What are acceptable levels of sound isolation in apartment buildings, using the results from ISO 140 ISO 16283?
This, of course, differs by country/region/city/etc. Some locales may not have any laws requiring new multi-family buildings to meet some minimum requirements of sound isolation. Some locales have very strict requirements. And many builders of luxury apartments, offices, or hotels may choose to go above and beyond any legally-defined building codes.
In the United States, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published "subjective experience" thresholds for STC ratings
| STC | What can be heard |
|---|---|
| 25 | Normal speech can be understood |
| 30 | Loud speech can be understood |
| 35 | Loud speech audible but not intelligible |
| 40 | Loud speech audible as a murmur |
| 45 | Loud speech heard but not audible |
| 50 | Loud sounds faintly heard |
| 60+ | Good soundproofing; most sounds do not disturb neighboring residents. |
Unfortunately, the STC is a special measurement that's only used by the US.
I'm looking for something like this for ISO 16283, a sampling of code requirements published by various countries around the world, and what luxurious property developers typically use.
