Experimental analysis of flanking transmission of different connection systems for CLT panels

This paper presents the first results of the flanksound project, a study promoted by Rotho Blaas srl regarding flanking transmission between CLT panels jointed with different connection systems. The vibration reduction index Kij is evaluated according to the EN ISO 10848 standard by measuring the velocity level difference between CLT panels. The performance of the X-RAD connection system is compared to the performance of a traditional connection system made of shear angle bracket and hold-down, both the configurations being tested with and without a resilient material placed between the construction elements. Concerning the traditional system, the influence of the difference sizes and types of fasteners - including the method of nailing or screwing - was also evaluated. The results of the measurements exposed in this work will hopefully contribute to the development of the acoustic design of timber buildings by providing a solid database of Kij values, which can be used to forecast the acoustic performance of the building according to the prediction models proposed in EN 12354-1.