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Material Specifications

Approved products, performance data, and substitution guidelines

Material substitutions affect acoustic performance. Check the Modification Policy before replacing any specified product. [AC] = no substitution without approval, [DEC] = decorative/flexible.
BUILDER CUSTOMIZATION GUIDE -- MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS

CUSTOMIZABLE -- Supplier/brand for items marked [DEC] Decorative (fabric wraps, paint, trim, visible hardware), fastener brands (if matching pull-out and shear ratings), sealant brand (if matching acoustic and fire rating), surface finishes and colour choices on non-acoustic elements.

DO NOT ALTER -- Any product marked [AC] Acoustic Critical: insulation density and NRC, gypsum board density and thickness, damping compound type and coverage rate, resilient channel/clip model and spacing, door seal compression ratings, duct liner specifications, vibration isolator deflection ratings. Substitutions on [AC] items require written approval from the acoustic consultant with equivalent test data.

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Insulation Products

All insulation products are mineral wool (stone wool) based. Fiberglass batts are not permitted for acoustic applications in this project.

Insulation Comparison

Product Density Thickness NRC @ 500 Hz Primary Use
Insulation Placement in Stud Wall Assembly CONCRETE AIR GAP ROCKWOOL 50mm 25mm 50mm 2x gyp Concrete Rockwool Gypsum Board Green Glue RSIC Clip Hat Channel Air Gap
Cross-section: Resilient-mounted wall assembly with Rockwool cavity fill
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Gypsum Board

Mass is the primary factor in STC performance. All acoustic walls use the higher-density Soundshield Plus. Standard board is only permitted on non-critical faces.

Mass Matters

Soundshield Plus provides -- more mass per square metre than Standard board. For double-layer walls this difference is doubled. Every 1 dB of STC improvement translates to a perceptible reduction in transmitted noise.

Green Glue Application

Apply 2 tubes per 4x8 sheet (or 0.5L/m²) between gypsum layers. Coverage: random bead pattern, leaving 50mm margin from edges. Green Glue requires 30 days to reach full damping performance. Screw second layer within 15 minutes of Green Glue application.

Double-Layer Gypsum with Green Glue (CLD) Steel Stud GYPSUM L1 GREEN GLUE GYPSUM L2 15mm ~1mm bead 15mm Screws into stud CLD converts vibration to heat Screw L2 within 15 min
CLD = Constrained Layer Damping. Green Glue is the viscoelastic damping compound.
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Sealants & Adhesives

Even a 1% gap in a sealed partition can reduce STC by 10 dB. Every joint, penetration, and perimeter must be sealed with the correct product.

Application Matrix

Product Application Where

Prohibited Sealant Products

  • Construction-grade silicone sealant Not acoustically rated. Cures rigid, creates sound bridges. Zero damping.
  • Expanding polyurethane foam (Great Stuff, etc.) Rigid when cured. Creates direct acoustic coupling. Not fire-rated.
  • Acrylic latex caulk Shrinks and cracks over time, loses seal. No permanent flexibility.
Sealant Application Points CONCRETE SLAB FLOAT FLOOR TRACK CEILING SLAB 1 2 3 4 5 Seal Points 1 Floor perimeter (Tremco) 2 Gypsum base (Tremco) 3 Head track (Tremco) 4 Gypsum head (Tremco) 5 Float edge gap (Tremco)
All numbered points require continuous Tremco Acoustical Sealant bead. No gaps permitted.
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Flooring Systems

The float floor is the first line of structural isolation. It decouples the room structure from the building slab to prevent impact noise and low-frequency vibration transfer.

Design Locked

Float Floor Assembly

All rooms use a fully floating floor. The floor deck sits on Sylomer isolation pads at 400mm centres. Two layers of 18mm plywood are glued and screwed with staggered joints. A 10mm perimeter gap is maintained on all sides and sealed with Tremco Acoustical Sealant. No rigid connections to the slab or walls are permitted.

Float Floor Assembly Cross-Section CONCRETE SLAB SR28 SR28 SR28 SR28 SR28 400mm o/c PLYWOOD LAYER 1 (18mm T&G) PLYWOOD LAYER 2 (18mm T&G) — STAGGERED joints offset FLOOR FINISH WALL 10mm perimeter gap (Tremco sealant) 15mm pads 22mm ply 1 22mm ply 2 finish Sylomer SR 28 Plywood Acoustic Sealant Concrete
Float floor with Sylomer SR 28 pads, double-layer plywood, and sealed perimeter gap

Ceiling Systems

Ceiling tiles are selected per room based on NRC requirements. Higher-performance tiles go in rooms with stricter NC targets.

Room Assignment Matrix

Room NC Target Assigned Tile NRC Coverage
VO Live NC-20 -- -- 100%
Control Room NC-25 -- -- 60% (acoustic cloud)
Studio NC-25 -- -- 80%
Editing Area NC-35 -- -- 100%
Ceiling Tile NRC Comparison 0.0 0.25 0.50 0.75 1.00 0.70 0.85 Armstrong Ultima+ Fine Fissured Ecophon Focus E
Higher NRC = more sound absorbed. Minimum NRC 0.70 for all rooms.
Suspension System

All ceiling tiles are mounted on standard exposed T-grid suspension (15mm or 24mm depending on product). Grid is wire-hung from the slab above, with a minimum 60mm clearance for the HVAC plenum. Plenum barriers must be installed above buffer spine and partition walls.

Per-Wall Material Schedule

Layer-by-layer material list for each wall type. Expand any wall to see its complete BOM. All product names reference the approved materials above.

Substitution Policy

No material substitutions are permitted without prior written approval. Use this traffic-light system to assess proposed changes.

Acceptable
Same manufacturer, equal or higher specification. Requires acoustic engineer sign-off before installation. Example: upgrading Rockwool RWA45 to RW3 (higher density).
Conditional
Different manufacturer, similar or higher specification. Requires independent acoustic test data (ISO 717-1) and consultant review. Example: replacing Knauf Soundshield Plus with equivalent high-density board from British Gypsum.
Not Permitted
Lower density, lower mass, or lower performance rating. No exceptions. Example: replacing Soundshield Plus (12.5 kg/m²) with standard board (8.5 kg/m²).

Substitution Request Checklist

Common Substitution Traps
  • 1. "Same brand, different line" may have lower density. Always check kg/m² or kg/m³.
  • 2. "Higher NRC" does not mean higher STC. Absorption and isolation are separate properties.
  • 3. "Acoustic" in the product name does not guarantee performance. Require test data.
  • 4. Fiberglass batts may have similar NRC but much lower density, reducing STC performance in walls.

Do-Not-Use List

The following materials are explicitly prohibited in all acoustic assemblies in this project. Use of any prohibited material is grounds for rejection of the assembly.

Prohibited Materials

  • Standard fiberglass batts Density too low for acoustic isolation (typically 12-16 kg/m³ vs 45-100 kg/m³ required). Acceptable for thermal only, not acoustic.
  • Expanding polyurethane foam Cures rigid and creates hard acoustic bridges. Not fire-rated for plenum use. Zero sound absorption when cured.
  • Construction-grade silicone sealant Not acoustically rated. Cures rigid. Does not maintain permanent flexibility needed for acoustic joints.
  • Lightweight gypsum board (< 8 kg/m²) Insufficient mass for STC performance. Mass Law: every halving of surface mass reduces STC by ~5 dB.
  • Standard cement board Hard, reflective surface with no internal damping. Transmits vibration efficiently. Not suitable for acoustic walls.
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