Noise Reduction

Radio broadcast studios have a similar problem. They use glass panes, spaced some distance apart and not parallel, and the inner walls of the windowframe are lined with sound-absorbent materials. Try that?

If you remove the air from that nonparallel gap between your window panes you will get better acoustic isolation.

How much is the question. That's a hard one to answer.

Material density (high) and vacuum both help, but each shop will have a unique acoustic signature.

If you haven't already, talk to a window fabricator.

<...If you remove the air from that nonparallel gap between your window panes you will get better acoustic isolation....>

Just make sure the glass is thick enough to support itself for this application otherwise someone is going to have a smashing time!

How much noise comes through the wall instead is now open to question.

An insulated glass unit filled with an inert gas like Argon.

Hi...

you may try this " laminated DGU glass units consisting of two laminated glass units separated by air gap which comprises of outer 6mm thk Heat strengthened clear glass or tinted glass + 1.14mm thick P.V.B. lamination + 6mm thk Heat strenghthened clear glass+ 16mm wide air gap duly filled with compressed argon gas+ 6mm thk Heat strengthened clear glass+ 1.14mm thick P.V.B. lamination + 6mm thk Heat strenghthed clear glass. All processing to be carried out as per relevant IS / International codes and practices ".

We have used it as we are near a railway track. The noize level in the room does not go above that of the room airconditioner.

Note the comment above about high density materials. Hopefully the walls are already brick. If there is a door between the noisy area and the quiet area consider using a solid wood door, not a lightweight door. Watch out for air gaps or other areas of low density material between the noisy area and the quiet area. You will probably not be able to eliminate some air gaps but take steps to reduce them to a minimum (use seals round the door frame and consider a raised step at the door for the bottom of the door to seal against). Put as much sound absorbing material as possible in the office area (soft furnishing, acoustic tiles on the ceiling, soft material on the walls).

I have some experience in this field.

Two good quality windows of any type, single glassed, even installed parallel, but better a little out of parallelism, at 12 to 15 cm away each from the other, will insulate as well as the best double or three glassed window.

The sliding type ones are the more suitable for this double window installation.

The most important is to seal very well, with polyurethane for instance, the frame of the windows against the wall.

Arturo

Average airborne sound insulation, averaged over the frequency range 100 to 3150 Hz

for fixed windows: 10 mm glass-200 mm gap- 6mm glass well sealed, lined reveals = 44dB

(ref. page 253 "Acoustics, Noise and Buildings - Parkin, Humphreys & Cowell")

Cheers

Vince