Swedish company Akoustos, a spin-off company of Malmö University, developed a sound-absorbing screw, which provides both a resilient connection between panels and studs while also absorbing airborne and impact sound.

Disturbing noise from neighbours and traffic outside or between rooms is a common problem in homes and offices. To fight this, generally, sound absorbing materials are installed, which leaves the building with smaller floors and ceilings.

The Sound Screw, officially called the Revolutionary Sound Absorbing Screw, is said to be able to halve perceived sound levels. It can be used to mount plasterboard directly to the walls, freeing up floor space. The screw is especially suitable for construction with wooden joints, where acoustic challenges are greater than in buildings made of concrete.

In essence, the Sound Screw breaks sound waves. It is split in the middle with a spring placed outside. The screw tip goes into the wooden joist, the head holds the plasterboard in place and in between a thin resilient mechanical coupling that prevents the sound waves from advancing is formed. This dynamic causes sound waves to be dampened.

The test data from a sound lab show that the Sound Screw reduces noise transmission by nine decibels. As the decibel scale is logarithmic, that is equivalent to cutting the noise level in half.

Photo: Malmö University