Floating Floor

The sound radiates via the floor into adjacent rooms and other noise sensitive spaces of the building, where it is perceived as a disturbing noise. The high-performance acoustic floating floors distinguish structural and isolated floor by providing the neoprene mounts.    

Two masses separated by a low frequency response isolator create the environment for noise impact reduction many times greater than a single mass of equal weight. The isolator seeks to emulate the stiffness properties of air, but as this space increases, the frequency of the isolator governs the frequency of the floor system. If noise reduction is the primary goal, then enveloping walls usually rest on the isolated floor. Ceiling with their own isolators cap the construction.

FLOATING FLOOR VARIANTS

CONCRETE SYSTEM

Concrete floating floors are the most common type due to their robust construction having capacity to hold the larger weight. Such floors as compared to any other form provide a complete area homogenous slab with minimum flanking.

The thickness of the concrete floating slab depends upon the area of use and the load requirement and mesh reinforcement is typically used. The structural stability of slab to be verified by structural engineer during design stage. Concrete floating floor system is ideal to use where heavy equipment’s to be placed over the isolated slab i.e., Chillers, Generators and Air Handling units etc.

DRY SYSTEM (Floated Wood and Composite Floor System)

Dry system is ideal approach where it is not feasible to cast the concrete floating slab, or structure cannot withstand high load, or constraint by height, or curing time create delays. Dry system can be created by using plaster boards and plywood and acoustic walls construction can start immediately. This system shall be best use for Theaters, Dance Studios, Night clubs, Recording Studios, Cinema halls and Concert Halls etc.

All floating floor system must be isolated at perimeter using minimum 20mm thick isolation board to avoid the flanking transmission.  

The EANF neoprene floor isolators supplied by Enginias INC, Canada, all perform below 8.5 Hz and compound is to AASHO specification.

The professional acoustician is the best person to make the evaluations and provide the best suitable advice pertaining to area of isolation and thickness of floating slab.