The Influence of the Shape of Slab on Heavyweight Impact Sound Reduction for an Apartment Building

In this study, vibration and acoustic analyses were carried out for the development of a spatially-customized efficient floor slab structure that can be applied to diverse apartment sizes and floor plans for reduction of heavyweight impact sound. As a result of these analyses, the plan to use ribbed slab was shown to reduce the heavyweight impact sound most significantly among the three floor slab structures (drafts) presented for reduction of the heavyweight impact sound. Though there were some deviations in the amount of impact sound reduced and in the frequency bands, the results of a single number rating showed that a heavyweight impact sound reduction from as little as 1 dB up to a maximum of 4 dB could be expected compared to a bare slab. Further studies need to determine the actual heavyweight impact sound reduction of the ribbed slab structure through a mockup, and the detailed location, size and interval of joist need to be taken into account as well as the influence of mechanical equipment and construction interference.