Interlaboratory and proficiency tests for field measurements in Brazil

This paper presents the methodologies and procedures used in the interlaboratory program, as well as the results of both the interlaboratory test and the proficiency carried out in São Paulo (Brazil) during 2017 by ProAcústica - Brazilian Association for Acoustical Quality The application of Brazilian standard series ABNT NBR 15.575: 2013, which sets acoustic requirements for dwellings, including verification field tests procedures according to ISO standards, has raised significantly the demand for sound insulation tests, as well as the number of field laboratories all around the country. ProAcústica - Brazilian Association for Acoustical Quality is a non-profit entity which main objective is the continuous dissemination and improvement of the acoustics sector in Brazil. Aiming to meet this objective, ProAcústica organized the third edition of the "Interlaboratory program of field tests for building acoustics laboratories", which consists of a fundamental tool for acoustic field laboratories to evaluate and verify the quality of their measurement results. In this edition participated a total number of 19 laboratories for different type of tests (airborne sound insulation and airborne facade sound insulation, impact sound level, sound pressure level from service equipment in buildings, and reverberation time). The main objectives were the evaluation of the precision of the field test methods in the Brazilian market, the analysis of the performance of the participating laboratories as a quality control tool.