Evaluation of mock up testing as a method to predict impact ratings of new hard surface floors in existing buildings

Abstract

Renovations in multifamily residential buildings often involve the installation of new hard surface flooring. The new flooring must comply with building code minimum ratings. Homeowners Associations may also impose more stringent acoustic criteria. In many cases, the structure of the building is unknown or there are no published tests available for the desired floor-ceiling assembly. One method to evaluate performance of floor-ceiling assemblies is to conduct impact testing on a small sample of the floor assembly in situ. Although this is less costly than testing a fully installed floor, performance variations have been observed between mock up test assemblies and the final installation. This paper will evaluate the accuracy of mock up tests in predicting the impact rating of final floor installations.