Building Impact Sound Sourcees and Ratings

Abstract

This paper discusses the rating method of floor impact sound sources, one of the most important issues in ‘building acoustics’. Properties of impact sources, including the standard impact sources and human activities, are reviewed in terms of physical and subjective characteristics. A heavy/soft impact source, i.e., a rubber ball, has been proposed as a heavy-weight standard impact source and the related measurement procedure is presented. Heavy-weight impact sounds have been characterized by subjective evaluations, and heavy-weight impact vibrations were predicted by using both the beam transfer function method and numerical simulations. On the basis of measurement and simulation results, the improvement of floor structures and materials in multi-story residential buildings will be discussed.