Sliding partitions: pocket doors, accordion, modular
Three families cover a sound reduction index Rw between 30 and 52 dB.
The laboratory acoustic performance of a sliding partition drops by 5 to 8 dB when measured in situ (NF EN ISO 16283-1): a catalogue Rw 45 dB becomes an actual 38-40 dB if the perimeter seals are not adjusted to specification. Yet NF S 31-080:2006 (chapter 5, table 1) sets a minimum of 38 dB Rw between management offices and open-plan spaces, measured in situ and not in a laboratory. Three technical families cover Rw 30 to 52 dB: recessed pocket, suspended accordion, stackable modules. Installation budget 800 to 2,200 EUR/m² depending on project type and finish level, project integration 12 weeks including studies and installation. Kytom has been working on such projects since 2006 with a protocol governed by CSTB Technical Assessments and NF DTU 25.41 and 25.51.
The NF S 31-080:2006 standard sets the acoustic benchmarks for offices: Rw 32 dB for standard confidentiality between enclosed offices, Rw greater than or equal to 38 dB for management offices and sensitive rooms (HR, legal, steering committee). Three technically distinct families meet these thresholds.
Recessed pocket. Panels housed within a 12 to 18 cm technical partition. Opening up to 6 lm, Rw 35 to 45 dB (laboratory values published in the CSTB Technical Assessments of the referenced manufacturers, NF EN ISO 10140 measurements), price 1,200 to 1,700 EUR/m² depending on the finish selected. Flush finish, but the masonry recess must be specified from the APS stage.
Suspended accordion. Top rail only, no bottom rail (accessibility-compliant, 2 cm threshold). Opening up to 20 lm, Rw 30 to 52 dB depending on CSTB acoustic category, price 800 to 1,400 EUR/m². The most contained installation cost of the three families, but a visible footprint when stored.
Stackable modules. Double rail with a 3 to 8 m² storage room. Opening up to 30 lm, Rw 45 to 52 dB (CSTB Technical Assessments, referenced manufacturers), price 1,600 to 2,200 EUR/m². Reserved for large plenary rooms.
Our reading differs from common practice on one specific point. The profession often presents these three families as equivalent based solely on the catalogue Rw criterion. In practice, on the projects we run, the deciding criterion is not laboratory acoustics (all families reach 38 dB) but the available technical partition thickness and the recess planned from the APS stage: a pocket partition not anticipated at APS costs 8,000 to 15,000 EUR in structural rework. The decision is made in the competition phase, not the EXE phase. The panels carry the CE marking, and the referenced manufacturers publish a CSTB Technical Assessment specifying the laboratory acoustic category according to NF EN ISO 10140.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum Rw for a sliding partition between management offices and an open-plan space?
NF S 31-080:2006 (chapter 5, table 1) sets a minimum Rw of 38 dB measured in situ. Given the laboratory / in situ gap of 5 to 8 dB observed during joint acceptance testing, aim for a catalogue panel of Rw 45 dB to secure NF EN ISO 16283-1 acceptance.
Pocket, accordion or stackable modules: which selection criterion?
The deciding criterion is not laboratory acoustics (all families reach 38 dB Rw) but the available technical partition thickness and the masonry recess planned from the APS stage. Pocket if the recess is anticipated and a flush finish is sought, accordion when the envelope is tightly constrained and the accessibility threshold is critical, stackable modules for large plenary rooms beyond 20 lm.
