Numerical validation for improving prediction accuracy of heavy-weight impact sound in floating floor systems of concrete apartments

Abstract

Accurate prediction of heavy-weight floor impact sound in concrete apartments is essential for minimizing residents’ exposure to low-frequency noise, which can significantly affect health and quality of life. This study investigates an improved finite element analysis (FEA) modeling approach by accurately reproducing the dynamic stiffness of resilient materials in floating floor systems. The elastic modulus and dynamic stiffness of four types of resilient materials were experimentally measured using a universal testing machine (UTM) and ISO 9052-1 testing methods, respectively. These values were then used in an FEA model developed in COMSOL Multi-physics. The results demonstrated that conventional input methods, where the elastic modulus is obtained by multiplying the measured dynamic stiffness by material thickness, led to an overestimation of 175.2% compared to the actual measured values. To improve accuracy, a correction factor was derived, adjusting the input elastic modulus to 60%–66% of the measured dynamic stiffness multiplied by thickness, which reduced prediction errors to within 0.6 MN/m³. When applied to heavy-weight floor impact sound prediction in actual apartment buildings, this method improved prediction accuracy by up to 48.1% (RMSE criterion) compared to conventional approaches. These findings highlight the importance of accurately defining material properties in FEA simulations for floating floor systems to prevent low-frequency amplification effects and optimize sound insulation performance.