High-performance steel-framed wall and floor/ceiling assemblies

Abstract

Lightweight steel-framed assemblies can present significant advantages for construction: they are non-combustible, they can be faster to build, and they can be significantly lighter than concrete assemblies. However, steel-framed assemblies often present significant challenges when trying to obtain high levels of acoustical performance. In this paper the author presents sets of laboratory data for two assemblies. The first is a floor/ceiling assembly comprised of steel C-section joists with a spring-isolated gypsum board ceiling. This assembly achieved ratings of STC and IIC 60+ with hard-surface flooring. The second is a cross-braced double-stud wall with resilient sound isolation clips and damped gypsum board panels. This assembly achieved ratings up to STC 81. The test series also looked at the performance of the wall with and without cross-bracing, sound isolation clips, and damped gypsum board panels.