Construction Guides Phase 10 — Commissioning

Testing & Commissioning

Acoustic test procedures, acceptance criteria, and commissioning protocols for all four rooms in the MediaVerse Studio Complex.

4
Rooms to Test
3
Test Types
--
Partitions to Verify
BUILDER CUSTOMIZATION GUIDE -- TESTING AND COMMISSIONING

CUSTOMIZABLE -- Testing contractor/firm selection, test report template branding, scheduling of test sessions, sound level meter brand (if meeting Class 1 / IEC 61672 specification), pink noise generator brand.

DO NOT ALTER -- NC target values per room, STC field-test pass/fail criteria per partition, RT60 target ranges, test methodology (ISO 16283 for STC, ISO 3382 for RT60), microphone positions and measurement grid, background noise measurement protocol, HVAC-on versus HVAC-off test sequence. All test criteria are derived from the acoustic design and must be met before handover.

Equipment Required

  • SLM Class 1 sound level meter (1/1 octave band capable)
  • CAL Acoustic calibrator (94 dB / 114 dB at 1 kHz)
  • TRI Microphone tripod with vibration isolation feet
  • WS Windscreen (foam ball) for diffuser draft protection

Measurement Procedure

  1. Close all doors and seal all temporary construction gaps. Verify door drop seals engage fully.
  2. Activate the HVAC system to normal operating mode. Confirm all indoor units (IDU-03, IDU-04) are running at design airflow.
  3. Allow a minimum of 30 seconds for background noise to stabilize before starting measurement.
  4. Position the sound level meter at ear height (1.2 m) on the tripod at the center of the room.
  5. Record 1/1 octave band SPL at the standard NC frequencies: 63, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000 Hz.
  6. Compare the measured spectrum against the NC curve from the SSOT (MEDIAVERSE.ncCurves). The NC rating is the highest NC curve touched or exceeded by any measured band.
  7. Repeat the measurement at 3 positions: room center, primary listener/operator position, and 1 m from the noisiest wall (typically the HVAC supply wall).

Measurement Positions

Plan view showing the three required measurement points within a typical room. All measurements taken at 1.2 m height.

HVAC DIFFUSERS DOOR 1 Room Center 2 Listener Pos. 3 1m from wall 1.2 m PLAN VIEW (not to scale)

NC Pass / Fail Matrix

All targets and thresholds populated from MEDIAVERSE.acceptanceCriteria.

Room NC Target Pass (≤) Conditional (≤) Fail (>) Action Required

Equipment Required

  • RAA Room acoustic analyzer (ISO 3382-2 capable)
  • SPK Omnidirectional loudspeaker source
  • IMP Impulse source (balloon / starter pistol) as backup
  • MIC Measurement microphone (omnidirectional, Class 1)

Measurement Procedure (ISO 3382-2)

  1. Furnish the room as intended for operation. All acoustic treatment must be installed, furniture in place, and equipment powered off.
  2. Position the omnidirectional source at ear height (1.2 m) in the primary source location (e.g., talent position in VO, speaker position in Studio).
  3. Measure T20 or T30 reverberation time at octave bands: 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 Hz using interrupted noise or impulse response method.
  4. Repeat with 3 source positions and 2 microphone positions per source. Average all 6 measurements per octave band.
  5. Compare averaged RT60 at each band against the target range from MEDIAVERSE.acceptanceCriteria. The broadband RT60 (500–1000 Hz average) is the primary acceptance value.

RT60 Target Range Chart

Broadband acceptance range (bar) and achieved value (dot) per room. All data from SSOT.

Per-Room Acceptance Table

Room RT60 Min (s) RT60 Max (s) Achieved (s) Status

Test Method

Field STC (Sound Transmission Class) testing is conducted per ASTM E336 (Standard Test Method for Measurement of Airborne Sound Attenuation Between Rooms in Buildings) or the equivalent ISO 140 series. The field STC value (FSTC) is typically 5 points lower than the laboratory STC rating due to flanking paths, construction tolerances, and field conditions.

Field Expectation Field STC = Lab STC − 5 dB (typical). A partition rated STC 55 in the lab should achieve at minimum FSTC 50 on site.

Equipment Required

  • SRC Broadband noise source (pink noise generator + amplifier + speaker)
  • SLM Two Class 1 sound level meters (source room + receiving room)
  • CAL Acoustic calibrator (94 dB at 1 kHz)
  • MIC Measurement microphone with tripods for both rooms

Critical Partitions to Test

These are the acoustic partitions that must be field-verified. Data from MEDIAVERSE.walls[].

Wall ID Partition Name Lab STC Min Field STC Rooms Separated

Test Setup Diagram

Standard two-room STC field measurement setup per ASTM E336.

SOURCE ROOM RECEIVING ROOM WALL UNDER TEST SPK M1 Source SLM M2 Receiving SLM BG Background Source distance

Pass / Fail Criteria

Minimum field STC = Lab STC − 5 dB. Per-room minimum STC from MEDIAVERSE.acceptanceCriteria.

Wall ID Partition Name Lab STC Min Field STC (Lab − 5) Room Requirement Status
Combined Assessment

Decision Matrix

Traffic-light summary for all rooms across all three test types. Green = pass, amber = conditional (remediation schedule required), red = fail (stop work).

Room
NC Rating
RT60
STC
Decision Protocol All Green: Issue commissioning certificate.  |  Any Amber: Remediation within 14 days, re-test required.  |  Any Red: Stop work. Investigate root cause before proceeding.
Failure Recovery

Remediation Procedures

Step-by-step recovery protocols for each failure type. Click to expand.

NC Failure — Excessive Background Noise

Investigation Steps

  • HVAC duct sealing: Inspect all duct joints within the buffer spine for air leaks. Apply mastic sealant to all transverse joints and branch takeoffs.
  • Silencer effectiveness: Verify silencer lengths and insertion loss match the schedule (MEDIAVERSE.silencers[]). If attenuation is insufficient, upgrade to longer silencer or add lined duct section.
  • Vibration isolation: Check that all indoor units are mounted on vibration isolators (spring hangers or neoprene pads). Verify flex connectors at IDU supply/return.
  • Diffuser noise: Measure noise at each diffuser individually. If a single diffuser is the dominant source, reduce duct velocity by increasing duct cross-section or adding a plenum box.
  • Flanking paths: Check for rigid duct connections through the buffer wall. All penetrations must have resilient sleeves and acoustic sealant.

Typical Remediation Timeline

2–5 working days depending on scope. Re-test required after each intervention.

RT60 Failure — Reverberation Out of Range

RT60 Too High (room too reverberant)

  • Add absorption panels to untreated wall areas. Use 50 mm rockwool panels with fabric wrap.
  • Increase ceiling treatment coverage percentage. Verify that specified acoustic tiles are installed (not standard gypsum).
  • Check that bass traps are fully installed in all specified corners, floor-to-ceiling.
  • Verify treatment panels are mounted with an air gap (25–50 mm) for improved low-frequency absorption.

RT60 Too Low (room too dead)

  • Remove excess absorption. Replace some absorption panels with reflective or diffusive surfaces.
  • In the Control Room, verify the rear wall has QRD diffusers (not absorbers) per the treatment specification.
  • Add hard surface elements (whiteboard, glass, polished wood) to increase mid/high frequency reflections.

Typical Remediation Timeline

1–3 working days. Material availability may extend schedule.

STC Failure — Insufficient Sound Isolation

Investigation Steps

  • Flanking path survey: Use a sound source on one side and walk the receiving room perimeter with a stethoscope or intensity probe to locate leaks.
  • Gap and seal audit: Perform a light test — darken the source room and look for light leaks from the receiving side. Seal all visible gaps with acoustic caulk.
  • Door seals: Verify door drop seals are engaging properly and perimeter gaskets are compressed. Adjust strike plate or threshold if needed.
  • Electrical penetrations: Verify putty pads on all electrical boxes. Check that no back-to-back boxes exist across the tested wall.
  • Ceiling plenum: Verify plenum barriers are installed above the partition, extending full height to the slab above with fire-rated acoustic caulk at all edges.
  • Wall build-up verification: Confirm the correct number of gypsum layers and that Green Glue was applied between layers as specified in MEDIAVERSE.walls[].

Typical Remediation Timeline

3–7 working days. Serious flanking path issues may require partial disassembly.

Documentation

Commissioning Template

Printable commissioning record form. Complete for each room and obtain sign-off from all parties.

MediaVerse Studio Complex

Acoustic Commissioning Record

____________________
____________________
____________________
____________________

Room-by-Room Results

Room NC Measured NC Pass? RT60 Measured (s) RT60 Pass? STC Verified? Overall

Notes / Observations

(Record any deviations, conditional pass details, remediation requirements, or re-test scheduling here)
Acoustic Consultant
Name / Signature / Date
General Contractor
Name / Signature / Date
Client Representative
Name / Signature / Date
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