CEILING
SYSTEMS
acoustical
performance
is easy with
S o u n d D e s i g n™
• office
• education
• healthcare
Meet
Sound.
Sound
has a strong
personality.
It can impede
concentration, healing, and
learning, or add drama, vibrance,
and energy. Sound protects every
whisper and proclaims every
announcement.
beautiful design
+ great acoustics =
Sound Design
When Sound is not considered
in design, it can result in
distracting and irritating noise.
Sound Design™ is pretty basic
once you get to know it.
So, read on!
4-5
Get ting To
Know Sound
6-7
Sound Design
In The Workplace
™
Featured Products F ormations™ Curves with Ceramaguard® Fine Fissured™ Lay-in panels with Classic Axiom® trim on Prelude® XL® 15/16" suspension system in White. Formations Squares
with MetalWorks™ Vector® Microperforated panels with Classic Axiom trim in Gun Metal Grey on Prelude XL 15/16" suspension system in Gun Metal Grey. Formations
Curves with 360º Grid and Classic Axiom trim in Custom RAL 1021 – Valley Center High School, Valley Center, KS
8-9
Sound Design
In Education
10-11
Sound Design
In Healthcare
12
Acoustics
At-A-Glance
13
Acoustics
Key Terms
getting to
know sound
it has both positive and negative traits
Sound can behave erratically.
It can bounce around and echo
so that it’s not easily understood.
That’s called reverberation.
Sound can be useful,
inspiring, and helpful.
Products with high NRC, or
noise reduction coefficient,
absorb and minimize
unwanted sound.
Sound can also be annoying or
distracting. Concentration and
comprehension can be difficult.
The ability to understand the
spoken word is called
intelligibility.
4
Sound can be made to stay
put when you need it to. You
can block sound by selecting
a product with high CAC, or
ceiling attenuation class, a
measure of sound blocking.
Sound, and lots of it, is
sometimes desired to enliven
music venues and night clubs.
Sound reflection is when
reflective acoustical surfaces add
controlled vibrancy to spaces.
But you don't need to become
an acoustics expert – simply go
to our recommended products
chart on page 12 and find the
right solutions for you!
Beautiful Design + Great Acoustics = Sound Design ™ | armstrong.com/acoustics
vanilla
Select modest, classic, simple
designs for tried and true
acoustical solutions.
1
2
va-va-voom
Embrace creative, stimulating,
eye-catching design for excellent
acoustical solutions that make
an impact.
Featured Products
1 MetalWorks™ RH200 Custom Ceiling System with
Rd 1522 perforation with Custom 4" trim in White –
Foundation Campus, Seattle, WA
2 WoodWorks® Tegular Custom 1' x 8' panels in Bamboo
Patina with W2 perforation on Prelude® XL® 15/16"
suspension system with 4" Classic Axiom® in Silver
Satin; WoodWorks Walls Custom 4' x 8' panels in
Bamboo Patina – Chandler City Hall, Chandler, AZ
NRC + CAC =
Sound Design ™
5
sound in the
workplace
Sound Design™ in today’s
workplace addresses both quiet
concentration and energetic
collaboration. Studies have
shown that excessive noise
at the office reduces worker
effectiveness, raises stress, and
lowers employee satisfaction.
An effective choice for open
plan environments would
have high NRC to decrease
reverberant sound and high
CAC to block sound from
adjoining work stations.
It’s easy to achieve speech
privacy and low reverberation
time with simple acoustical
science.
Contributors of Noise
Open Plan Offices
• Conversations, benching
workstations, speaker phones
Closed Plan Offices
• Sound transfer from room
to room
Sound Design
Open Plan/Collaboration Areas
• Requires high NRC and CAC products
• Spot acoustic treatments for noise
separation
Open Plan/Focus Spaces
• Requires products with high NRC
and CAC
Closed Plan/Privacy Spaces
• Requires high CAC and NRC products
in closed plan areas
6
Beautiful Design + Great Acoustics = Sound Design ™ | armstrong.com/acoustics
peaceful
Calm, sleek, simple design can
lead to quiet, clever acoustics.
1
2
pow-wow!
Design that is vibrant,
stimulating. Dynamic
acoustics.
Featured Products
1 TechZone™ Ceiling System Optima® Square
Tegular 4' x 4' field panels and 4' x 6" technical
panels on Interlude® 9/16" suspension system –
Interventure Capital Group LLC, New York, NY
2 Optima® Plank Custom Ceiling-to-Wall Faceted
Transitions on Suprafine® 9/16" suspension system
with Axiom®-Vector® and custom trim –
Bayer Interventional, Coon Rapids, MN
NRC + CAC =
Sound Design ™
7
Acoustical considerations for schools
vary by space:
• Classrooms
• Library
• Cafeteria
• Auditorium
• Gym
Contributors of noise
• Neighboring classrooms
• Adjacent corridors
• Multipurpose spaces
Independent Research Confirms
• Students typically hear
only 3 out of every 4 words in poorly
designed classrooms
• Speech clarity is dependent on
architecture
• HVAC equipment
• Outdoor noise
Sound Design
• High performing learning environments
• High speech intelligibility
• Background noise interferes with
speech intelligibility
• Noise increases vocal fatigue and
absenteeism among teachers
• Noise and reverberation combine
to reduce speech intelligibility
8
sound in
Beautiful Design + Great Acoustics = Sound Design ™ | armstrong.com/acoustics
edu
making the grade
Economical, do-it-all design
can enable crisp acoustics.
1
2
ace it
Inspirational design can
generate interactive,
engaging acoustics.
1
cation
Featured Products
1 School Zone™ Fine Fissured™ Lay-in,
Items 1713 & 1714 – University High School,
Morgantown, WV
2 SoundScapes® Shapes in Cranberry, Tangerine,
Plum, and Pale Lemon – DJ Montague Elementary
School, Williamsburg, VA
NRC + CAC =
Sound Design ™
9
sound in
health
Sound in today’s healthcare facilities
requires high levels of attention to
design to ensure speech privacy
(HIPAA) and optimum patient
recuperation. When sound becomes
excessive in corridors, busy nurses’
stations, and chaotic treatment rooms,
it negatively affects patient stress and
can create discomfort. It can also
affect communication between
doctors and nurses.
Studies indicate that on average,
hospital noise levels exceed those
set by the World Health Organization.
Worldwide, the sound levels inside
hospitals average 72 decibels
during the day and 60 decibels at
night – far exceeding the standard
of 40 decibels or less, set by the
World Health Organization.*
Contributors of Noise
• Hard surfaces
• Walls not built to deck
• Alarms, generators, HVAC
equipment
• 24/7 environment
Sound Design™
• Requires high CAC and NRC in
closed plan areas
• Requires high NRC and CAC in
open plan areas
*Source: Hospitals Drowning in Noise,
Chicago Tribune
10
Design + Great Acoustics = Sound Design ™ | armstrong.com/acoustics
care
rest
Subtle, soothing design
can help patients heal.
1
2
rad
Revitalizing, pick-me-up design can
create rejuvenating acoustics.
Featured Products
1 Ultima® Create!™ custom image
2 Optima® Radial Custom Ceiling on Suprafine® XL®
9/16" suspension system – West Kendall Baptist Hospital,
Miami, FL
NRC + CAC =
Sound Design ™
11
recommended products
at-a-glance
Situation
Acoustical Suggestion
Open office
Employees have difficulty focusing
on tasks due to noisy office space.
Contributors of distractions include
conversations of co-workers in
collaboration areas, benching
workstations, and use of speaker
phones.
Worker effectiveness can be
increased with balanced acoustical
design using a combination of high
NRC and high CAC products in open
plan areas to absorb sound and
block noise from adjacent spaces.
Concentrating on technical work
is difficult when sound can be
heard through ceilings, doorways,
windows, and hvac ducts
transferring sound from room to
room. Employees ranked acoustics
the lowest of key attributes in the
workplace.
Balanced acoustical design requires
high CAC products in closed plan
areas to provide privacy from
adjoining offices and corridors and
NRC to decrease unwanted sound
and control reverberation.
Excessive reverberation inhibits
student understanding and
increases teacher vocal strain.
Studies indicate that students
typically hear only 3 out of every
4 words, missing 25% of what
is said in the classroom.
Better sound absorbtion and shorter
reverberation time promote higher
speech intelligibility.
Open multi-purpose spaces change
from cafeterias to auditoriums to
gymnasiums requiring different
acoustical needs depending
on use.
Sound absorption is key and can
be accomplished with high NRC
products in select areas.
Closed office
and Conference
room
Recommended Ceiling Systems
good better best good better best
Setting
Workplace
TechZone™ Ceiling Systems, Optima®,
Lyra™, SoundScapes® products,
Soundsoak® Walls
Ultima® High-NRC, Cirrus® High-NRC,
Fine Fissured™ High-NRC, Capz™, Calla™
Ultima, Cirrus, Mesa™, Formations™ Clouds
Ultima High-CAC, Cirrus High-CAC,
WoodWorks®, Soundsoak® Walls
Ultima, Cirrus, Mesa High-CAC
Dune™, Calla
Classroom
Cafeterium
good better best good better best
Education
Ultima, Optima, Calla, Lyra, TechZone
Ceiling Systems, Soundsoak® Walls
School Zone™ Fine Fissured,
Cirrus High-NRC
Mesa, School Zone, Fine Fissured,
Georgian™, Cirrus
Capz™, MetalWorks™, SoundScapes
products
Calla, Ultima, Formations Clouds
School Zone Fine Fissured,
Georgian, Mesa
Patient room
and Treatment
room
Lobby and
nurses' station
The need to share private medical
information between patients,
doctors, and other medical staff
without worrying about being
overheard by others is key in a
healthcare environment.
Noise caused by hard surfaces,
active corridors, busy nurses'
stations, alarms, non-private
treatment areas, and a 24/7 work
environment all help to create
sound levels that exceed those
recommended by the World Health
Organization.
A ceiling with the ability to block
noise from intruding into other
spaces can help provide a private,
secure environment for sharing
confidential information and
holding discreet conferences.
Spot absorption in larger open
spaces, and cleanable, scrubbable
ceilings that offer noise reduction
in spaces with wall to wall ceilings
address excessive noise and
reverberation.
good better best good better best
Healthcare
Ultima High-CAC, Ultima High-NRC,
Ultima Health Zone™
Mesa High-CAC, Fine Fissured High-NRC,
Ultima, Ultima Create!™
Cirrus, Mesa
MetalWorks, TechZone™ Ceiling Systems,
Optima Health Zone
Optima, Woodworks, Optima Create!,
Lyra, Calla
Ultima, Ultima Health Zone
Beautiful Design + Great Acoustics = Sound Design ™ | armstrong.com/acoustics
12
acoustics
Sabin
ceiling blocking
ceiling absorption
Articulation Class (AC)
clouds & canopies absorption
A measure for rating the overall sound absorption of a material
when used in an enclosed architectural space where sound is
reflected at many angles of incidence.
A ceiling system with an NRC < 0.50 is low performance,
an NRC > 0.70 is high performance.
NRC is important in any space
where reverberation time and
noise levels are an issue.
• NRC is measured according
to ASTM C423
• NRC is a key metric used in the
Americas. Europe and other
geographics use the weighted sound absorption coefficient αw.
Ceiling Attenuation Class (CAC)
reflection
Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC)
The persistance of sound in an enclosed space after the source
of the sound has stopped. The level of the reverberant sound
within a room is dependent on
both the volume of the room and
the amount of sound absorption
installed within the room, such
that small hard surfaced rooms
are“louder” than large welltreated rooms.
Sound Reflection
walls blocking
reverberation
Reverberation
ceiling & wall absorption
key terms
Sound Transmission Class (STC)
A measure for rating the attenuation of reflected speech passing over
the top of wall partitions or furniture into the adjoining work stations.
A ceiling system with AC < 150 is low performance, whereas one
with AC ≥ 180 is high performance.
AC is important between adjacent cubicles in open plan spaces:
• Open plan office
• Mixed plan office
• Open plan healthcare/partial
height cubicle areas
AC is measured according to
ASTM E1110 and E1111
A measure of sound absorption provided by a material when
installed within an architectural space. The number of sabin per unit
is approximately equal to the total surface area of the unit
(in square feet) that is exposed to sound, multiplied by the
absorption coefficient of the material.
Sabin per unit is preferred to characterize the absorption
provided by an individual “space absorber,” such as a baffle,
blade, cloud, or canopy in:
• Open offices or retail spaces
• Open plenum areas
• Corridors/lobbies
Absorption of sabin is measured
according to ASTM C423
A measure for rating the performance of a ceiling system as
a barrier to airborne sound transmission through a common plenum
between adjacent closed spaces, such as offices.
A ceiling system with a CAC < 25 is considered low performance,
whereas one with CAC > 35 or higher is high performance.
CAC is important between closed spaces and from closed
rooms to adjacent spaces such as corridors:
• Closed offices, conference rooms
• Classrooms/core learning areas
• Healthcare exam rooms,
doctors’ offices
CAC is measured according
to ASTM E1414
Intentional use of non-absorptive
surfaces that enhance a lively
acoustical sound quality,
typically for nightclubs or
music venues.
A measure for rating the performance of a wall system as
a barrier to airborne sound transmission between adjacent
closed spaces, such as offices. A wall system with an STC < 35
is considered low performance, whereas one with an STC > 55
is high performance. STC is the wall equivalent of CAC.
STC is important between closed
spaces and in many open plan
spaces:
• Closed offices, corridors
• Open offices with dividers
STC is measured according to
ASTM E90
This label appears on cartons of Armstrong UL Classified acoustical ceilings. Armstrong certifies
that the material in the carton meets published values, not merely that a similar batch of material
met these values at some point in the past.
BP
Made in United States of America by: Fabricado in Estados Unidos por: Fabriqué aux Etats-Unis par:
Armstrong World Ind., Inc. Lancaster, PA 17604
R3407-TYPE GB
H
ACOUSTICAL MATERIAL
Contents Not Over 96 Sq. Ft.
(Form A)
Issue No. AG – 5377
C
SURFACE BURNING CHARACTERISTICS
NRC 0.95
BLANCO
ACOUSTICAL PROPERTIES
BLANC
AC min 190
LA856211 REV.0207
WHITE
FLAME SPREAD ...................... 25
SMOKE DEVELOPED ................. 50
in accordance with ASTM C423
in accordance with ASTM E1111
3251A
Optima® Open Plan, Square Tegular
Humiguard® Plus
24 in x 24 in x 1 in (nominal)
610 mm x 610 mm x 25 mm (nominal)
96 sq ft (8.92 m2)
24 pieces
24 piezas
24 pièces
9/16¨
15 mm
This Icon identifies Armstrong UL Classified Acoustical
ceilings – the assurance of reliable performance in every
ceiling tile. Be sure any panel you choose has certified
performance, or you may not get what you pay for.
13
armstrong.com / acoustics
take the next step toward
Sound Design™
1 877 ARMSTRONG (276-7876)
Name of your Armstrong Representative
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CAD design assistance, installation information,
other technical services – 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST,
Monday through Friday. FAX 1-800-572-8324
or email: techline@armstrong.com
armstrong.com/acoustics
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Online catalog
Google SketchUp™, CAD, Revit® files
Product literature and samples – express service
or regular delivery
Contacts - reps, where to buy, who will install
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with vegetable-based inks. Please Recycle.
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All other trademarks used herein are the property of AWI Licensing Company and/or its affiliates
© 2014 AWI Licensing Company • Printed in the United States of America
™
SM
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