Review of the impact ball in evaluating floor impact sound

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to review the use of a new standard impactor, the impact ball, in evaluating heavy-weight impact sounds in multi-story reinforced concrete residential buildings. Physical properties such as impedance and force of the impact sources, including the impact ball and human activity, were measured. In particular, noise from the impact ball was analyzed and the relationships between sound levels and subjective responses were investigated. The results showed that the noise from the impact ball is similar to the noise of children running and jumping, and that subjective responses to the noise correlate well with Zwicker's Loudness model and the newly defined floor impact sound level (L-i,L-Fmax.AW). It was also found that the noise level of the impact ball is slightly higher than that of the bang machine, although the impact ball has a lower impact force. In addition, when the noise from the impact ball was evaluated under both laboratory and in-situ conditions, the allowable sound level was found to be 54 dB (L-i.Fmax.AW).