Extending the frequency range of ISO 717-2 - a look at options and issues

In 2019, the Norwegian Standard NS 8175, which defines requirements for sound insulation in Norwegian buildings, was revised to include low frequency spectrum adaption terms for new dwellings. This change affects the applicability of measurements of weighted improvement of impact sound insulation, delta Lw, as the spectrum for calculating delta Lw, given in ISO 717-2, is limited downwards to 100 Hz. For a floating floor construction, this means that floors with a resonance frequency well below 100 Hz, and correspondingly a relatively high delta Lw, will be overrated in the sense that the measured delta Lw will be unaffected by the poor low frequency performance of the floating floor. To properly address this increased focus on low frequencies, an extended range spectrum is needed. In the work leading to this paper, a selection of extended range values for the reference heavyweight floor have been suggested, starting with a linear extrapolation of the values given in ISO 717-2. Data from laboratory measurements of delta Lw for floating floors have then been used to investigate the suitability of the suggested values. The results are summarised and discussed in this paper.