Acoustically Absorptive Solid Volume Building Assembly

Abstract

A building assembly, for use in a floor and/or ceiling of a building, consisting of a solid wood or mass timber structural panel layer, a lightweight panel layer, and an acoustically absorptive solid volume material layer between the solid wood or mass timber structural panel layer and the lightweight panel layer to provide a separation of an air-borne acoustic vibration or a separation of an impact- or structure-borne acoustic vibration between the lightweight panel layer and the solid wood or mass timber structural panel layer.

1 . A building assembly, for use in a floor and/or ceiling of a building, consisting of:
 a solid wood or mass timber structural panel layer;   a lightweight panel layer; and   an acoustically absorptive solid volume material layer between the solid wood or mass timber structural panel layer and the lightweight panel layer to provide a separation of an air-borne acoustic vibration or a separation of an impact- or structure-borne acoustic vibration between the lightweight panel layer and the solid wood or mass timber structural panel layer.   
     
     
         2 . The building assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the building assembly meets the International Building Code (IBC) section 1207.2 requirements for field sound transmission class (FSTC) and IBC section 1207.3 requirements for field impact isolation class (FIIC). 
     
     
         3 . The building assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the building assembly attains a sound transmission class (STC) rating of at least 50 for airborne sound separation, attains a field sound transmission class (FSTC) rating of 45 for airborne sound separation, attains an impact insulation class (IIC) rating of at least 50 for impact sound separation, and attains a field impact insulation class (FIIC) rating of at least 45 for impact sound separation. 
     
     
         4 . The building assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the building assembly attains a Field Sound Transmission Class rating in the range of 50-52. 
     
     
         5 . The building assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the building assembly attains an Apparent Impact Insulation Class rating in the range of 47-50. 
     
     
         6 . The building assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the solid wood or mass timber structural panel layer comprises a plurality of solid wood panel products fastened to each other to create a solid flat plate structural floor having a thickness in the range of 140-173 mm and a weight in the range of 14.2 to 16.4 pounds/square foot. 
     
     
         7 . The building assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of solid wood panel products fastened to each other to create the solid flat plate structural floor comprises a cross laminated timber product having a plurality of layers, each layer having a thickness in the range of 28 mm-34.6 mm and a weight in the range of 2.84 to 3.28 pounds/square foot. 
     
     
         8 . The building assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the solid wood or mass timber structural panel layer is capable of supporting a uniform building load of at least 100 pounds/square foot, and a concentrated building load of at least 2,000 pounds applied to a localized area of 2.5 ft×2.5 ft. 
     
     
         9 . The building assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the solid wood or mass timber structural panel layer attains an Apparent Impact Insulation Class rating in the range of 18-20 and attains a Field Sound Transmission Class rating in the range of 36-37. 
     
     
         10 . The building assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the lightweight panel layer comprises a wood product-based panel layer. 
     
     
         11 . The building assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the wood product-based panel layer is selected from a group consisting of: a medium density fiberboard (MDF) panel having a thickness of approximately ¾″ and a weight in the range of 3.1 to 4.25 pounds/square foot; and a tongue and groove plywood panel having a thickness of approximately ¾″ and a weight of approximately 2.1 pounds/square foot. 
     
     
         12 . The building assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising a tongue and groove plywood panel having a thickness of approximately ¾″ and a weight of approximately 2.1 pounds/square foot fastened to (e.g., screwed to) the wood product-based panel layer. 
     
     
         13 . The building assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the lightweight panel layer comprises a particleboard panel having a thickness of approximately 1″ and a weight of approximately 4.25 pounds/square foot. 
     
     
         14 . The building assembly of  claim 13 , further comprising a plywood panel having a thickness of approximately ½″ and a weight of approximately 1.5 pounds/square foot fastened to the particleboard panel. 
     
     
         15 . The building assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the lightweight panel layer comprises a plurality of layers of structural board, each structural board comprising cellulose fiber having a thickness of approximately ⅝″ and a weight of approximately 1.5 pounds/square foot. 
     
     
         16 . The building assembly of  claim 15 , further comprising another layer of the structural board, or a plywood panel having a thickness of approximately ½″ and a weight of approximately 1.5 pounds/square foot, fastened to the plurality of layers of structural board. 
     
     
         17 . The building assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the lightweight panel layer comprises a cement product-based panel layer. 
     
     
         18 . The building assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the acoustically absorptive solid volume material layer between the solid wood or mass timber structural panel layer and the lightweight panel layer comprises a plurality of compressed mineral wool insulation boards having an overall thickness of approximately 3″ and a weight of approximately 3⅛ pounds/square foot. 
     
     
         19 . The building assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a plywood subfloor adjacent an outside surface of the lightweight panel layer. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The building assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the building assembly is to be manufactured off-site as a plurality of panels for shipment to a building site for use in the floor and/or ceiling of the building. 
     
     
         22 . The building assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the acoustically absorptive solid volume material layer is to transfer a uniform structural load and/or a concentrated structural load applied to the lightweight panel layer from the lightweight panel layer to the solid wood or mass timber structural panel layer.