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Acoustic characterization of traditional wood pavements

Conference Paper · September 2016

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 41st IAHS WORLD CONGRESS
Sustainability and Innovation for the Future
13-16th September 2016
Albufeira, Algarve, Portugal

ACOUSTIC CHARACTERIZATION OF TRADITIONAL WOOD

PAVEMENTS
Rui Calejo1*, Dóris Queirós2 and Rogério Silva 2

1: GEQUALTEC
Faculty of Engineering
University of Porto
Rua Dr. Roberto Frias s/n
e-mail: calejo@fe.up.pt, web: http://paginas.fe.up.pt/~gequaltec/

2: GEQUALTEC
Faculty of Engineering
University of Porto
Rua Dr. Roberto Frias s/n
e-mail: {dmafalda@fe.up.pt, ec10038@fe.up.pt} web: http://paginas.fe.up.pt/~gequaltec/

Keywords: Acoustics, Airborne Sound Insulation, Impact Sound Insulation, Traditional

Wood Pavements, Theoretical Modelling.

Abstract The increasing rehabilitation of historic centres and the lack of information
about the elements of the buildings present in these centres is relevant and of national
interest to deepen the study of the solutions used in buildings in the historic centre.
The rehabilitation emerges as a means for the sustainability of existing buildings and f or
the protection of urban heritage. However, part of this rehabilitation opts for total
replacement of certain characteristic features of the old buildings to meet current comfort
requirements.

The aim is to through site measurements and with the application of theoretical models
characterize a typical building element, present in Porto historic centre, the pavements.
Study the airborne sound insulation and the impact sound insulation, to understand if by
applying little intrusive technological solutions we can obtained a performance set by the
current acoustic comfort criteria.
The airborne sound insulation values, Dn,T,w, and impact sound insulation, L'nT,w,
obtained in site measurements of buildings with the same type of flooring are compared
with those obtained by theoretical models (Sharp and EN 12354-2 model).
It is intended to verify the suitability of the existing theoretical models to the real
behaviour of the flooring solutions.

In general, the results show potential in the tested flooring solutions. It is possible
through rehabilitation small interventions adapt traditional solutions to the current
criteria of comfort. It is still possible to conclude that the existing theoretical models do
not describe the actual behaviour of the solutions applied in traditional pavements.
 Rui Calejo, Dóris Queirós and Rogério Silva

1. INTRODUCTION
In Portugal it was being destroyed systematically the old housing stock [1] which led to the
deterioration and abandonment of most urban centers. Some of the reasons for the
abandonment of most urban centers it's the idea that is necessary more economic spending for
rehabilitation actions than for new construction. The fact that the traditional buildings fail to
meet the necessary requirements of comfort and the fact that rehabilitation process is an
intrusive process leads to the demolition of existing traditional solutions. The rehabilitation
emerges as a fundamental key for the sustainability of existing buildings and safeguard of the
urban heritage.
Rehabilitation should adapt the building to current requirements that define the quality of use.
One of the important requirements that defines an improvement in the quality of life of the
occupants is the acoustics of buildings. This work falls on the acoustic characteristics of a
construction element of a traditional building in Porto. The objective is to characterize the
acoustic behaviour of traditional buildings floors and study its performance against acoustic
requirements for Portuguese legislation.
This study follows on some work done by various authors on the analysis of wood flooring. In
1995 CATED released the book "Amelioration Acoustique des Logements" which describes a
series of studies conducted in several traditional wooden floors. The results for the airborne
sound and impact sound insulation, based on site tests made, of the studied floors are
represented on a graph which relate the airborne sound insulation, R, and impact sound, Ln.
Also, other authors in Portugal have come to characterize the wood floors taking into account
results of site measurements, such as the civil Engineer Diogo Mateus, who published an
article about the "acoustic behaviour of pavements (slabs) - lightweight solutions vs. heavy
solutions "[2]. In this article, published in the journal "Construction Magazine", Diogo
Mateus makes known the lack of reliable predictive models for calculating the sound
insulation of light floors, as wood structure floors, exposing the ineffectiveness of existing
models and the lack of experimental results. This same author published an article which
discuss the influence of airborne sound generated by impact sound on floors. Through site
measurements he concludes that the echoes of impact are negligible for most situations except
for slight floating floors which have a low value for both impact sound insulation and
airborne sound insulation [3]. Inside the theme of Portuguese traditional construction this
work is the continuation of investigations, into the acoustic point of view of this buildings,
how is the case of "Characterization of the acoustic behaviour of rehabilitated buildings" from
Doris Queirós [4] and "The acoustic characterization of old buildings - tabique " by Kevin
Moreira [5].

2. METHODOLOGY
This research aims to determine the acoustic behaviour of traditional pavements of Porto
old buildings, by determining the parameter of impact sound insulation (L'nT,w), and the
parameter of airborne sound insulation (DnT,w). Evaluating the effectiveness of solutions
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 Rui Calejo, Dóris Queirós and Rogério Silva

that we can adapt to improve the acoustic behaviour.

In this regard it will take place site measurements on floors that presenting the original
solutions of the traditional building. The obtained results will be compared with those
obtained by existing theoretical calculation methods for these types of flooring. With this
information will be possible verify that these models are close to the actual values, which
will allow to know the suitability of these methods. The combined results of site
measurements with the theoretical models results increased an amount of information
about the performance of flooring analysis.
The element under study, the wooden floor, consists of rolled sticks which were later
replaced with squared wooden beams spaced 50 centimetres and supported on the stone
structural walls. The stabilization of the framework was made by smaller wooden beams,
spaced 1.5 meters. These floors were top coated with floorboards 3 centimetres thickness
and below they are coated by wooden planks that would be filled by the stuccoed ceiling.
In this solution the ceiling is supported by small wooden planks of trapezoidal shape [6].

Figure 1. Example of wood traditional pavement, Rua dos Caldeireiros, Porto

3.
..
2.
1. ..
4
..

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 Rui Calejo, Dóris Queirós and Rogério Silva

Figure 2. Representation of wood traditional pavement, Rua da Picaria, Porto (1. Wooden beams, 2.
Smaller wooden beams, 3. floorboards, 4. Wooden planks)

3. DISCUSSION AND RESULTS

One of the factors that leads to the replacement of flooring are the noise transmission
between floors of consecutive rooms. These problems are related to the type topcoat and
the links between the various constituent elements. In the case of structural concrete floors
is easier to predict the insulation values to airborne sounds and impact sound. Unlike the
wooden floors where there are no calculation methods to obtain insulation v alues,
construction and materials used vary from floor to floor.
Thus, in order to discuss some of these aspects, there was evaluated the acoustic
performance of several floors with traditional solutions with the aim of studying their
acoustic characteristics.

3.1. Comparison of the measured values with the values of law

According to the RRAE, the regulation of acoustic requisites for buildings, the parameter
value L'nT,w between the emission compartment and the rooms or living areas of different
dwellings is 60 dB, and for historic areas can go to a maximum of 63 dB and DnT,w parameter
measured in bedrooms or living areas of different dwellings takes the value of 50 dB and can
in historic areas take the limit value of 47 dB. The following table is a comparison of the
obtained values by site measurements with the regulatory values.

Table 1. Comparison of values D nT,w and L’nT,w with the contents expressed in RRAE
Building In situ Historic area Remaining areas In situ Historic area Remaining areas
DnT,w (dB) DnT,w ≥ 47 dB DnT,w ≥ 50 dB L’nT,w (dB) L’nT,w ≤63 dB L’nT,w ≤60 dB
E1 47 Complies Not complies 63 Complies Not complies
E2 39 Not complies Not complies 68 Not complies Not complies
E3.1 49 Complies Not complies 63 Complies Not complies
E3.2 48 Complies Not complies 56 Complies Complies
E4 38 Not complies Not complies 79 Not complies Not complies
E5 26 Not complies Not complies 81 Not complies Not complies
E6 53 Complies Complies 61 Complies Not complies
E7* 49 Complies Not complies 62 Complies Not complies
E8* 51 Complies Complies 44 Complies Complies
* - Values taken from the literature [ 42 ] , wooden floors

Results shows that of the nine floors analyzed six check the requirements of the regulations in
historic areas. The buildings E1, E3, E6, E7 and E8 meet the airborne and impact sound
insulation requirements, some values compliance are at the regulatory limit and other values
with an improved performance such as the E6 and E8. These two solutions show that is
possible to achieve values close to those floors used nowadays.
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 Rui Calejo, Dóris Queirós and Rogério Silva

The remaining buildings E2, E4 and E5 do not comply with the limits imposed by legislation.
These differences on the index are explained by the high permeability of these floors, the
existence of rigid connections between different elements of floors, most by nailing, which
are conductive of sound energy that provide the transmission. The lack of continuous
absorbent layers allows the transmission of sound waves and decrease the floor insulation to
airborne sounds.
In the case of buildings that do not meet the levels of insulation imposed by the regulation,
E2, E4 and E5, would all be intervened. The floor that have the worst behavior to airborne
and impact sound is the E5. This happens because this pavement do not have ceiling.
From the acoustic point of view exist a space for a greater use of traditional flooring.
Avoiding its total demolition contributes not only to loss of part of the historical heritage of
the city of Porto as increase the cost of the rehabilitation actions, which require the demolition
of these floors for new construction instead of conserving solutions improving them to meet
current requirements. This study allows the rehabilitation of traditional buildings materials
and solutions without having a total loss.

Figure 3. Pavements representation in analysis due to L ´nT,w and DnT,w

In the figure is made representation to all pavements analysed in site measurements for
airborne sound and impact sound insulation. Also are represented the theoretical insulation
values to airborne sound and impact sound insulation obtained by theoretical methods. We

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 Rui Calejo, Dóris Queirós and Rogério Silva

can see in the figure that there is a higher concentration of floors between 47 and 53 dB below
the level of airborne sound insulation. For impact sound the highest concentration occurs
between 57 and 63 dB. These floors have in its constitution wooden beams, floor coating and
ceiling planks of wood or stucco. The pavements with a simpler construction as E5, that
consists only of structural wooden beams and floor coating without ceiling, obtained the worst
insulating properties to airborne and impact sound. On the other hand the floor E8 is the one
with the best behaviour mainly at the level of impact sound insulation. This can happen if
there is a separation between the structural beams and the ceiling that reduces vibration
caused in the pavement.

3.2. Comparison of the measured values with the theoretical values

One of the main difficulties of this type of flooring is the prediction of the insulation values to
airborne and impact sounds. It is noticeable the lack of calculation models suitable for
calculation of wooden pavements. In the preparation of this study we made the adaptation of
existing calculation models, including the Sharp method that allows to obtain the sound
reduction of the floor for airborne sound, Rw, and the method of EN 12354-2 for obtaining the
impact sound insulation index L'nT, w.
The comparison of the values measured in situ with the values obtained by theoretical
methods will allow verify if these models are suited to study this type of flooring. In the table
are shown the values obtained in site measurements and the values obtained by theoretical
models.

Table 2. Values obtained by site measurements and calculated by theoretical models

Building DnT,w (dB) Rw (dB) theoretical DnT,w (dB) theoretical L’nT,w (dB) L’nT,w (dB) theoretical
E1 47 31 34 63 84
E2 39 33 33 68 87
E3.1 49 33 33 63 84
E3.2 48 33 37 56 84
E4 38 32 32 79 88
E5 26 27* 29 81 86
E6 53 33 33 61 79
*- value calculated by Sharp simplified method
With regard to the airborne sound insulation we can see that there is a large discrepancy
between the values obtained by Sharp method for double element and site measurements. The
Rw value of the E5 building was the only estimated by Sharp method for single elements
because the floor of this building had no roof, being made only by the beams and the floor
coating. The theoretical value of this building is the closest to the site measured. We can
conclude that for single elements appears to be a better adaptation of the Sharp method to
reality unlike the adaptation made for double elements where the difference between values
ranging from 6 dB to 20 dB. The values of theoretical DnT,w index are away from the values
obtained by site measurements which shows the difficulty of adapt theoretical methods to the
behaviour of these floors.

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 Rui Calejo, Dóris Queirós and Rogério Silva

However, the detailed constitution of these floors is very important when we trying to
approach the theoretical calculation models to the real values and the lack of knowledge, by
the impossibility of a closer inspection to the pavement, the actual thickness of each layer
which is the floor, difficult the approach of the real theoretical values.
Regarding the impact sound insulation the index values estimated by EN 12354-2 distance
themselves from the values obtained in site measurements. While the values obtained from
measurements made vary between 56 dB and 81 dB, values calculated by the EN 12354-2
range between 79 dB and 88 dB. As expected is observable the incompatibility, of the EN
12354-2 for the calculation of this type of flooring that reaches worse values than the actual
results. The smallest difference between the calculated values and the measured is 6 dB, the
theoretical value is the quadruple of the value measured in site. In the figure 2 you can see,
graphically, the difference between the values measured in site, represented by blue points,
and the theoretical values which are represented by green points.
We conclude that exists a lack of adaptation of standards for wood floors and the lack of
calculation models able to effectively provide insulation values close to those obtained by the
site tests of pavements.

3.3. Influence of air sounds produced by percussion machine

Measurements of impact sound insulation in the measured floors can not only be influenced
by the impact produced by the percussion machine on the floor but also by air sound that the
machine produces in the room, consequence of that impact. This hypothesis is studied to this
kind of pavements due to their increased permeability to air sounds compared with more
current pavements. In fact Diogo Mateus has published an article addressing this issue which
states that to not exist influence of air sounds produced on the transmitter room, which gives
the name of percussion echoes, the sound level value from percussion echoes that reach the
receiver compartment must be at least 10 dB below the measured values from impact sound.
These measurements were taken at two of the tested buildings, E5 and E6, and the results
from E6 was extrapolated to other floors because it is the one with the most similar pavement
in relation to the other.

Table 3. Sound level produced by the impact machine on the transmitter compartment and the check of its
influence on the measurement of the level of insulation to impact sounds L’nT,w.
f(Hz) 100 125 160 200 250 315 400 500 630 800 1k 1,25k 1,6k 2k 2,5 3,15k
E1 L1i 77,1 80,9 85,3 85,4 84,1 84,4 87,1 85,8 85,9 85,9 82,7 81,2 78,2 75,5 72,4 67,5
ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok
E2 L1i 77,1 80,9 85,3 85,4 84,1 84,4 87,1 85,8 85,9 85,9 82,7 81,2 78,2 75,5 72,4 67,5
ok ko ok ko ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok
E3.1 L1i 77,1 80,9 85,3 85,4 84,1 84,4 87,1 85,8 85,9 85,9 82,7 81,2 78,2 75,5 72,4 67,5
ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok
E3.2 L1i 77,1 80,9 85,3 85,4 84,1 84,4 87,1 85,8 85,9 85,9 82,7 81,2 78,2 75,5 72,4 67,5
ko ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ko ko ok
E4 L1i 77,1 80,9 85,3 85,4 84,1 84,4 87,1 85,8 85,9 85,9 82,7 81,2 78,2 75,5 72,4 67,5
ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok
E5 L1i 57,0 67,2 71,3 70,9 73,9 76,0 79,9 81,7 84,1 86,2 86,1 85,5 84,5 82,4 79,7 75,5
ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok
7
 Rui Calejo, Dóris Queirós and Rogério Silva

E6 L1i 77,1 80,9 85,3 85,4 84,1 84,4 87,1 85,8 85,9 85,9 82,7 81,2 78,2 75,5 72,4 67,5
ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok

In the table are represented the values of the sound pressure level measured in the emission
compartment and the verification of the influence the measurement of the level of isolation to
impact sounds L'nT,w. It is noted that in buildings E1, E3.1, E4, E5 and E6 there is no
influence but in the building E2 and E3.2 at low and high frequency bands do not meet
specified method proposed by Diogo Mateus. The influence of air impact sound may be
associated with differences isolating to impact sounds between these pavements and others
like this.
There is some influence in some frequency bands, although, these are very few in comparison
with the remaining, it is concluded that do not interfere in the calculation of L’nT,w.

4. CONCLUSIONS
With this study we are able to affirm that same pavements comply the requirements of the
regulation for pavements. The six floors studied meet the minimum limits imposed for
historic areas, and for this solutions the airborne sound index obtained was around 50 dB
and impact sound insulation around 60 dB. The differences obtained between some
solutions through site measurements are explained by the permeability of the solutions,
characteristic of these floors, for the existence of rigid connections between layers and the
nonexistence of continuous layers with sound insulation. For these floors are able to
comply with the current requirements and can be made some less intrusive corrections as
placing sound absorbing material and resilient layers. There is space for further use of
these floors avoiding its total demolition.
It was possible to conclude that there is a lack of standards and theoretical methods to
effectively predict the values of insulation index. In all the tested cases the obtained
results by site measurements for the insulation index of the light wooden flooring are
significantly better than those obtained by means of theoretical models.
Also concludes that there are no significant influence of air sounds produced by impact
machine in the calculation of L' nT,w index.

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 Rui Calejo, Dóris Queirós and Rogério Silva

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[4] Paiva, J.V., Aguiar, J. (2006). Guia técnico de reabilitação habitacional
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VERSUS soluções pesadas, Construção Magazine
[6] Mateus, D., Influência do ruído aéreo gerado pela percussão de pavimentos na
determinação de L'n,w
[7] Queirós, D., Caracterização do Comportamento acústico de edíficios reabilitados,
Dissertação de Mestrado FEUP, 2010
[8] Moreira, K., Caracterização Acústica de Edifícios Antigos, Dissertação de
Mestrado FEUP. 2014
[9] Teixeira, J.J.L., Descrição do sistema construtivo da casa burguesa do Porto entre
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