Under Screed
The inclusion of a resilient layer under a floor screed provides for a relatively simple technique for improving sound transmission. This is particularly the case if the inclusion of a covering screed was previously identified as a requirement in the overall floor construction.
To maximise acoustic performance, it is desirable that the screed is applied after internal walls and partitions are constructed. This effectively creates individual floating floors within in each area. For certain situations (e.g. when demountable partitioning is employed) this may not be practicable. Also it is important to isolate the screed from perimeter walls and any columns by the inclusion of a resilient material at these abutments.
As described in the previous section, this type of treatment is extremely efficient in improving impact sound transmission. Improvement in airborne sound transmission can also be expected. The degree of improvement is affected by a number of factors but of primary importance are the surface mass of the base floor construction and the weight of the applied floor screed.
