Evluation of floor impact sounds in a box-frame type scale model structure

Abstract

This study investigated the characteristics of heavy-weight floor impact sounds of box-frame type structure using 1:10 scale model. Ten types of floor structures(bare slabs and floating floors) were evaluated in terms of dynamic stiffness and loss factor. Floor vibrations and radiated sounds generated by simulated impact source were also measured. The results showed that the bakelite was appropriate for simulating concrete slab in the 1:10 scale model, and surface velocity and sound pressure level of concrete slab measured from the scale model showed similar tendencies with the results from in-situ in frequency domain. It was also found that dynamic behaviors of layered floor structures in the 1:10 scale model were similar to those in a real scale. Therefore, the use of 1:10 scale model would be useful for evaluating the heavy-weight floor impact sound insulation of layered floor structures when the frequency-dependent dynamic properties of each material are known.