Acoustic Laminated Glass ..
A combination of large thickness, different one between the two panes and wide air space distance (even better if we use laminated glass) provides the maximum noise attenuation. We can reach up to 45dB.
Combined effect of glass thickness and air space on the acoustic performance of double glazing. Source: Detailing for Acoustics, Lord and Templeton.
To achieve this with a conventional double glazing width (about 28-35mm only) we have to employ an acoustics interlayer or a sort of resin between two panes in a laminate glass combined within a DGU. These acoustic interlayers or resins dissipate sound waves much more than two or three PVB interlayers as in a typical laminated glass. Some brands of enhanced acoustical laminated products are:
- Pilkington Optiphon.
- Saint Gobain Stadip Silence.
- AGC Stratophone.
- PressGlass Acoustic Galzed Units.
- Şişecam Flat Glass Acoustic Laminate Glass.
SGG Stadip Silence effect as part of a double glazed unit. Other brands perform similarly. By the way, the scale below is not frequency but loudness (it measures dB). Taken from Saint Gobain Stadip Silence brochure.
The table below, extracted from Saint Gobain, helps showing acoustic performance of different laminate units with acoustics interlayers :
What about the effect of using argon or krypton instead of air? In theory, a higher density gas in the space between panes should have a positive effect on acoustical performance. Comparison testing of standard symmetrical insulating units indicates though that common gases as argon have virtually no increased effect on sound attenuation ratings. While some improvement was noted at some frequencies, resonance effects actually became more pronounced.