Sound insulation improvement of a faÇade with external thermal insulation system

The External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS) represent the most widespread solution in Italy for the renovation of facades in order to increase the thermal insulation; it is therefore important to assess their acoustic performance. This paper reports and discusses the acoustic improvement of a façade after ETICS application, in a full-scale experimental Zero Energy Building (ZEB), designed and built by Construction Technologies Institute of the National Research Council of Italy (ITC- CNR). The system consists of a stone wool slab fixed to the substrate by different anchors, reinforced and coated with a finishing layer, to provide a protection against weathering, mechanical stress and thermal bridges. The ETICS under study, characterized with on-site measurement, showed a considerable acoustic improvement of the existing façade. The on-site acoustic performance was also estimated by applying a calculation model and compared with the measurement result. The façade was finally classified according to the main procedures in force in Italy.