Ceiling Connections

Like floor covers, ceilings can be used to improve impact insulation performance. Typically, plasterboard or similar lightweight ceiling is installed beneath a floor construction. The ceiling is generally installed on joists or hangers which are mounted to the underside of the floor and insulation (fibreglass, polyester or similar) can be installed in the resulting air cavity. Also, the ceiling linings can be fixed into place on resilient elements (such as resilient clips of steel suspension grid systems).

When considering the effect of a ceiling on impact noise, there are two transmission paths to consider, as described below.

Airborne transmission of noise through the ceiling cavity

Noise radiated from the underside of the floor structure can travel through the air in the ceiling cavity, then through the ceiling linings and into the receiving room. This noise path is affected by the inclusion of insulation in the cavity, insulation will reduce the amount of noise transmitted through the ceiling.

The second noise path is through the support structure for the ceiling

Energy from the floor structure can transfer directly through the joists or hangers that are used to mount the ceiling linings, and into the ceiling linings themselves. This path is quite distinct from the airborne transmission path. Noise transmitted along this path can be reduced by using a resilient connection to mount the ceiling lining (such as steel hangers, or rubber mounts).

See also the Sound Insulation Theory on Partitions for further details.