LX Hausys Develops 'Interfloor Noise Level 1 Grade Floor Structure'

Achieved Grade 1 in Both Heavy and Light Impact Sound

LX Hausys has developed a ‘Grade 1 Floor Structure for Inter-floor Noise’ that can help solve the problem of inter-floor noise.

On the 16th, LX Hausys announced that it received the highest grade, Grade 1, in the floor impact sound performance evaluation conducted by LH (Korea Land and Housing Corporation) at two apartment construction sites (84㎡/55㎡ units).

Researchers conducting floor impact sound tests at the LX Hausys Research Institute located in Magok, Seoul. Photo by LX Hausys

This performance evaluation was conducted from April to December last year for companies participating in LH’s ‘2024 High-Performance Floor Impact Sound Insulation Structure Technology Contest.’ Among the participating companies, LX Hausys was the only one to achieve Grade 1 in both heavy impact sound and light impact sound evaluation categories.

In this joint apartment site performance evaluation, LX Hausys recorded 36dB for heavy impact sound and 32dB for light impact sound, receiving Grade 1, which is awarded when noise transmitted to the lower floor is 37dB or less.

In particular, the floor impact sound levels achieved by LX Hausys were based on real inter-floor noise verification results conducted at actual apartment sites, not in a testing laboratory, earning high praise from the domestic construction and building materials industry.

Since the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport introduced the ‘Post-Verification System for Inter-floor Noise’ in August 2022, which recommends remedial construction and compensation if noise levels exceed the standard (49dB or less) even after apartment completion, demand for high-performance floor structures has increased.

The Grade 1 floor structure for inter-floor noise developed by LX Hausys is a structure where urethane foam cushioning material and heavy mortar are applied on top of a 210mm slab. The urethane foam cushioning material (50mm) and heavy mortar (60mm) are designed as a total 110mm structure, matching the thickness of the floor finishing layer in existing apartments, thereby reducing floor impact noise without increasing thickness.

Especially, the high-performance urethane foam cushioning material independently developed by LX Hausys excels in noise reduction and shock absorption, effectively blocking heavy impact sound transmitted as low-frequency vibrations when people walk or run.

Meanwhile, since launching ‘Sorijam,’ the first PVC flooring material in Korea with inter-floor noise (light impact sound) reduction functionality in 2004, LX Hausys has continuously introduced flooring materials and mats that help reduce inter-floor noise.

An LX Hausys official said, “We believe that obtaining recognition for this Grade 1 floor structure for inter-floor noise is the result of acknowledging the research and development know-how and unique technological capabilities we have accumulated in functional flooring materials for noise reduction.” He added, “Since LH announced that it will incorporate Grade 1 floor structures for inter-floor noise into designs starting in the second half of this year, we will focus on related research and development and technology commercialization going forward.”