And then the building was put into use. It turned out that the installer had left a micro-gap near the ceiling, the profiles were directly adjacent to the structural columns, and the electrical boxes were installed within the wall cavity. The actual result dropped to R'w = 42 dB. The effect? In the representative conference room, every word from the neighboring office can be heard.

Measuring airborne sound insulation is a verification of what no marketing brochure can predict: the quality of workmanship of the completed building, its installation errors, and hidden sound transmission paths (so-called flanking transmission). At Nyquista, we do not take anything at face value—we verify the physics.

Rw vs. R'w – why is an on-site measurement necessary?

Many investors believe that purchasing a material with a high Rw parameter (laboratory index) solves the issue. This is the most expensive mistake in acoustics.
The actual insulation in a building is the R'w index (field result). It is always lower than the laboratory value, because in the real world sound looks for the easiest path—it escapes through ventilation, slabs, raised floors, and leaks. A field measurement captures what the user actually hears. Designing insulation based solely on product data sheets is asking for trouble.

Who did we prepare this study for?

We provide hard evidence for those who bear responsibility for the investment:

• For the Developer and Investor: You officially confirm that the building meets the requirements of PN-B-02151-3 and qualifies for acceptance. You gain a watertight argument in the event of tenant complaints. You identify defects before the budget is closed, before repair costs become astronomical.

• For the Architect and Interior Designer: You verify whether your partition concept worked in practice. The report protects you against investor claims and provides a basis for assessing the quality of the general contractor’s work. If the result deviates from the standard—you know exactly where the discrepancy lies.

• For the Facility Manager: You respond to tenant complaints such as: "there is no confidentiality in this office." Our measurement locates the problem and indicates a precise corrective solution. No more applying random foams that still will not stop speech transmission.

When is it worth calling our engineers?

Insulation measurements are essential at strategic points in a building’s life cycle:

1. Technical acceptance: Before handing over the building (or its redevelopment) for use.

2. Certification: Compiling documentation required by BREEAM, LEED, or WELL systems.

3. Complaint diagnosis: When there is a lack of privacy in offices, hotels, medical practices, or law firms.

4. Repair verification: After acoustic intervention, to confirm its effectiveness.

How do we work? (Technology and Standards)

Our methodology is pure engineering. We conduct tests with Class 1 precision equipment (regularly calibrated).
Our procedures are based strictly on the ISO 16283-1 standard. We perform a full band analysis over a wide range from 50 to 5000 Hz, determining the key indices R'w and DnT,w. We analyze not only the wall itself, but also look for potential flanking transmission paths.

A report that solves problems

The final outcome of our work is an extensive engineering document. What do you get? A summary of measurement results, assessment indices, professional acoustic interpretation, and an evaluation of compliance with standard requirements for a given room class. Most importantly—we provide design and corrective recommendations.