Case Study: Belgian Building Research Institute improves vibration transmission predictions with MSC Software Actran

Actran Helps Improve Predictions for Room to Room Vibration Transmission

Belgian Building Research Institute used MSC Software’s Actran to address a difficult acoustics problem tied to Belgium’s dwelling standard NBN-S01-400-1 (2008). The institute needed a reliable way to estimate the vibration reduction index Kij for room-to-room transmission, since the ISO 10848 physical testing process was long, tedious, and expensive, and existing EN 12354 prediction formulas did not match measured results well.

MSC Software helped BBRI validate Actran against a rigid T-junction test setup and then run a parametric study across T-junction, X-junction, and H-junction configurations. The software’s simulations correlated well with physical measurements, and the study showed that a new formula based on the ratio of characteristic moment impedances provided a closer prediction of Kij than the older surface-mass-based approach, helping BBRI reduce reliance on expensive testing.

Belgian Building Research Institute

Charlotte Crispin

Head of Laboratory