A study of the causes of variation of the sound insulation properties of party floors in newly converted dwellings

A study of the causes of the variation of sound insulation properties of party floors in newly converted dwellings by: Ali Peyvandi
This thesis presents results of a detailed investigation of the various methods of sound insulation employed in newly converted dwellings. It puts forward suggest reasons for the overall poor performance of the different techniques used and examines and reports on the performance of new methods of insulation designed to overcome the present problems and provide better sound barriers. It reports an investigation into the reasons for the wide variations in the sound insulation performance of notionally identical structures looking at the effects of poor workmanship, flanking transmission and the size of the rooms on the sound insulation tests used. The experimental approach is supported by a theoretical study of the effect of small rooms on field measurements. A new theoretical model is presented which has been developed to explain certain aspects of sound transmission through holes in floors and ceilings, and which is seen to be in reasonable accord with the experimental findings.
A technique is described for determining the contribution of flanking transmission in a dwelling by a simple and direct method. The technique is applied to the test facil Ity.and=jt: is=.shown that if. the test facility is reasonably representative of conversions, then the allowance for flanking in the Building Regulation (1990) may be in the low side.