A sound damping wallboard for installation on an installed wallboard, a sound damping wallboard system, and a method of constructing a sound damping wallboard on a building structure are disclosed. The sound damping wallboard includes a gypsum layer having a gypsum layer inner surface and a gypsum layer outer surface, a first sound damping layer disposed at the gypsum layer inner surface and having a first sound damping layer inner surface opposite the gypsum layer inner surface, a first encasing layer disposed at the gypsum layer outer surface, a second encasing layer disposed at the first sound damping layer inner surface, and a second sound damping layer disposed at the second encasing layer opposite the first sound damping layer inner surface.

A firewall includes wallboard arranged in three or more layers. The wallboard may include gypsum, fiber glass, and/or vermiculite. The firewall may be reinforced with fasteners, such as laminating screws, affixing the layers of wallboard to one another. The firewall may be incorporated into an area separation wall such that the area separation wall satisfies the standards of ASTM E119 or UL 263.

A wall assembly includes tracks structured to be coupled to supports and wall studs coupled to the tracks. The wall studs include a first sidewall, a first web coupled to the first sidewall and a second sidewall coupled to the first web to define a first channel. The wall studs further include a second web coupled to the second sidewall and a third sidewall coupled to the second web to define a second channel as well as a third web coupled to the third sidewall and a fourth sidewall coupled to the third web to define a third channel. The second web is offset from the first web and the third web to isolate each of the channels and attenuate sound waves. Further, the studs may include one or more openings for further isolation and to reduce the amount of steel in the studs, which reduces cost.

A sound damping wallboard for installation on an installed wallboard, a sound damping wallboard system, and a method of constructing a sound damping wallboard on a building structure are disclosed. The sound damping wallboard includes a gypsum layer having a gypsum layer inner surface and a gypsum layer outer surface, a first sound damping layer disposed at the gypsum layer inner surface and having a first sound damping layer inner surface opposite the gypsum layer inner surface, a first encasing layer disposed at the gypsum layer outer surface, a second encasing layer disposed at the first sound damping layer inner surface, and a second sound damping layer disposed at the second encasing layer opposite the first sound damping layer inner surface.

Framing and panel fastening devices, systems and methods. The fastening devices include an interface portion comprising an inner side and an outer side opposing the inner side, the outer side comprising a first touch fastening component of a touch fastener. The devices further include first and second side wall portions extending in a thickness direction from the inner side of the interface portion. The interface portion extends laterally between the first and second side wall portions to form an inner channel configured to receive and couple to at least a front face portion of a framing member therein. The systems comprise at least one of the fastening devices and at least one building panel with a back face that comprises a second touch fastening component coupled thereto. The first and second touch fastening components configured to removably couple together when operatively engaged.

A building element includes a sheet of a rigid material and at least one nonlinear energy sink including a blade with two end parts and a nonlinear spring function intermediate part, a mass fixed to the nonlinear spring function intermediate part of the blade, and a fixing element allowing the two end parts of the blade to be fixed to a solid support in such a way that the nonlinear spring function intermediate part can oscillate about its position of equilibrium or its positions of equilibrium. The nonlinear energy sink is fixed rigidly to the sheet by the fixing element. The building element can be contained in a partition wall. Additionally, such an energy sink or building element can be used for reducing the acoustic transparency of a wall.

A partition for a building structure comprises a support frame and a plasterboard affixed to the support frame with a plurality of screws. The plasterboard comprises a gypsum matrix having fibres embedded therein in an amount of at least 1 wt % relative to the gypsum, as well as a polymeric additive that is present in an amount of at least 1 wt % relative to the gypsum. The support frame comprises a plurality of elongate timber members and the average spacing between nearest-neighbour screws is greater than 400 mm.

A system for the modular construction of partitions, the system comprising a plurality of modules, each module comprising a security panel and a frame, the security panel being attached to one or more surface of the frame, the frame comprising at least one box shaped profile, each profile being adapted for connection to an adjacent profile of an adjacent module or to a structural building member.

A modular acoustic structure includes a number of joined acoustic wall panels and acoustic ceiling tiles positioned atop the joined acoustic wall panels. The joined acoustic wall panels define a doorless aperture in the modular acoustic structure, an internal chamber, and a straight acoustic hallway connecting the doorless aperture and the internal chamber via an internal aperture. The straight acoustic hallway absorbs soundwaves travelling between the doorless aperture and the interior chamber. The acoustic wall and/or ceiling panels may include an acoustic absorptive surface and an acoustic reflective surface. The acoustic properties of the interior chamber and/or the straight acoustic hallway may be altered or tuned by changing which of the surfaces faces an interior of the modular acoustic structure. The size of the interior chamber and/or the modular acoustic structure may be adjustable by adding and/or removing acoustic wall and/or ceiling panels.

An office partition system including a partition frame having front and rear sides. Front and rear transparent sheet material is disposed on the front and rear sides of the partition frame, respectively. Horizontally and vertically extending dividers are disposed between the front and rear transparent sheet material to define a plurality of vertically juxtaposed interior chambers. The front transparent sheet material comprises a plurality of first sheets, each first sheet having horizontally-extending upper and lower edges. The upper and lower edges of adjacent first sheets are vertically spaced apart to define horizontally elongated gaps therebetween. The horizontally elongated gaps are fluidly connected to interior chambers disposed above and below the horizontal dividers to define Helmholtz resonators whereby sound that is incident on the front side of the partition frame is absorbed to the Helmholtz resonance.