Floor impact sound insulation performance and acoustic countermeasures of timber elementary schools in Japan

“The Act on the Promotion of the Use of Wood in Public Buildings” was enacted in 2010. Under this act, the use of timber construction has been encouraged for low-rise public buildings, and in 2021, the title of the act was revised to “the Act on Promotion of Use of Wood in Buildings to Contribute to the Realization of a Decarbonized Society.” For public school buildings, with consideration for potential improvements in the educational environment, efforts have been made to promote the use of timber construction. However, the floor impact sound insulation performance of timber buildings is generally lower than that of concrete buildings. Therefore, countermeasures need to be implemented for floor finishing systems, floor framing structures, structures, and other related components. This study focuses on evaluating the floor impact sound insulation performance of three timber school buildings. In all of the timber elementary schools examined, the combination of a dry-type double floor structures for floor finishing, independent structures, and the incorporation of sound-absorbing materials in the receiving rooms achieved a high rating according to the Applicable Grades of Floor Impact Sound Insulation of Classrooms defined by the Architectural Institute of Japan.