Measurement of Sound Field for Floor Impact Sounds Generated by Heavy/Soft Impact Sources

Field measurements of floor impact sounds at low frequencies give poor repeatability due to spatial sampling problems. In this study, the spatial distribution of heavy-weight impact sound pressure levels was investigated by field measurements using heavy/soft impact sources, which have been specified as a standard heavy-weight impact source in 140-11. The results of the present study showed that the vertical and horizontal distribution of measured sound pressure levels showed a significant room mode effect at low frequencies. Among the existing standards for measurement of a heavy-weight impact sound, KS F 2810-2 and JIS A 1440-2 provide an appropriate estimation of the room average sound pressure level for bare slab and floating floor, with respect to a low bias error and 95% confidence interval. The guideline for measurement of a heavy-weight impact source was recently proposed in order to complement the limitations of KS F 2810-2 and JIS A 1440-2, and it has been shown that the guideline appropriately performed in the test building and in living rooms of tested apartment buildings.