Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Durra - Affordable Building Systems comments please

This is topic Durra - Affordable Building Systems comments please in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-17-2004, 06:00 PM:

Has anyone used this company? Interested in comments for a theater company I service. They claim a transmission loss of 35db @50Hz, 75db @500Hz, 103db @2000Hz, etc.

www.affordablebuildingsystems.com

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-17-2004, 09:35 PM:

Brad,
I assume that you're talking about the wall system they make..... While I do not have any direct experience with them you have to make sure that these walls, the floors, roof and the outer building walls are integrally designed to work together to quech sound transmission or whole point of the quality of the wall itself is pretty much lost. Another point is that they may save construction time but the freight costs might offset any real money savings vs. standard construction.

Quite a few of our customers are using poured in place concrete using styrofoam forms that can be built and installed by a very small crew very quickly. Typically this type of construction will also get you done a month sooner than standard brick and mortar. When done properly with split floors, and roof decks these buildings are absolutely amazing at stopping sound transmission between rooms.

Mark @ CLACO

Posted by David M. Dorn (Member # 2298) on 04-17-2004, 09:41 PM:

Brad,

I looked at the specs PDF for the ceiling system. In the spec. they state that the techonolgy is a patented one from Australia. Maybe some of our Australian members can comment. They did not, as far as I can see, give the name of the Australian source of this technology.

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 04-18-2004, 04:44 AM:

Styrofoam construction has a number of advantages including great sound insulation between rooms, however, they are not without there own significant drawbacks. For instance, vandalism is much easier in a styrofoam constructed building. Several years ago, some of our ushers got into the habit of chucking their brooms at the rear wall of the theatre. Since this wall was styrofoam with stucco sprayed over it, the brooms would lodge into the wall, creating a hole. After this had gone on for awhile, between middle school punks and our ushers, the entire outside wall from the ground to about 7 ft up, had to be replaced. This time, it was constructed with concrete. Inside the theatre it also causes problems. Hand rails, exit signs, and other wall fixtures are much easier to rip out since all they have to anchor them in is styrofoam with a thin layer of sheet rock or drywall in front.

I'm not sure if our roof is constructed in a similar fashion, however it "sags" in areas (making it very scary to walk on) and has tremendous leakage problems.

But I can certainly vouch for the sound. These are some of the very best sounding theatres I have ever watched a movie in.