Assessing acoustic performance of cross-laminated timber floors with floor covering and air-gap

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is an increasingly popular building material due to its sustainability and structural performance. This study investigates the impact sound of CLT floor panels or square timber CLT, focusing on both lightweight and heavyweight impact sounds. The novelty lies in comparing four-floor coverings with different CLT panel configurations, including vinyl board attached to CLT floor panels, vinyl board with CLT-inserted air gap with gypsum board, and gypsum board with an air gap from CLT floor panels. The results demonstrate that vinyl board with CLT-inserted air gap with gypsum board effectively reduces the lightweight impact sound by 15.86 dB and heavyweight impact sound by 7.01 dB at 250 Hz. Moreover, t-test results exhibited a significant variation (p = ≤ 0.005) for lightweight impact sound and a non-significant variation (p = 0.092) for heavyweight impact sound. Additionally, adding an air gap with a gypsum board beneath CLT floors can reduce both impact sounds. This information can be helpful for architects and designers aiming to improve acoustic performance in a building.