Metropolitan Sytems Information Statement 1989

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1. ABOUT THIS REPORT PURPOSE OF THE GUIDE This Builder's Guide has been prepared to provide builders, developers, architects, engineers, and building inspectors with information to help them comply with the Metropolitan Council's Guidelines for Land Use Compatibility with Aircraft Noise. The Guide specifically addresses the noise reduction performance of structures in areas exposed to aircraft noise as defined in the aviation chapter of the Metropolitan Development Guide. The guidelines and a model noise attenuation ordinance (see Appendix A) are used by the Metropolitan Council in its review and approval of the local community's comprehensive plan and plan amendments. The Builders Guide is also intended to provide a better understanding of the issues and problems encountered in complying with the compatibility guidelines and in designing for exterior -interior noise attenuation. The Builders Guide provides a satisfactory method for estimating required Sound Transmission Class (STC) values within certain aircraft noise zones and for determining whether a residential design complies with noise reduction guidelines. It also provides STC values for a variety of building elements, including walls, roof assemblies, windows and doors. LIMITATIONS OF THE BUILDER'S GUIDE This Guide is based upon published and unpublished data sources and manufacturer's literature and is not intended as a comprehensive handbook on acoustical techniques in construction. It is intended to permit an evaluation of building designs in an aircraft noise environment with the aim of meeting acceptable interior noise levels. The Guide can be used both for preventive treatment (appropriate new construction) and for some corrective treatment. The Metropolitan Council does not guarantee that any specific level of noise reduction will be achieved through the application of this Builder's Guide. Too many factors, ranging from the aircraft noise spectrum and details of building design to the estimated STC values presented in this Guide, are subject to variation and error. The procedures in this Guide assume that good building practices are followed. This Guide provides the level of detail needed for an acoustical evaluation in all noise zones at the region's minor airports and in Noise Zones III and IV at the Minneapolis -St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and the St. Paul Downtown Airport. For buildings located in Zones I and II at these latter airports, special treatment and analysis normally are required to ensure that the sound attenuation values can be met. No attempt has been made in this Guide to estimate the cost of meeting noise reduction guidelines since no additional costs will be incurred in many designs. The treatment requirements of the State Energy Code may be sufficient to meet sound attenuation guidelines in Noise Zone IV. However, differences do exist between acoustical and thermal evaluation, and these are discussed in Appendix C. 1