Abstract
Acoustical tests were conducted on five types of commercial-grade flooring to assess their potential contribution to noise generated within health care facilities outside of patient rooms. The floor types include sheet vinyl (with and without a 5 mm rubber backing), virgin rubber (with and without a 5 mm rubber backing), and a rubber-backed commercial grade carpet for comparison. The types of acoustical tests conducted were ISO-3741 compliant sound power level testing (using two source types: a tapping machine to simulate footfalls and a rolling hospital cart), and sound absorption testing as per ASTM-C423. Among the non-carpet samples, the material type that produced the least sound power was determined to be the rubber-backed sheet vinyl. While both 5 mm-backed samples showed a significant difference compared to their un-backed counterparts with both source types, the rubber-backed sheet vinyl performed slightly better than the rubber-backed virgin rubber in the higher frequency bands in both tests. The performance and suitability of these flooring materials in a health care facility compared to commercial carpeting will be discussed. [Work supported by Paul S. Veneklasen Research Foundation.]
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