Resilient Channel: One Screw Makes a Difference

Resilient channels have been used for many decades as a means of acoustically isolating a ceiling from the rest of the structure. For almost as long, it likely has been known that resilient channels can be shorted out by misplaced screws. In order to investigate the effect of short circuits, an open web truss (OWT) floor/ceiling assembly was built with a ceiling isolated on resilient channels. Screws were added at the junction of the joist with the resilient channels to intentionally short circuit the channel. Sound Transmission Class (STC) and Impact Insulation Class (IIC) were measured at each stage. The results showed that even one short circuit decreased the acoustical performance.