L10: Indoor Environment

Question 1

What are the 5 main purposes of interiors?

Answer 1

Neat/clean interior
Resist wear and tear
Control transmission of sound
Control outbreak/spread of fire
Conceal/accommodate services

Question 2

What is the interior finishes selection criteria?

Answer 2

Appearance
Durability and maintenance
Fire
Changeability
Cost
Toxic emissions (IAQ)
Acoustics

Question 3

What can the appearance influence?

Answer 3

Comfort level of occupants

Marketability (sales price/rent/occupancy levels)

Question 4

What is the durability/maintenance of materials chosen based on?

Answer 4

Intensity of use
Water resistance requirements
Cleanliness/maintenance needs

Question 5

The selection criteria for fire is concerned with what?

Answer 5

Combustibility
Fire resistance
Openings

Question 6

How are openings protected from fire?

Answer 6

Doors - fire rated
Ducts - fire/smoke dampers
Piping - sealed (chalking)

Question 7

What are fire/smoke dampers?

Answer 7

Elements that isolate areas of the HVAC ductwork to prevent the spread of smoke and fire through here

Question 8

How does changeability effect the indoor environment selected?

Answer 8

Permanent finishes need to be more durable than temporary

Question 9

What is the life-cycle cost?

Answer 9

First cost + maintenance + replacement + energy costs

Question 10

When first cost vs life-cycle cost used?

Answer 10

First cost - tight budget/short life

Life-cycle cost - long building useful life/budget allows higher initial cost

Question 11

Where does toxic emissions come from in indoor environment?

Answer 11

Installation - solvents, airborne fires etc.

Question 12

What is sound?

Answer 12

Pressure variations in the air

Question 13

What is wavelength, amplitude and frequency/pitch?

Answer 13

Wavelength - distance to make one cycle
Amplitude - loudness
Frequency/pitch - number of wavelength occurring in one second

Question 14

How do interior finish materials effect quality of listening conditions and acoustic privacy?

Answer 14

Finishes absorb (porous/soft) or reflect (dense/hard) sound

Question 15

What is a sound absorber?

Answer 15

A fibrous material which changes sound energy into heat via frictional drag

Question 16

What is the most effective interior finish for quality of listening and acoustic privacy why?
What are two examples?

Answer 16

Absorber on reflector
Creates weak reflection and weak transmission

Carpet on bare floor
Plaster on concrete ceiling

Question 17

What is a sound reflector

Answer 17

A heavy solid barrier that creates a strong reflected wave

Question 18

How is speech privacy achieved?

Answer 18

Through control of sound transmission along with white noise

Question 19

What is noise criteria and how does it involve HVAC?

Answer 19

The measure of desired white noise (to create speech privacy)
Smaller HVAC ductwork can create more white noise

Question 20

What is the noise criteria for theatres, conference rooms, private offices and open offices/retail?

Answer 20

Theatres - 10-20
Conference room - 25-30
Private office - 30-35
Open office/retail - 35-50

Question 21

How can sound transmission take place?

Answer 21

Through floors (sound or impact)
Through walls
Over walls

Question 22

How is sound waves through floors controlled?

Answer 22

Cement-gypsum self-levelling floor covering

Question 23

How is impact noise through floors controlled and which is the most effective?

Answer 23

Cushion the impact (most effective)
Suspend ceiling + absorber
Isolate and seal penetrations (piping etc.)
Float floor

Question 24

Why is suspended ceiling not as effective?

Answer 24

Because cannot put a reflector; can only put an absorber

Question 25

What is floating the floor?

Answer 25

An absorbent material placed between the subfloor and floor finish to deaden the sound

Question 26

How is sound transmission through walls prevented?

Answer 26

Resilient mounting Staggered studs/double wall (with insulation) Avoid back-to-back receptacles

Question 27

How does sound transmit through walls?

Answer 27

Generally walls have two layers of plasterboard with studs between - allows sound to pass through vibrations

Question 28

What is resilient mounting?

Answer 28

Putting a thing metal material which prevents the plasterboard from adhering to studs - absorbs sound when it vibrates

Question 29

How is sound transmitted over walls?

Answer 29

Through the attic/plenum - many spaces built with one large suspended ceiling with partition walls (space above)

Question 30

How is sound transmission over walls prevented?

Answer 30

Insulating the plenum | Putting partition walls through the plenum

Question 31

What is STC?

Answer 31

Sound Transmission Class - rating of resistance to sound transmission; reflects ability to resist sounds of different frequencies

Question 32

Which frequency of sound is generally hardest to resist?

Answer 32

Low frequency (less cycles)

Question 33

What is the typical STC for walls in different situations dependent on?

Answer 33

The required speech privacy

Question 34

How do weak points affect the wall's ability to stop sound transmission?

Answer 34

Greatly reduces entire wall's STC

Question 35

What is ITC and what is the minimum STC and ITC required by the NZ Building Code?

Answer 35

Impact Transmission Class | STC/ITC of 55

Question 36

How is the STC of a wall assembly calculated?

Answer 36

Basic partition STC + improvements + adders

Question 37

What are adders and how are they valued?

Answer 37

Adders take into account the increase caused by interaction between improvements 1 = 1 improvement 2 = 2 improvements 3 = 3 OR MORE improvements

Question 38

How do voids impact sound transmission?

Answer 38

Decrease the ability for sound to go through

Question 39

What is the interior fit-out sequence?

Answer 39

1. Rough-in during main construction 2. Roof and envelope complete 3. MEP vertical and horizontal distribution 4. Partition framing 5. Partition rough-in 6. Ceiling framing and rough-in 7. Wall, ceiling and floor finishes 8. Cabinetry, built-in equipment and furniture 9. Punch list

Question 40

Why is the roof and envelope completed early?

Answer 40

It is required to shelter moisture-sensitive materials and provides more comfortable conditions for workers

Question 41

How are MEP services distribution?

Answer 41

Vertical - shafts, chasers, risers | Horizontal - below suspended ceilings held by unistruts, hanger wires

Question 42

What happens during partition rough-in?

Answer 42

Penetrations are sealed to prevent sound transmission and spread of fire (firestopping - safing/sealants)

Question 43

What is a punch list?

Answer 43

Go through property and list uncompleted/unsatisfactory work from architect's perspective which are completed before the final payment