Low-frequency impact sound in CLT floors: Perceptual gains from beam integration.
Saved in:
| Title: | Low-frequency impact sound in CLT floors: Perceptual gains from beam integration. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Asakura, T.1 (AUTHOR) t_asakura@rs.tus.ac.jp, Mizunuma, H.1 (AUTHOR), Hiramitsu, A.2 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Building Acoustics. Jun2026, Vol. 33 Issue 2, p213-229. 17p. |
| Subjects: | Structural acoustics, Wood floors, Magnitude estimation, Sound-wave attenuation |
| Abstract: | Low-frequency floor-impact noise is the principal acoustic shortcoming of cross-laminated-timber (CLT) construction, yet current single-number ratings are rooted in tapping-machine spectra and under-represent heavy/soft human impacts below 100 Hz. We couple a validated plate–beam finite-element model of a two-story CLT test building to a rectangular room-acoustic model and generate 12 auralized stimuli—three slab thicknesses (150, 210, and 270 mm) with and without mid-span and quarter-span beams, each excited by literature-based jump-type (1.2 kN, 20 ms) and run-type (0.6 kN, 30 ms) forces. The frequency-domain responses are converted to time waveforms via inverse FFT and reproduced, after full transfer-path equalization, to 20 normal-hearing adults in a semi-anechoic room. Psychophysical scaling employs magnitude estimation (ME) for all stimuli and paired comparison (PC) for the six jump-type cases, while the objective descriptor is the event maximum level L AFmax (ISO 717-2:2020, Annex D). Beam integration lowers L AFmax by 1.9, 1.3, and 5.9 dB for the 150, 210, and 270 mm slabs, respectively, with a mean reduction of 3.1 dB; thicker slabs are consistently quieter than thinner ones. ME geometric means correlate strongly with L AFmax (r = 0.88, semi-log fit, R 2 = 0.77), and the PC loudness scale shows a comparable association (r = 0.85, R 2 = 0.73), confirming that event-level attenuation translates directly to perceived quietness. Results demonstrate that beam integration is an effective structural lever for sub-100 Hz impact noise and that L AFmax, evaluated on simulation or rubber-ball tests, provides a perceptually grounded design metric that complements conventional ratings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Building Acoustics is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | Low-frequency floor-impact noise is the principal acoustic shortcoming of cross-laminated-timber (CLT) construction, yet current single-number ratings are rooted in tapping-machine spectra and under-represent heavy/soft human impacts below 100 Hz. We couple a validated plate–beam finite-element model of a two-story CLT test building to a rectangular room-acoustic model and generate 12 auralized stimuli—three slab thicknesses (150, 210, and 270 mm) with and without mid-span and quarter-span beams, each excited by literature-based jump-type (1.2 kN, 20 ms) and run-type (0.6 kN, 30 ms) forces. The frequency-domain responses are converted to time waveforms via inverse FFT and reproduced, after full transfer-path equalization, to 20 normal-hearing adults in a semi-anechoic room. Psychophysical scaling employs magnitude estimation (ME) for all stimuli and paired comparison (PC) for the six jump-type cases, while the objective descriptor is the event maximum level L AFmax (ISO 717-2:2020, Annex D). Beam integration lowers L AFmax by 1.9, 1.3, and 5.9 dB for the 150, 210, and 270 mm slabs, respectively, with a mean reduction of 3.1 dB; thicker slabs are consistently quieter than thinner ones. ME geometric means correlate strongly with L AFmax (r = 0.88, semi-log fit, R 2 = 0.77), and the PC loudness scale shows a comparable association (r = 0.85, R 2 = 0.73), confirming that event-level attenuation translates directly to perceived quietness. Results demonstrate that beam integration is an effective structural lever for sub-100 Hz impact noise and that L AFmax, evaluated on simulation or rubber-ball tests, provides a perceptually grounded design metric that complements conventional ratings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1351010X |
| DOI: | 10.1177/1351010X261423668 |
