Building projects are increasingly required to achieve net-zero or near-zero carbon emissions, as managed by green building schemes. The leading voluntary green building schemes in major English-speaking countries, and Japan, all include credits for acoustics. Acoustic consultants have an influence on the construction materials, and therefore the carbon emissions, associated with the project. Global warming potential (GWP) is a measure of carbon emissions commonly used in Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) methodology to assess the environmental impact of building projects. This study aims to identify typical wall and floor constructions that optimise both sound insulation and GWP performance. Key factors that influence GWP and sound insulation performance have been identified. Results show that for the same sound insulation performance, lightweight constructions have significantly lower GWP values compared to concrete, and timber-framed systems demonstrated lower GWP than those with steel stud, despite requiring additional wall linings to achieve the same acoustic performance. The findings indicate that incorporating LCA into the acoustic design process can help support the adoption of low-carbon design strategies and foster interdisciplinary collaboration. Further research will help refine sustainable design solutions for sound insulation in buildings.
George L. Edgar (Wed,) studied this question.