Acoustics and buildings — Definitions and regulations

An IFOP poll conducted in September 2014 revealed that 82% of French people consider that noise has become a real nuisance in their daily lives. When asked about the perceived origin of these noise nuisances, two main sources emerge: road traffic (37% mention "first", 67% in total) and neighbors (38% and 65% respectively). Home equipment, other types of transport, construction sites and commercial activities were mentioned by only 15% of those interviewed. For those surveyed, annoyance at home is felt mainly during the day (48%), much more so than at night (24%) or during both periods (28%). We note that the length of time the inconvenience has been experienced has no major influence on the intensity of their annoyance.

To limit the propagation of noise within a building and a dwelling, it is necessary to implement acoustic insulation, which more often than not supports thermal insulation, although the reverse is not always the case. Acoustic insulation against airborne noise aims to weaken its transmission from the outside to the inside, and to restrict its propagation from one room to another. Impact sound insulation aims to attenuate impact noise, as well as its radiation into structures. Particular attention needs to be paid to "sound bridges", as airborne noise can slip through the smallest gaps. Acoustic correction aims to control sound propagation and reverberation time inside a room or in common areas, notably by installing absorbent materials.