ASTM E90, ASTM E413, ISO 10140 & ISO 717-1 Airborne Sound Insulation Testing for Building Products in the UAE and Globally
As the UAE’s construction sector continues to grow across residential towers, hospitality, healthcare, education, and commercial developments, acoustic performance has become a defined specification requirement rather than an afterthought. Architects, facade consultants, and building product manufacturers increasingly need laboratory-verified evidence that walls, partitions, doors, windows, and facade systems deliver the sound insulation performance called for in project specifications, green building submittals, and international product datasheets. As an accredited acoustics testing laboratory in the UAE, METS Lab performs airborne sound transmission loss testing and sound insulation rating in accordance with both the American ASTM framework and the international ISO framework, giving manufacturers and specifiers a single source for dual-market acoustic test reports. Our ISO/IEC 17025:2017-accredited laboratory measures airborne sound transmission loss under ASTM E90 and classifies the results into Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings under ASTM E413, the rating system most widely referenced in North American and Gulf specifications. In parallel, we measure sound reduction index under ISO 10140 and derive the weighted sound reduction index (Rw) and spectrum adaptation terms under ISO 717-1, the rating system referenced in European, GCC, and most international building codes. This dual capability means a single test programme can support both STC-based and Rw-based specification requirements for the same product. We deliver clear, standard-referenced test reports covering one-third-octave-band transmission loss data, STC and Rw single-number ratings, and the reference-contour or spectrum-adaptation calculations behind them — the technical evidence needed to support building product datasheets, tender submittals, and project-specific acoustic compliance files.Our Core Acoustic Testing Services Include
- Laboratory Airborne Sound Transmission Loss Testing (Walls, Partitions, Doors, Windows etc.) – ASTM E90
- Sound Transmission Class (STC) Rating & Classification – ASTM E413
- Laboratory Measurement of Airborne Sound Insulation – ISO 10140-1 / 10140-2
- Weighted Sound Reduction Index (Rw) & Spectrum Adaptation Terms – ISO 717-1
- Facade, Curtain Wall & Glazing Acoustic Performance Testing
- Door & Window Assembly Sound Insulation Testing (Fixed & Operable)
- Partition, Drywall & Modular Wall System Acoustic Testing
- Dual-Rating Test Programmes (STC + Rw) for Export-Oriented Manufacturers
Why Sound Insulation Testing is Important?
Airborne Sound Transmission Loss Testing – ASTM E90
Sound transmission loss is the fundamental measurement behind every airborne sound insulation rating: it quantifies, in one-third-octave bands, how much sound energy a wall, door, window, or partition blocks as it passes from a source room to a receiving room. Without transmission loss data measured under controlled, flanking-suppressed laboratory conditions, no downstream single-number rating – STC or Rw – can be considered valid. METS Lab measures transmission loss from 50 to 5000 Hz with reference to:- Laboratory Measurement of Airborne Sound Transmission Loss of Building Partitions and Elements – ASTM E90
Sound Transmission Class (STC) Rating – ASTM E413
STC is the single-number rating most widely used across North America and referenced throughout GCC specifications for interior partitions, doors, windows, and exterior wall assemblies. It is derived by fitting a standard reference contour to the measured transmission loss curve, subject to maximum-deficiency rules at individual one-third-octave bands, and reading the contour’s value at 500 Hz. METS Lab classifies ASTM E90 transmission loss data into STC ratings with reference to:- Classification for Rating Sound Insulation – ASTM E413
Laboratory Measurement of Sound Insulation – ISO 10140
ISO 10140 is the international counterpart to ASTM E90, structured across five parts covering application rules for specific products (Part 1), airborne sound insulation measurement (Part 2), impact sound insulation measurement (Part 3), general measurement procedures (Part 4), and test facility and equipment requirements (Part 5). It specifies how the sound reduction index is measured in diffuse-field reverberation rooms with suppressed flanking transmission, reported to the nearest 0.1 dB. METS Lab’s acoustic testing programme is structured against:- Laboratory Measurement of Sound Insulation of Building Elements – ISO 10140-1 / -2 / -4 / -5
Weighted Sound Reduction Index (Rw) – ISO 717-1
Where STC condenses transmission loss data using an American reference contour, Rw applies a comparable but distinct rating procedure to the same type of underlying data, extending from 100 to 3150 Hz and adding optional spectrum adaptation terms (C and Ctr) that account for pink-noise and traffic-noise source spectra. Rw is the rating referenced throughout European, GCC, and most international building codes and product standards. METS Lab derives Rw and its adaptation terms with reference to:- Acoustics – Rating of Sound Insulation in Buildings and of Building Elements – Part 1: Airborne Sound Insulation – ISO 717-1
Key Parameters in Acoustic Testing
METS Lab provides airborne sound insulation testing across both the ASTM and ISO rating frameworks. A typical test programme draws on the parameters below, selected according to the product type and the target specification or market, summarized here.| Test Category | Reference Standard | What It Evaluates |
| Airborne Sound Transmission Loss | ASTM E90 | One-third-octave-band transmission loss, 80–5000 Hz, for walls, partitions, doors, windows |
| STC Rating & Classification | ASTM E413 | Single-number STC from the transmission loss curve via reference-contour fitting |
| Laboratory Sound Insulation Measurement | ISO 10140-1 / -2 | Sound reduction index (R) in diffuse-field, flanking-suppressed reverberation rooms |
| Basic Measurement Procedures | ISO 10140-4 | General measurement techniques and processes underlying the ISO 10140 series |
| Rating of Airborne Sound Insulation | ISO 717-1 | Weighted sound reduction index (Rw) and spectrum adaptation terms C, Ctr |
Products & Applications We Test
Our acoustic testing programme covers the building products and assemblies most commonly specified for sound insulation performance across UAE construction, facade, and interior fit-out projects:- Interior Wall & Partition Systems (Drywall, Modular, Demountable)
- Doors – Fixed & Operable Assemblies
- Windows, Glazing & Curtain Wall Systems
- Facade Panels & Cladding Assemblies
- Floor-Ceiling Assemblies (Airborne Component)
- Acoustic Panels, Screens & Office Partition Products
- Ventilation Panels, Transfer Air Devices & Small Technical Elements
- Suspended Ceilings & Lined Wall/Floor Systems
Industries We Serve
Our facility provides specialized acoustic testing across the building products supply chain. By supporting both ASTM/STC and ISO/Rw rating requirements, we help manufacturers and consultants meet project specifications and international datasheet requirements from a single UAE-based laboratory. We regularly serve the following industries for acoustic testing services:- Wall, Partition & Door Manufacturers
- Window, Glazing & Curtain Wall Fabricators
- Facade Consultants & Building Envelope Contractors
- Architects & Acoustic Consultants
- Developers & Green Building Compliance Teams
- Export-Oriented Building Product Manufacturers