| "In
restless dreams I walked alone Narrow streets of cobblestone ‘Neath the halo of a street lamp I turn my collar to the cold and damp When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light That split the night And touched the sound of silence …" Paul Simon, 1964 |
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| The search for silence knows no age,
gender, race or other barrier. Unwanted sound is a form of pollution
that some consider deadly. Unwanted sound can be ruinous: it can
ruin a beautiful concert; it can disturb a good night’s sleep; it
can reduce security; it can compromise the workplace; and it will
cause hearing loss in certain instances. Keeping sound out of an area, and keeping sound in another, is a major concern of architects, engineers, acoustic consultants – and, at one time or other, just about every human being on this earth. Manipulating the transmission of sound, (sound attenuation), is an exact science. Commonly referred to as "noise control" or "sound proofing", sound transmission control is an issue which must be addressed in the design of any structure. Whether a two bedroom row house, a university performing arts centre, a business tower, an airport terminal, or a board room – the transmission of sound is consistently a major design concern. |
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In an article published in the international trade magazine, Door & Hardware Institute Magazine, "Crashing Through The Sound Barrier", Jack Shinder, President of AMBICO Limited, notes that, " sound seeps through walls and floors, as well as doors. Noise control in doors is particularly difficult to achieve because a door, unlike a wall or floor, must be operable. Further, walls and floors have the luxury of achieving their acoustic goals in a 6" to 9" thick space, whereas architectural aesthetics demand that an acoustic door appear and function as a normal 1-3/4" (44 mm) thick door. It must be understood that in order to meet and maintain the STC rating required, the door and frame, seals and hardware, must act as one unit or assembly, with each element performing at the required level. Few firms in North America possess the knowledge and the manufacturing capability to develop a door and frame product which meets the performance standards required by architects and engineers." |
Shinder
believes that, generally speaking, many professionals involved in
the construction industry, fail to comprehend the concept of "Sound
Transmission Class" (STC), and the intricacies of designing door and
frame assemblies which will maintain a required performance rating,
while at the same time, meeting all other design criteria. The
article, which provides details and technical information regarding
the science of sound attenuation, can be accessed directly on the
AMBICO Limited web site at: Typical product
CAD details can be viewed at: As well,
photographs of several acoustic doors may be viewed
at:
http://www.ambico.com/news/crashing.asp
http://www.ambico.com/products/w_acoustic_cad.asp
http://www.ambico.com/gallery/index.asp
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Once the design aspects of the door and frame assembly are completed, the action moves to the manufacturing plant, where the visions of the project owners, architects, and engineers, will become a reality. There is no assembly line found at AMBICO Limited. Each individual is an expert in his particular area of the manufacturing process. Jean-Guy Prud’homme has overseen the manufacturing of doors and frames for AMBICO for nearly four decades. |
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Upon completion of the manufacture, inspection, and preparation of the door and frame unit for shipping, it becomes imperative to address one final, most critical procedure. Although each step in the process, from the architect’s drawing to the arrival of the unit on site, is important, arguably the final step qualifies as the most important: and that is the installation of the unit. Just as the main hatch of a submarine has the ultimate responsibility for keeping the vessel afloat, the acoustic door and frame assembly will ultimately determine the acoustic performance of the area where it is located. Designing and building a perfect hatch are important steps, as are the design and fabrication of a perfect acoustic door and frame unit. The installation of each becomes the single most critical factor, in one case for the flotation of the submarine, and in the other, for the acoustics in the area of the door and frame unit. Deficiencies in the installation of either will result in failure. Neither the hatch nor the acoustic door will perform to their desired capabilities if installation is deficient: the installation of each is absolutely critical. In this newsletter we will describe the efforts expended by AMBICO Limited to ensure the precision installation of their specialized doors and frames. This extra effort ensures a successfully completed project and that the end result in every instance, is a door and frame assembly which not only performs as specified but which, in fact, ensures that sound attenuation requirements are fully met or exceeded. To this end, detailed and user friendly Installation Manuals are available for various door and frame installations. Two examples will be provided which demonstrate the lengths to which AMBICO is prepared to travel to ensure its reputation for delivering the highest standards in sound attenuation. The special article, "AMBICO goes the extra nine yards" outlines the exceptional lengths AMBICO will travel to provide unequalled installation services and a completed product which performs as expected. Some may question the whole issue of acoustics being a "science". They may believe that this results in a more expensive product and question whether all this engineering is really necessary. As Shinder noted at the end of his published article, "… when you get to the point that you think you know enough about acoustic doors … that is the time when, in fact, you know enough about acoustic doors to ask acoustics experts intelligent questions …" 
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AMBICO Limited
combines user friendly, professionally written and illustrated
Installation Manuals which accompany door and frame assemblies to
project job siteson shipping. The client is advised to adhere
conscientiously to the information and instructions included in
these Manuals. In some
instances, the very specialized nature of certain door and frame
assemblies demand that AMBICO takes the additional step of following
its product to a necessary conclusion: installation and inspection
of the unit, fully installed in its opening. Two excellent examples
of AMBICO’s dedication to the attention to detail and the final
resolution of a client’s product are demonstrated in the following
scenarios.
Case Study No. 1: The Taiwan Experience
| Requirement: | STC 51, Bullet Resistant, Level IV Sliding Door and
Frame Unit (1) (w) 14’ 3"; (h) 8’ 6" (wt) 3000 lb fabricated in 4 sections fasteners installed on site STC 52, Steel, Swing Door and Frame Units (Several) |
| Client: | National Security Bureau,
Taipei, Taiwan Military Training Facility |
| Security: | The client and the use of this building combined to present a project surrounded by an extremely high level of security |
| Distributor: | Aris Pioneer |
Engineering and Design Implications:
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AMBICO Limited |
Because of the
very specialized design of the sliding doors, and in order to gain a
full understanding of the fabrication process, both the consultant
on the project and the construction manager, traveled from Taiwan
and visited the AMBICO plant. During this
visit, a number of fabrication and site conditions were reviewed
that enabled all parties to overcome some previously unforeseen
issues. For example, it became clear that there was a column on site
that would, in fact, have prevented the sliding door from opening
completely. The wall section therefore had to be redesigned to
accommodate the door and retain the load-bearing column in its
position. This also led to some fabrication and design changes, as
the armor shield had to be repositioned within the door panel.
Fortunately these adjustments were implemented without any
delay. This
partnership between the representatives of the owners and the
manufacturers of the product, ensured that all parties were
confident that this unique door assembly met all expectations and
would perform as required.
Installation Implications:
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All crated products arrived safely in Taipei and were stored within the complex while construction continued. In order to ensure that the clients were completely satisfied with the units and their installation, AMBICO booked travel and accommodations for Senior Installer, Warren Mallon, to arrive on site in Taipei to oversee the installation. Of particular concern was the successful installation of the sliding door and frame assembly. As the date of departure approached, AMBICO learned that a major fire had devastated the entire project and the door and frame units, stored on site, had been extensively damaged. Some were still in crates while others were lying, uncrated, and piled in the underground level of the structure. Mallon’s mission immediately changed: he arrived in Taipei as planned, but not to oversee the installation of doors and frames. Mallon proceeded to assess damage to the doors and frames. The client and their insurance agents were was fully prepared to accept AMBICO’s expert opinion on the status of their products. |
Many units
required total reconstruction. Seals which had already been
installed required replacement. In particular, the complex sliding
door unit including seals, hardware, valance, and counter balance
had to be completely reconstructed. The schedule for the entire
project would be set-back 6 – 9 months. AMBICO began the
re-production of the entire order, including the sliding acoustic
and bullet resistant door and frame unit. Mallon was able
to measure the opening for the sliding door and frame unit and noted
that it required structural steel behind and above in order to hang
the door. He was able to work with the client, the foreman, and
electrician (all of whom spoke English). Almost a full 9
months later, Mallon once again started out on the 18 hour flight
from Ottawa to Taipei. Upon arrival he immediately proceeded to the
project. Mallon soon discovered that bullet resistant material had
been added by the contractor along the edges of the door opening,
making it impossible to drill the edges. After this minor problem
was overcome by the addition of steel facings, the installation of
the door was accomplished without incident and the track and seals
passed inspection. AMBICO supplied the stainless steel threshold. It
was not in place when Mallon left to return to Canada, however, he
was confident that it would be installed as per instructions. Mallon
set the limits on the door operator and left the construction
manager with a list of "to do" items to ensure the successful
completion of this acoustic, sliding, bullet resistant door and
frame unit. The unforeseen
problem of a drop in voltage from a distant control booth was also
overcome. The control booth for the door was a full 40 meters from
the operator. Heavy duty wiring was installed in order to obtain the
necessary flow of current. When Mallon departed Taipei he was
confident that this exceptional door would be fully operational and
had met or exceeded all specifications of the owner.
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Case Study No. 2: Bard College, Annandale-On-The-Hudson, NY
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The Time Element:
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The AMBICO
"Company Store" contains a number of stock items at any given time.
These are acoustic, stainless steel and bullet resistant products
which are commonly required in the construction of certain types of
building, i.e. schools, hotels, institutions, etc. In each issue of
the AMBICO newsletter we highlight stock items which may be of
particular interest to our customers and which are available for
immediate shipping. | ||||||||||||||||
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| Description of stock wood STC
doors and frames:
Door gasketing along perimeter jambs
and header | ||||||||||||||||
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The Bard
College project presented AMBICO’s resident Engineers with
interesting problems in the design and construction of two sets of
over-sized swing acoustic doors. Problems surrounded the panel
construction, in order to provide strength and ease of installation
without degrading the acoustic performance. The focus centered on
the acoustic seals required to provide the sound attenuation
specified and the problems inherent with the large size and mass of
these specialized
doors: Jim Stockwell,
P.Eng. and Sam Gershon, P.Eng, the core of AMBICO’s professional
research and development team, set out to address the various issues
outlined above. It was
agreed that the doors would experience deflections of up to ½" given
the size and weight of the doors. Because of this deflection, a
new concept for sealing must be developed. The seals for
these particular doors must be more forgiving. A special acoustic
material would be required. A heavily loaded polymer which had a
much higher mass than rubber was selected to fabricate the seals.
Stockwell completed the design specifications for the seals while
Gershon built a much smaller, to scale, prototype of the doors and
seals. They were then able to develop accurate predictions for the
acoustic performance of the seals in the finished doors. The research
team is currently "life testing" new acoustic perimeter the seals
for use on a new project. They have developed a special apparatus in
their laboratories which operates the prototype doors (and seals) 24
hours a day, 7 days a week. This testing has been ongoing for
several months and to date the results have been excellent. Over one
million cycles have been completed with little wear on the
seals. | ||||||||||||||||
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From time to time, AMBICO Limited issues
Press Releases and Technical Bulletins announcing advances in
research and development of new products, as well as unique
door and frame products manufactured in response to special
applications. A timely technical bulletin, AMBICO Limited
Technical Bulletin --#042703A, Component Issues Pertaining To
Acoustic Doors and Frames, has recently been published and can
be found through a direct link to: This particular
bulletin addresses the issues surrounding the importance of each and
every component of an acoustic door and frame unit in realizing and
maintaining the performance rating of the unit. Numerous other
bulletins, press releases and published articles are also found at
the above noted link. | ||||||||||||||||
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1120 Cummings Avenue Telephone:
613-746-4663
E-mail:
specialized@ambico.com
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