In situ testing methods for evaluating and predicting the impact isolation of high-performance floating floors - Part 1

Abstract

Floating floors using discrete isolators are commonly recommended to mitigate impact noise from fitness facilities; however, there has been little study of the performance of floating floors under the types of heavy/hard impacts that often cause noise and vibration complaints from fitness facilities. Furthermore, it can be difficult to create mock-ups of floating floor systems for in situ testing, making it difficult to adequately evaluate their performance. Here, the authors present the beginnings of a research program intended to develop effective methods for evaluating and predicting the performance of floating floors using in situ testing methods. Part 1 of the presentation covers the overall scope of the research program, a discussion of prior work by others that informed the research program, an overview of the measurement setup and methodology, and a discussion of the methods to capture, post-process, and analyze the data.