In wood-frame buildings of three or more stories, cumulative shrinkage can be significant and have an impact on the function and performance of finishes, openings, mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) systems, and structural connections. However, as more designers look to wood-frame construction to improve the cost and sustainability of their mid-rise projects, many have learned that accommodating wood shrinkage is actually very straightforward. This publication will describe procedures for estimating wood shrinkage and provide detailing options that minimize its effects on building performance.
Mass timber products are growing in popularity, particularly in multifamily residential dwellings, for which they are structurally well-suited. However, acoustic performance of these products has not been robustly tested, which can be a hindrance to building projects due to lack of code compliance or building performance with poor acoustics. The latter is particularly important since the sound transmission class (STC) rating—a single number used to characterize decibel attenuation—does not characterize an assembly in terms of which frequencies it blocks well or transmits. Wood does a good job of attenuating mid- to high-range frequencies, but not necessarily low ones, such as from a sub-woofer, so testing of assemblies is critical because it elicits their performance in terms of the entire range of frequencies, in addition to defining a single STC rating. This allows for adjustments to be made that balance the acoustic performance of the assembly – such as adding isolation through solutions like air space or concrete topping – with construction cost, sequencing and aesthetics. The other standard acoustic rating, impact insulation class (IIC), accounts for foot-fall and other impact noises and is another critical test for determining code compliance of floor assemblies.
The growing availability and code acceptance of mass timber—i.e., large solid wood panel products such as cross laminated timber (CLT) and nail-laminated timber (NLT)—for floor, wall and roof construction has given designers a low-carbon alternative to steel, concrete, and masonry for many applications. However, the use of mass timber in multi-family and commercial buildings presents unique acoustic challenges.
While laboratory measurements of the impact and airborne sound isolation of traditional building assemblies such as light wood-frame, steel and concrete are widely available, fewer resources exist that quantify the acoustic performance of mass timber assemblies. Additionally, one of the most desired aspects of mass timber construction is the ability to leave a building’s structure exposed as finish, which createsthe need for asymmetric assemblies. With careful design and detailing, mass timber buildings can meet the acoustic performance expectations of most building types.
This client report on the acoustics research component regarding sound insulation of elements and systems for mid-rise wood buildings is structured into a main part and four appendices. The main part outlines the background, main research considerations and summarizes conducted research and major outcomes briefly. It is structured like the Acoustics tasks in the Statement of Work of the Mid-rise Wood research project to identify accomplishments. For details on the research, testing and results, the main part references to four appendices that contain more details including test plans, test methods, specimen descriptions and all test data that is vetted so far.
This report summarizes the acoustics research component regarding sound insulation of elements and systems for the research project on mid-rise and larger wood buildings. The summary outlines the background, main research considerations, research conducted and major outcomes. Further details of the design and the results can found in the appendix of Client Report A1-100035-02.1 [1].
The goal of the acoustics research components was to develop design solutions for mid-rise wood and wood-hybrid buildings that comply both with the current National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) 2010 [2] requirements for direct sound insulation and with the anticipated requirements for flanking sound transmission in the proposed, 2015 version of the NBCC. In addition, the design solutions were to provide better impact sound insulation while still achieving code compliance for all other disciplines (interdependencies) as identified in the final report of the scoping study conducted in FY 2010/2011 [3]
A. Shop Drawings and Details for Tests
B. Sound and Impact Test Results Summary
C. Test 1: Sound and Impact Transmission Test - CLT
D. Test 2: Sound and Impact Transmission Test - Concrete Topping
E. Test 3a: Sound and Impact Transmission Test - Marmoleum
F. Test 3b: Sound and Impact Transmission Test - Marmoleum
G. Test 4: Sound and Impact Transmission Test - Carpet
H. Test 5a: Sound and Impact Transmission Test - Luxury Vinyl Plank
I. Test 5b: Sound and Impact Transmission Test - Luxury Vinyl Plank
J. Test 6: Sound and Impact Transmission Test - Mechanical Roof
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