In situation when importance of acoustic properties of building structures, especially floors, is increasing, we cooperate with a test lab accredited for acoustic measurements of building structures in an extensive research. The aim is to examine properties of various sound insulating pads and disprove or confirm contradictory information on gradually decreasing thickness and thus sound dampening properties of PE foam based pads.
Knowledge resulting from more than 90 measurements:
1. Floor with 50 mm thick PBG 40 levelling layer proves in most cases better impact noise reduction than the same floor with 50 mm thick EPS 100 levelling layer.
2. Floor with 15 mm thick acoustic EPS pad placed on PBG 40 is by 3.3 dB better than floor with the same acoustic EPS placed on 50 mm thick EPS 100.
3. Decline of ΔLw resulting from the effect of static load in PE foam with the most used thickness of 5 mm is
-5.8 dB; in 10 mm thick PE foam this decline is -2.9 dB. ΔLw is the value of impact sound reduction.
4. Additional info / CAUTION:
5. Findings as per point 3) suggest that if the load is effecting for longer period of time, 5 mm thick PE-foam pad can lose its insulating properties to such extent, that normalized level of impact noise for such floor can rise above 58 dB - the value permitted by the standard.
6. Decline of ΔLw resulting from the effect of the same load as per point 3) in new 6 mm thick EKM 1006 pad is only -2.1 dB; in 9 mm thick EKM 1009 this decline is only -1,6 dB.
7. Floor with EKM 1006 pad is by 2.8 dB better than the same floor with 5 mm thick PE-foam pad – measured on 50 mm thick PBG 40 levelling layer. The value of +2.8 dB increases the reserve necessary to minimize possible adverse effects of structures adjacent to the floor.
8. Floor with EKM 1006 pad and 50 mm thick PBG 40 levelling layer is by 1.4 dB better than the same floor with EKM 1006 on 50 mm thick EPS 100 levelling layer.
9. Floor with EKM pad proves, in vast majority of measured floor compositions, better impact noise reduction than it is in floors with PE foam based insulating pads.
All measurements of floor compositions were carried out in similar conditions and can be repeated any time.
Conclusions:
1. The measurements confirmed suspicions that properties of PE-based pads are gradually deteriorating.
2. The comparison measurements proved that PE foam based impact sound insulation may bring about certain hazards for companies making such floors.
3. These measurements also proved that this hazards rise when the PE foam based pad was installed improperly and sound bridges may arose yet in the process of floor installation.
