has a beautiful façade over-clad that forgets about flanking at slab edges. We design and install cladding packages that block, absorb, and drain—and keep doing so after the first sandstorm and the first summer.
Mechanical yard & rooftop acoustic screens
For chillers, cooling towers, and generators, we build barrier-plus-absorber cassettes: a solid outer skin for weather, a mineral-fiber core, and a perforated inner liner facing the noise source so energy is dissipated and not thrown back. Heights and returns are set by diffraction geometry so receivers see the critical line-of-sight broken, delivering 10–25 dB(A) insertion loss at typical receiver positions when the screen encloses three sides and a roof. We mount on primary steel with vibration breaks at bracket feet so structure-borne energy doesn’t walk around the barrier.
Façade over-clads and internal liner cladding
Where an existing wall underperforms, a ventilated rainscreen with an acoustic build-up (outer durable sheet, cavity insulation, sealed air-gap, and internal liner) can raise Rw/STC by 5–15 dB depending on mass and continuity. Internally, metal or timber perforated liners over mineral wool give high mid-band absorption (αw up to 0.85–0.95 to ISO 354/ISO 11654), calming lobbies, atria, and concourses without changing the architectural language.
Roadside barriers and podium edge treatments
Where podium car parks or service roads face sensitive façades, we use curved or over-returned barrier geometries and absorbent source-side linings to claw back critical dB at the receptor.
Design draws on the same physics used for highway barriers (e.g., EN 1793/1794 for characterization and durability) adapted to building codes and local loading.
Selected standards and criteria: ISO 10140 / EN ISO 717-1 (Rw/STC for cladding assemblies), ISO 354 / ISO 11654 (absorption), ISO 12944 (corrosion protection classes for finishes), EN 13501-1 / ASTM E84 (reaction to fire of linings), local façade/wind codes.
Architectural interior acoustic Installation:
Acoustic doors only work if the frame is square and the seals actually compress; we shim and grout frames, then set drop seals to a card-pull feel—firm contact without scuffing. Perimeter joints get backer rod + low-modulus acoustic sealant so the movement joint is airtight. Glazed partitions use double gaskets and staggered glazing where the spec calls for higher STC; we chase flanking by sealing head and base tracks to the structure, not just the ceiling grid.
Ceiling systems are laid to manufacturer patterns so the ASTM C423 NRC is realized in the field; plenums trapping return-air hum receive additional liners where needed. Feature walls, PET panels, and baffles are fixed on concealed rails, with expansion gaps left where the room sees large thermal swings.
QA/QC, hold points, and commissioning (how we prove it)
We treat airtightness as seriously as alignment. Before finishes go on, we walk edges for unbroken perimeter isolation on floating floors; we close every light leak in cladding; we dye-test suspect joints if necessary. Commissioning uses calibrated instruments for:
- Impact soundwith tapping machine to ISO 16283-2 (reporting L’nT,w/L’n,w),
- Airborne soundto ISO 16283-1 / ASTM E336 (reporting DnT,w/R’ and STC/Rw where applicable),
- Reverberation timeto ISO 3382 for the interior programme, and
- Vibrationchecks to ISO 10137 comfort curves where the brief includes human exposure.
You receive a close-out pack with method statements, as-built details, product data sheets, certificates (fire, acoustic, corrosion class), test sheets and calibration logs, and the commissioning report with results against your criteria.
Common failure modes we design out
Rushed thresholds that bridge floating floors; screens that stop short of a parapet return and leak the line-of-sight; doors with beautiful leaves but 2–3 mm of daylight at the jamb; lagging cut around supports with no mass continuity; “acoustic” ceilings installed over an open plenum shared with the neighbor. Our drawings and site leadership are structured to catch these before they become RFI threads and rework.
What you gain with Airo Dyne
For consultants, it’s traceability from standard to site. For contractors, it’s a clean handover—numbers that match the spec and photos that show why. For owners and operators, it’s comfort you can feel and compliance you can point to. And for every stakeholder, it’s one accountable party—design → in-house manufacture → installation → testing—all out of our Jebel Ali base, with crews trained to build silence that lasts.