SOUNDCELL® and Acoustade® units feature a deeply-beveled face that captures and retains sound waves while adding visual texture to walls.
The primary distinction between Soundcell and Acoustade lies in the design: Acoustade masonry units lack a horizontal baseline, whereas Soundcell units include one. This design allows Acoustade units to have continuous vertical lines and a reversible skew, giving architects the flexibility to choose the direction of the slanted surface.
These units enhance sound quality and characteristics by offering effective diffusion through their innovative grid and impressed form. (Units are available exclusively with a Matte Face finish.)
SOUNDCELL® and ACOUSTADE™ are specialized Acoustical Concrete Masonry Units (ACMUs) designed to improve sound quality while providing structural integrity. These FAQs clarify their function, installation, performance and key specifications.
The Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) and Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings for SOUNDCELL® and ACOUSTADE™ vary depending on the thickness of the material. For the 12-inch regular SOUNDCELL® and ACOUSTADE™ units, the STC ratings range from 48 to 52, increasing to 51 to 55 when the back void is filled. Both have an NRC of 0.70.
For the 8-inch regular versions, SOUNDCELL® and ACOUSTADE™ have an STC of 47 to 49 without the back filled. The NRC for both 8-inch units is 0.75.
Yes, both SOUNDCELL® and ACOUSTADE™ can be installed with vertical reinforcement and grouting, though there are some differences depending on the unit’s thickness.
The 12-inch SOUNDCELL® and ACOUSTADE™ units can be vertically reinforced and grouted by using field-installed grout shields to separate the cavity into two compartments. For 8-inch SOUNDCELL® and ACOUSTADE™ units, the cavity space is not large enough for grout shields. If vertical reinforcement is necessary for these thinner units, the acoustical fibrous insert must be removed, and the aperture opening must either be mortared shut or a grout barrier added to prevent grout from seeping out.
SOUNDCELL® and ACOUSTADE™ are highly effective at capturing and eliminating noise at low frequencies. They use a Helmholtz resonator, specifically slot-type and stacking volume resonators, to achieve high levels of sound absorption at all frequencies. Notably, the 12-inch SOUNDCELL® and ACOUSTADE™ have an impressive 100% average absorption efficiency within the crucial 100-125-160-200 Hz frequency bandwidth.
SOUNDCELL® and ACOUSTADE™ ACMUs can achieve fire-resistive ratings ranging from two to four hours.
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