Ontario Construction News staff writer
OTTAWA – About 15 in-person attendees and another 200 virtual participants joined the Construction Specifications Canada (CSC) Ottawa Chapter last Thursday (April 23) for an exclusive technical session and facility tour at AMBICO Limited.
The hybrid event focused on the critical role of sound control in architectural design, diving deeply into acoustic testing, specification, and the complex manufacturing of high-performance door assemblies.
Addressing the audience, AMBICO technical expert Rachel Barr, Director of Engineering and R&D, emphasized that acoustic control is a vital consideration for the health, safety, and welfare of building occupants. She noted that 40 decibels is typically considered the maximum safe range for long-term living and working environments.
“Sustained exposure to high sound levels has been linked to health conditions such as increased high blood pressure, increased heart attacks, increase of type two diabetes, let alone the more immediate impact of decreased focus and productivity,” she said.
Barr explained that determining the correct Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating relies heavily on the end-use of a space, whether that means ensuring speech privacy in a medical exam room, maintaining focus in a classroom setting, or securing conversations in sensitive information facilities.
A major focus of the presentation was the necessity of testing and specifying acoustic doors as complete assemblies rather than individual parts. Because acoustic doors must fit within typical architectural profiles—often just 1 3/4 inches thick—they face the challenge of performing the same acoustic blocking as a much thicker wall cavity.
To achieve lab-certified STC ratings, the door leaf, frame, perimeter seals, door bottoms, and meeting style seals must be designed to work together. Barr noted that combining mismatched components from different manufacturers can cause fit and function issues, drastically reducing field performance.
Adding standard seals to unoptimized doors might only yield a two to three point increase in STC, whereas using seals optimized with a specific engineered door can provide a four to 10 point lift.
A common pitfall in architectural design is over-specifying STC ratings, which can disrupt a project’s budget and functionality.
While requesting the highest available rating might seem like the safest route, it often results in doors that are overly heavy, difficult to operate, and cost-prohibitive.
“If you try to put that in a kindergarten classroom, for example, it’s not going to be functional in that space,” Barr warned. She added that cost-prohibitive specifications frequently face value-engineering during the bid process, which can paradoxically leave the final installation under-specified for its required use.
Beyond pure acoustics, AMBICO’s specialized steel and wood doors can be integrated with multi-threat protections. Options include combining acoustic ratings with radio frequency (RF) shielding to block electromagnetic waves, ballistic ratings, blast resistance, and fire ratings up to 180 minutes.
However, high-performance designs rely entirely on precise installation. Frame setting, clearances, and tolerances are vital to ensure seals compress and function properly in the field. AMBICO strongly advocates for using certified installers to prevent post-installation failures and runs dedicated installation certification seminars several times a year.
During the Q&A segment, attendees asked about compliance with the Buy American Act for U.S.-based projects. Judah Silverman, the company’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) explained that compliance heavily depends on how the front-end tender documents are written.
“There’s Buy American, which is different from Buy America, which is different from BABA (Build America, Buy America),” Silverman said.
He explained that in many cases, AMBICO complies due to standard treaty exemptions for Canada under the USMCA. The most difficult stipulations usually stem from the older Buy America Act, which prioritizes the U.S. steel industry and is typically reserved for major transportation projects.
Following the technical presentation, the in-person attendees were treated to a guided, behind-the-scenes tour of AMBICO’s Ottawa manufacturing facility to see the specialized assembly process firsthand.
