On-Site Acoustic Testing - Building Acoustics, ICD 705, Noise, and Vibration testing nationwide and worldwide

Testing Services: Building Acoustics, Noise, Vibration, Air Quality

On-Site Acoustic Testing provides expert acoustic consulting services nationwide and world wide. Our acoustic consultants have the expertise to provide accurate and incisive measurements for your most critical field testing requirements.

We are pleased to offer a wide variety of acoustic field testing protocols and consulting services nationwide and worldwide.

Click on any of the below links for more information on acoustical consulting services that we provide:

Please contact us about your specific requirements for your SCIF or SAPF, commercial space, or residential field testing acoustical consulting problem.

ICD 705 Acoustical Testing Considerations for SCIF and SAPF areas

ICD 705 is a wide ranging document that concerns itself with all aspects of site security for secure facilities. Our focus is to provide acoustical testing of SCIF and SAPF areas to satisfy the acoustical testing requirements.

We have provided ICD 705 compliant testing in SCIF and SAPF secure facilities at United States Military and governmental agencies around the world.

From Guantanamo Bay to Bahrain, to Weisbaden, Germany, all around the CONUS (and Pearl Harbor as well) we have worked with contractors of all sizes, as well as directly with governmental agencies to ensure that secure facilities perform according to specification.

We can also provide assistance during the design and construction phase, as well as provide information and design for remediation of SCIF and SAPF areas through field testing and computer based modeling of wall, floor, and ceiling assemblies.

The following parameters as detailed in ICD 705 Version 1.4:

A. Overview

1. This establishes DNI guidelines to protect classified conversations from being inadvertently overheard outside a SCIF.

2. This is not intended to protect against deliberate technical interception of audio emanations.

B. Sound Group Ratings

The ability of a SCIF structure to retain sound within the perimeter is rated using a descriptive value, the Sound Transmission Class (STC). To satisfy the normal security standards of SCIFs, the following transmission attenuation groups have been established:

Sound Group 3 – STC 45 or better. Loud speech from within the SCIF can be faintly heard but not understood outside of the SCIF. Normal speech is unintelligible with the unaided human ear.

Sound Group 4 – STC 50 or better. Very loud sounds within the SCIF, such as loud singing, brass music, or a radio at full volume, can be heard with the human ear faintly or not at all outside of the SCIF.

C. Acoustic Testing

1. Audio tests shall be conducted to verify standards are met. Tests may be instrumental or non instrumental as approved by the AO. Test method used shall be detailed in the CSP.

2. Instrumental Acoustic Tests:

a) Only those with training on audio testing techniques shall conduct instrumental acoustic tests

b) With all SCIF doors closed, all perimeter walls and openings (e.g., air returns, doors, windows, etc.) shall be tested along multiple points to ensure that either Sound Group 3 or 4 is met.

c) Audio test sources shall have a variable sound level output.

d) The output frequency range shall include normal speech.

e) Test speakers shall be placed six feet from the test wall and 4 feet off the floor.

f) Audio gain of the test source shall produce “loud or very loud speech” as defined by Sound Group 3 and 4 levels respectively.

g) As an alternative, instrumented testing may be performed to Noise Isolation Class (NIC) standards. Results shall comply with NIC 40 for Sound Group 3 and NIC 45 or Sound Group 4

You can reach us at 1-800-665-0080 or feel free to email us at project@osatusa.com

OSHA noise consulting

In today’s regulatory environment, if you aren’t testing your workspaces (and employees) for noise exposure you are putting your company at risk. On-Site Acoustic Testing is here to support your organization by providing you with qualified OSHA noise consultants who will provide you with an accurate assessment of your sound levels.

Our team members will perform measurements in your workspace and also initiate dosimetric (dosimeters are sound level meters that are worn during the working shift by your employees) testing to determine the time-weighted average (TWA) of noise that your employees are actually exposed to while they are performing their daily activities.

We will work with you to analyze the results of the testing, determine which (if any) employees are potentially at risk, and then help you implement a program for hearing protection devices. We will also help you implement a hearing conservation program at your organization. Our OSHA noise consultants are familiar with the myriad of OSHA (MSHA as well) regulations, and the ASTM and ANSI standards they are based upon.

On-Site Acoustic Testing will assist your company in maintaining a safe and productive workspace. Contact us today to speak directly with us about OSHA related noise measurement services.

We provide services nationwide, and emergency “rush” services are available.

Call us at 1-800-665-0080 for immediate service.

Remote Testing – Noise Testing, Vibration Testing, Air Quality Testing, Acoustical Testing

Noise Testing – Environmental noise testing to determine A-weighted, C-weighted, or octave band noise levels
Noise Monitoring – Short term (or long term) noise monitoring for factories, building sites, municipalities, concert venues, and other noise sensitive locations
Dosimetric Testing – OSHA compliant (time weighted average) personal noise exposure testing for factories and other industrial applications
Vibrational Testing – Measurement of building, surface, and area vibration for industrial or environmental evaluation
Air Quality Testing – OSHA compliant testing of airborne contaminents and particulate matter
Acoustical Testing – Testing for ASTC, NIC, OITC, and room reverberation time (for SCIF, SAPF, and general acoustical compliance requirements)

It is important to note that remote services may require clients to provide live video conferencing during the testing process in addition to required training in advance of performing testing via remote access.

Not all protocols or test methods will be available for remote testing, but every effort will be made to adhere to ASTM and ISO required methodologies.

Please contact one of our consultants at 1-800-665-0080 (or click here to message us) to determine whether remote testing will work for your requirements.

Building Acoustics Testing Services – ASTC, AIIC, OITC, and RT

We offer a full variety of building acoustics field testing services that are geared towards military and commercial clients.

Using the most current ASTM (and/or ISO) standards, as well as industry leading equipment, we perform building acoustics measurements throughout the United States and world.

We work with all four branches of the military, federal, state, and local governments, as well as with builders, developers, and architects to verify that building partitions meet their required field tested values.

While our services are geared towards governmental and commercial clients, we do work with homeowners and condominium owners to provide testing services, most often of flooring installations.

The most common building acoustics testing services that we offer are:

ASTC – Apparent Sound Transmission Class – which is used to determine the airborne sound transmission values of wall and floor partitions. This testing has implications for secure (SCIF and SAPF) areas, as well as for general residential or commercial use buildings.

AIIC – Apparent Impact Insulation Class – which is used to determine the structure borne (impact sound) transmission of floor partitions. This testing is most often performed in a residential setting.

OITC – Outdoor Indoor Transmission Class – which is used to determine the airborne sound transmission of the exterior facade of building elements, such as walls, windows, and roof partitions. This testing is often performed on buildings that must be proven to be secures (such as SCIF and SAPF) areas, as well as general residential or commercial use buildings.

RT- Reverberation Time – which is used to determine the length of time that sound takes to decay within an enclosed space. This testing is always performed in conjunction with ASTC, AIIC, and OITC testing, as it is an integral part of the calculation when performing those testing protocols. It can also be performed to determine the suitability of a room for a particular task. Long reverberation times are pleasing in a concert hall (for example) but harmful to speech intelligibility in a classroom or subway tunnel.

Modeling of walls, floors, and windows

Sometimes you start out with the best of intentions, a veritable roadmap to success…but someone, somewhere along the way drops the ball.

That’s where we come in (along with our modeling software) assessing what you already have in situ, and determining what will be necessary for fulfillment of your mission.

We can model virtually any wall, ceiling, floor, window or HVAC structure in order to determine the correct remediation to bring your building partition into compliance.

Spectrum Analysis

Sure, you can measure noise (of all kinds) with your iPhone or Android phone. That may (or may not) tell you something regarding the noise level in your facility or area. Truth is, though, that’s not the whole picture.

What is really important is the actual distribution of the frequencies.

That’s where spectral/spectrum analysis comes into play.

We can measure in 1/1 or 1/3 octaves the actual noise levels from 8 Hz on to the 20 kHz band. If necessary we can actually perform subsonic, or ultrasonic measurements to determine the actual noise emissions in situ.

Sound Intensity Testing

On-Site Acoustic Testing, LLC offers sound intensity testing of machinery of all types and sizes for a variety of mission requirements.

While sound intensity testing is a requirement for ISO noise declaration documents (in order to determine sound power) it can also be incredibly useful in determining the radiating pattern of equipment. Using our sound intensity test equipment, we are able to provide a visual representation showing the exact radiating pattern both by intensity as well as by frequency.

This process can also be used for leak detection, in order to determine where (a door, for example) is leaking around a seal. Often this can be the most effective way to diagnose a visually correct, but failing wall, window, or door partition.

A brief overview…

On-Site Acoustic Testing provides nationwide acoustic, vibration, indoor air quality, light intensity, thermal and spectrum testing to military, commercial, and residential clients.

We are proud to offer testing of SCIF and SAPF areas to ensure compliance with ICD 705 standards, and have conducted testing for all four branches of the United States Military. We have also conducted testing for the United States Nuclear Regulatory Agency, The Office of the Inspector General, as well as many other state and municipal governmental agencies.

Our noise testing services include: noise surveys for neighborhoods, municipalities, state and federal agencies to assure compliance to community standards. We provide ASTC and AIIC testing services to architects, construction firms, property management companies, and individual residential users. We can furnish ISO noise declarations for manufacturers for use in machinery destined for EU community installation.

We provide OSHA compliance testing (including noise dosimeter testing for employees), as well as general shop floor, and machine/machine room noise level and indoor air quality testing for our commercial and industrial clients.

We can provide testing to ASTM, ISO, and ANSI standards for many applications, testing your product at your location, our location, or an end user’s location.

We offer indoor air quality testing for a wide spectrum of contaminants ranging from common molds to compounds generated during the manufacturing process.

Testing is only the first step, we offer noise abatement services as well. We work with leading isolation materials manufacturers to custom tailor their products to your application, with an eye towards minimizing costly downtime and maximizing results.

Email us at: project@osatusa.com

Talk to us toll free: 1-800-665-0080

Acoustic testing, sound and noise level measurement, design, noise abatement, OSHA compliance for commercial, military, retail, house of worship, and residential customers throughout the United States.

Thermographic (FLIR) Testing

We can provide expert imaging of equipment, rooms, and building envelopes. Using infrared sensitive equipment, we are able to capture thermal images to pinpoint hot spots on electrical panels (or equipment surfaces), energy loss through walls, windows, doors, and other building facade elements.

Both spot readings and average temperatures of equipment and processes can be acquired, accurately and safely.

Additionally, thermal images can help pinpoint areas where sound may be leaking from area to area.

This technology combined with Sound Intensity Testing and Image Mapping, can provide the required information to diagnose and remediate even the most difficult sound leakage issues in SCIFS and SAPF’s (and other secure areas)

Contact one of our consultants today at 800-665-0080 (or email us at project@osatusa.com) to speak with us about your project.

Light Quality Testing

Great lighting makes any room look better…that’s something that you probably would expect to hear from an interior decorator, but the truth is that proper lighting is essential for any and every workplace, restaurant, or retail establishment.

On-Site Acoustic Testing can provide lighting surveys (in LUX or Footcandles) to determine whether your lighting is suitable for the area and purpose.

We also provide ultraviolet light (UVA, UVB, and UVC) testing (commonly found in printing and other production environments).

The following table illustrates acceptable minimum levels of lighting (in LUX) in different areas:

Recommended Lux Levels by Area

Area	Nominal Illumination Level in Lumens/Square Meter (lux)
Office Space
Normal work station space, open or closed offices¹	500
ADP Areas	500
Conference Rooms	300
Training Rooms	500
Internal Corridors	200
Auditoria	150-200
Public Areas
Entrance Lobbies, Atria	200
Elevator Lobbies, Public Corridors	200
Ped. Tunnels and Bridges	200
Stairwells	200
Support Spaces
Toilets	200
Staff Locker Rooms	200
Storage Rooms, Janitors’ Closets	200
Electrical Rooms, Generator Rooms	200
Mechanical Rooms	200
Communications Rooms	200
Maintenance Shops	200
Loading Docks	200
Trash Rooms	200
Specialty Areas
Dining Areas	150-200
Kitchens	500
Outleased Space	500
Physical Fitness Space	500
Child Care Centers	500
Structured Parking, General Space	50
Structured Parking, Intersections	100
Structured Parking, Entrances	500