Evaluation of the impact noise reduction by using thin flooring solutions

The purpose of the research was to evaluate the possibility of reducing impact noise by using thin flooring solutions, in particular in the context of the acoustic retrofitting of existing floors with ref-erence to the requirements established by the legislation. For this purpose, various types of flooring solutions, in vinyl, wood, laminate and cork, were used, and comparative measurements were carried out using the same procedures. These floor coverings were tested both individually and in combination with different types of underlayment. The tests were initially carried out both on an existing structure with a wooden floor and on a hol-low-core concrete floor. From the measurements carried out it was observed that the type of samples that led to better attenuation results when used directly on the existing floor, was not the same in the case of coupling with an underlayment. On the contrary, the types that obtained the greatest benefits were those that were less efficient when used directly on the existing floor.