Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP
Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP

PreNoise Wood -An Innovative Method for Predicting Noise from Building Services in Timber and Lightweight Construction

Innovative Sound Insulation for Modern Construction

Noise transmission from building services
© Fraunhofer IBP
Noise transmission from building services in timber and lightweight construction.

With the growing importance of sustainable construction and increasing demands for comfort and efficiency, timber and lightweight buildings are becoming more prevalent. However, these construction types pose specific challenges in terms of noise transmission from technical building systems. To address this issue, the Fraunhofer IBP is developing the “PreNoise Wood” research project - a groundbreaking method for predicting and reducing installation noise in resource-efficient buildings. Based on the successful outcomes of the “ProSa” project for solid construction, “PreNoise Wood” adapts and extends those methods specifically for timber and lightweight structures. The goal is to create scientifically sound and practically applicable solutions, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), enabling early-stage acoustic optimization of building components and technical systems, and providing reliable planning tools for noise prediction - a clear benefit for building owners, manufacturers, and planners.

Projektziele

The aim is to develop a digital planning and prediction tool that will revolutionize acoustic design in timber and lightweight construction. The focus is on five key areas:

  1. Measurement-based characterization of building services for lightweight structures
  2. Identification and categorization of acoustically relevant building properties
  3. Integration of findings into an innovative software platform
  4. Expansion of the software to predict multiple simultaneous noise sources, a common challenge in modern buildings
  5. Development of a web-based application, offering an easily accessible tool that provides small and medium-sized enterprises with a competitive market advantage.

This enables all stakeholders - manufacturers, planners, architects - to make informed, fast, and future-proof decisions.

Stand des Projekts

The “PreNoise Wood” project has already been successfully launched: In several work packages, we are currently developing new measurement methods for capturing acoustic source and building data in timber and lightweight construction. At the same time, this information is being processed in a database and our “PreNoise®” prediction software is being further developed. With an intuitive web application, we will soon be making these technologies available for daily design workflows. The result will be a validated tool in the near future that enables realistic, fast, and reliable building acoustics simulations. The data and methods obtained not only offer a new level of quality in noise prediction, but also strengthen your competitive position with precisely engineered, acoustically optimized products and solutions for sustainable buildings.