FIRE & ACOUSTIC CALCULATOR FOR MASONRY SOLUTIONS

This simple tool takes the guesswork out of specification, and gives designers and specifiers the peace of mind that they are fully complying with industry requirements and significantly reducing their exposure to liability.

To use the tool, enter a few simple design parameters that include the required wall type, installation environment, acoustic and fire insulation requirements, and the relevant National Construction Code (NCC) requirement. The calculator then instantly provides a tailored shortlist of Baines Masonry products that meet the specified parameters. The shortlist is also provided in printable PDF format, allowing you to retain a hard copy for reference or insertion into tender documents.

CLICK HERE to try it today. 

ABOUT FIRE RESISTANCE PERFORMANCE

The fire resistance performance of a masonry wall is determined by three characteristics: structural adequacy, integrity and insulation. Each characteristic is expressed in terms of the number of minutes that the wall can resist a particular fire intensity, defined by AS 1530.4-2005. For example, a fire-resistance level (FRL) of 180/120/120 implies 180 minutes of resistance for structural adequacy, 120 minutes of resistance for integrity and 120 minutes of resistance for insulation.

When a wall is in a non-load bearing situation, the FRL for structural adequacy is stated as a dash, e.g. -/120/120

ABOUT ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE

Where necessary, the acoustic performance of a wall must be considered in order to safeguard the occupants of a building from illness or loss of comfort.

Airborne sound is commonly measured by playing a series of differing frequency sounds on one side of a wall and measuring the sound loss on the other side. It is stated in terms of a weighted sound index (Rw) – the higher the index value, the higher the element prevents the transmission of the sound. An adjustment factor is typically associated with the weighted sound index, which is called the spectrum adaption term (Ctr) and accounts for low-frequency noise. Always a negative number, the adjustment factor is added to the weighted sound index to give a combined value lower than Rw. For example, a Rw of 53 with a Ctr of -6 gives a Rw + Ctr of 47. These values are typically obtained from testing in accordance with AS/NZS 1276.1 or ISO 717.

BAINES MASONRY FIRE AND ACOUSTIC SOLUTIONS 

Baines Masonry offers two fire and acoustic masonry solutions, including the Betta Block and Dense Weight masonry units. The material composition and specific unit dimensions have been optimised, tested and assessed by leading organisations around Australia in order to provide exceptional fire and acoustic performances. Available in various unit sizes, they are suitable for core filled and non-core filled applications, and in load-bearing and non-load bearing walls.

Baines Masonry has undertaken extensive non-load bearing fire testing of the Betta Block product range with CSIRO in North Sydney, NSW. The acoustic performance of internal Baines Masonry walls have been assessed by a leading Australian acoustic firm. The results of each are outlined in the ‘Fire & Acoustic Technical Manual for Load Bearing & Non-load Bearing Walls’.

Wall before fire testing

Wall after fire testing

To learn more about Baines’ masonry solutions and the Fire & Acoustic calculator, visit the website via the link below.