The Evolution in the Sound Insulation of Spanish Floors. Typical Performance and their Potential for Improvement

In addition to other requirements, floors in multi-storey housing must protect occupants from neighbor noise. In Spain, Basic Document DB HR Protection against noise of the Building Code requires a minimum airborne sound insultation of DnT,A (≈ DnT,w + C100-5000) ≥ 50 dBA and a maximum impact sound insulation of L'nT,w ≤ 65 dB between two adjoining dwellings. However out of the 25,6 million dwellings in Spain, only 0,54 million have been built after the Basic Document DB HR Protection against noise came into force in 2009. During the years the construction of floors has changed in Spain, from the traditional timber floors to the current beam and block floors with cement screed floating floors. This papers explains the evolution in the types and construction of floors in Spain from 1900 to present days and analyses their airborne and impact sound insulation in relation with the current requirements. This papers uses mainly data obtained from measurements. It also focuses on the potential for improvement of floors.