Upstairs Downstairs: Methodology

Calculations

Research relevant codes and standards

Research construction assembly of existing floor assembly

Calculate IIC and STC levels for existing floor assembly

Survey

Develop survey questions

Submit application for authorization to study human subjects to: Office of Human Subjects Compliance

Distribute survey to all residents of Apartment Complex

Collect and compile survey data

Analyze resultant data to assess patterns of acoustic transmission through floor assembly, and residents' acoustical satisfaction based on their location and relationship to other apartments

A copy of our survey and its accompanying cover letter are available in Adobe Acrobat Format (PDF).

or as a GIF

The structure of the survey itself focuses on different types of sounds in order to isolate and differentiate between airborne and impact sounds. An airborne noise transmits sound energy through the medium of the air. Some of the typical airborne sources we isolated in our survey were people talking, radios and televisions. This is distinct from a impact noise, in which sound energy is transmitted directly into a solid medium, i.e.; the structure and finishes of the building. These noises are the resultant of a direct impact. Some of the typical examples chosen for our survey were doors shutting, footsteps and dancing. By looking at these factors it would seem possible to focus this study on the transmission of impact noise through the floors separating the upstairs and downstairs units.