Transfer functions in timber construction - prediction of sound transmission from building services systems using a tabular, practical engineering method

Project background

In order to verify the legally required sound insulation of building services systems, it is necessary to know the sound emissions emitted by these systems and their transmission in the building. EN 12354-5 provides a validated calculation method for this, but it can only be used in solid construction. There is currently a complete lack of corresponding planning aids for timber construction.

Project objective

The aim of the proposed project is to develop a practicable calculation method for timber construction in order to significantly improve the complex planning processes in timber construction to meet the required sound insulation. So-called transfer functions are considered to be a method for this, which describe the entire transmission from the introduced structure-borne sound power to the resulting sound pressure level in the room requiring protection. These can be determined by measurement in buildings with timber construction.

Innovation

The basic suitability of this method has already been demonstrated for selected transmission situations in research work by Rosenheim University of Applied Sciences and other research institutions. The challenge now is to measure a large number of different transmission situations in a representative selection of timber constructions and to validate the method using real sources to enable it to be applied to wide areas of timber construction.