The influence of suspended ceilings on the impact sound insulation of wooden-beamed ceilings in a Wilhelminian style house

Abstract

The refurbishment of Wilhelminian style houses, driven by the densification of the living space, is increasingly leading to problems in the field of sound insulation. The high-quality refurbishment of the outer shell of the existing buildings significantly reduces the basic noise level in living rooms. The focus of the project and the work shown is to improve the impact sound insulation of wooden beamed ceilings in Wilhelminian style houses without adding floor height. This ceiling systems show significant differences in its basic constructions compared to the modern wood-beamed ceilings (beam dimensions, spans width, etc.). The work shown examines different suspended ceilings constructions on a wood-beamed ceiling in a Wilhelminian style house. The conclusions are based on the measurement of the impact sound level in different construction phases according to ÖNORM EN ISO 16283-2:2018. An unknown influence are openings, in large numbers, in the suspended ceiling. These are often caused by the installation of lighting or by ventilation systems. The results show that depending on the resulting cross-sectional area of the holes, a reduction in the impact sound insulation is recognizable and should be considered in the planning process.