Sound insulation of floors : a new composite with a resilient layer of recycled polymer

Abstract

PU (polyurethane) integral skin and PVC (polyvinyl chloride) are polymeric materials which have favorable physical characteristics to reduce the impact noise when applied to floor systems. In civil construction, floating floors systems are composed of two layers above the slab: a resilient layer and, above this, a rigid layer of cement matrix that works as a subfloor. This research aims to evaluate the incorporation of PVC and PU skin waste in the resilient layer of the floating floor, for impact noise insulation. It was conducted physical, mechanical and morphological tests in the composite, as SEM (scanning electron microscopy), determination of compressive creep, and impact noise test to evaluate the absorption capacity of the floor system over time. Furthermore, experimental results were compared with theoretical studies. These correlations may assist in understanding the behavior of impact noise damping and its relation to the size of the samples.