AKUSTIK + SYLOMER FLOOR MOUNTS IN CLT STRUCTURES

LABORATORY TEST RESULTS FOR THE AKUSTIK + SYLOMER FLOOR MOUNTS IN CLT STRUCTURES

This article shows the tests results for floating floor installations when used in Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) structures, comparing them to the results of the bare CLT structure.

INTRODUCTION

Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) structures are made of layers of timber boards that are glued to each other. The boards of each layer are oriented perpendicular to adjacent layers so similar structural properties can be obtained in both directions.

In general, timber structures are harder to acoustically isolate due to their lower mass compared to concrete structures. Due to this, the proper selection of acoustic insulation products becomes more critical.

Different tests have been carried out using different solutions for the floating floor from a bare CLT structure to an installation with several fibreboard layers with our floating mounts.

THE PRODUCTS THAT HAVE BEEN TESTED ARE:

AKUSTIK + SYLOMER FLOOR MOUNTS

The Akustik + Sylomer® Floor mounts are anti vibration mounts that have been designed for the installation of wooden floors with a batten system. Their easy installation and low space requirement allow exceptional vibration and noise isolation as part of a floating floor application.

These mounts are typically installed every 0,5 meters. But this feature may be tuned to adapt to the load or natural frequency requirement of the application. The natural frequency at their optimal loading point reaches values below 12 Hz. These technical properties provide a high level of noise and vibration isolation when used in light wooden structures.

RESULTS OF THE LABORATORY TESTS

Main Characteristics

The floor plan of the test area and the arrangement of the "Akustik+Sylomer® 25 Floor Mount" mounting elements on the CLT raw ceiling is shown in figure below:

Measurement conditions

• Test area: 13,4m2
• Mass per unit area: 115Kg/m2
• Air temperature in test room 1/2: 20 / 19 °C
• Rel. humidity in test room 1/2: 30 / 31 %
• Static pressure in test room 1: 1006 hPa
• Static pressure in test room 2: 1005 hPa
• Floor surface temperature: 20°C
• Volume of test room 1/2: 52/56 m3

Construction

In order to show the acoustic advantages when using Akustik+Sylomer® Floor mounts in a Cross-Laminated Timber structure, impact noise and airborne noise tests are carried out with different configurations:

This way, the acoustic performance of a floating floor suspended on Akustik + Sylomer® Floor Mounts can be compared to a bare CLT structure without floating floor.

Results

The results of the acoustic tests with each configuration are shown below:

               

These results clearly show how the noise insulation can be improved in CLT structures by using floating floors suspended on Akustik + Sylomer® Floor Mounts.

The use of Akustik + Sylomer® Floor Mounts allows an improvement in impact noise level between 41dB and 44dB, while the improvement in airborne noise is 26dB to 27dB, depending on the tested floor variant.

The difference is particularly noticeable at high frequencies, in which a difference up to 55dB in impact noise and up to 39dB in airborne noise can be seen.

These results show how effectively a CLT structure can be acoustically isolated by implementing a floating floor suspended on Akustik + Sylomer® Floor mounts.

Do not hesitate to contact our application engineers for more information on this product.