Acoustical classification and proposed methodology for performance assessment of buildings in Turkey

The "Noise Protection and Sound Insulation in Buildings "regulation prepared by Istanbul Technical University for the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, aims to organize the requirements and enforcements for noise control in all kinds of buildings. The EU/COST TU 0901 Harmonization Project (completed in 2013) proposes the units to be used in the evaluation of the acoustic performance of buildings and the acoustic classification scheme with quality classes A-F; but the project scope is limited to residential buildings. In the proposed regulation, the scope was extended to all kinds of buildings and the limit values were determined according to a proposed model. The selection of the sound insulation-limit valuesis based on the relationships of rooms, their noise sensitivity, and noisiness characteristics. Indoor background noise limits, mechanical noise limits and reverberation limits are also determined according to room function analysis. This paper explains the above aspects of the new regulation and describes the performance rating approach for the new and existing buildings.