Interaction between acoustics and structural engineering in cross laminated timber buildings

The structural and the acoustical design of timber buildings are closely intertwined, as often design criteria conceptually lead to potential conflicts. Connections represent a key contact points between the two fields of engineering. On the one hand, they must guarantee the transmission of loads; on the other, they are responsible for flanking transmission phenomena. This paper presents and discusses experimental measurements conducted at the CNR IBE and at the University of Bologna on the structural and acoustical performance of Cross-Laminated Timber junctions with and without resilient interlayers, profiles that are designed to reduce the flanking transmission. Results of the measurement of the vibration reduction index Kij show that resilient interlayers can reduce the transmission of vibrations up to 8 dB in a wide frequency range. The mechanical resistance of a wall-to-floor mechanical connection is also affected by the presence of the resilient interlayer.