Flanking Noise at Stacked Townhouse Entrance Stairs

Authors

Keywords:

stairs, light wood framing, Flanking transmission, Airborne sound insulation, Impact noise

Abstract

In stacked, wood-framed townhouses, entry stairs for upper units pass through the footprint of lower units. The demising construction between the units therefore includes the stairs and floor-ceiling below, as well as the stairwell sidewalls. This irregular construction creates the possibility of significant sound flanking paths between upper and lower units, potentially leading to poor noise isolation performance and occupant dissatisfaction.

This paper present practical solutions that have been used to address sound flanking in these areas, including the results of comparative field measurements to evaluate effectiveness. It is concluded that improvements are possible, although wood-framed entry stairs as typically designed are likely to remain an acoustical weakness.

Additional Files

Published

2024-05-12

How to Cite

1.
Clunis G, Lalonde P-G. Flanking Noise at Stacked Townhouse Entrance Stairs. Canadian Acoustics [Internet]. 2024 May 12 [cited 2024 Jul. 4];52(1). Available from: https://jcaa.caa-aca.ca/index.php/jcaa/article/view/4177

Issue

Vol. 52 No. 1 (2024): Proceedings of Acoustics Week in Canada 2024 Conference joint with 186th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America

Section

Proceedings of the Acoustics Week in Canada

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