Which standard would you consult to measure airborne sound between rooms sharing a plenum?

• A. ASTM E90 measures airborne sound between partitions
• B. ASTM E336 measures airborne sound between partitions
• C. ASTM E414 measures airborne sound between rooms sharing plenum
• D. ASTM E492 measures impact sound

Answer: (D)

Airborne sound between spaces that share a plenum is evaluated with a field method that captures how sound travels through a partition and via the plenum path. The standard designed for this scenario is ASTM E336, which specifies the procedures for measuring the attenuation of airborne sound between rooms spanned by a partition in real building conditions, including the influence of plenums. This is different from lab-based measurements of airborne transmission through partitions, which use ASTM E90. The standard that deals with impact noise transmission through floor-ceiling assemblies is ASTM E492, not airborne sound between rooms. The remaining option is not the appropriate inter-room airborne attenuation standard. So the correct reference for this situation is ASTM E336.