Experimental Analysis of Flooring Structures for Low-Frequency Impact Noise Attenuation in Fitness Centres

Abstract

The propagation of low-frequency noise in buildings can be a significant challenge in the field of building acoustics and structural noise propagation. A specific case is the impact noise generated in the operation of fitness centres. Standard engineering practices rarely address such extreme excitation scenarios, and only a limited number of measurement procedures are available for evaluating structural performance under these conditions. The presented research task deals with the design of an acoustic floor structure with the aim of attenuating the propagation of low-frequency noise generated by the impact of single-handed dumbbells in the operation of a fitness centre. Attention was paid to the optimization of the material of resilient layers and the evaluation of their efficiency in reducing impact noise, especially in the area of low frequencies below 100 Hz. Based on a comprehensive experimental study involving over 60 different structural layer compositions, an optimized floor system was developed to effectively mitigate the impact noise produced by a 20 kg dumbbell drop.