Spacing isolation pads under a floating floor

[MSJ]

Hi

I am trying to determine the minimum thickness of particle board to lay on top of an arrangement of discrete elastomeric vibration isolation pads in a floating floor construction.

I need to determine the most appropriate pad spacing for different types of board. The board is essentially being used as a shuttering to prevent concrete/screed from getting between the isolation pads when it is poured. The board must therefore not deflect significantly between the pads.

The deflection of the pads will vary depending on the type of material that we use. In the case I am dealing with currently the pads are initially 10mm thick with a deflection under load of a little over 1mm.

Can anyone suggest how I might approach this problem?

Many Thanks,
Mark

 

[AlohaBob]

Check the tables in IBC Chapter 2304. They give you a starting point anyhow. Since you are only using it as a form, the loads shown can be greatly exceeded.

Can you consider using a steel deck as the form?

 

[MSJ]

Thanks for that. I'll have a look at the codes once I can track down a copy.

The floor is intended for use in domestic dwellings. The original design was a full area resilient mat and the spec of the board was not an issue. Unfortunately, putting a steel deck is not a possibility at the moment.

We need something sufficiently stiff that is relatively cheap and will have limited impact on the height of the construction.

Mark

 

[jheidt2543]

A couple of thoughts:

The "floating floor" design you are describing sounds very much like the design used for some gym floor installations. The ones I've see use one sheet of 3/4" thick plywood or two sheets of 1/2" plywood laid 90 degress to each other over the elastomeric pads. The pads are about 2-1/2" square and 1/4" thick spaced about 12" on center. The strip flooring is then placed over the plywood. You might search the web for gym flooring manufacturers and check with them.

One caution to keep in mind with particle board - it absorbs water very quickly, swells and then quickly starts to deteriorate, much faster than plywood.

 

[MikeHydroPhys]

why a floating floor
is not a rubberized compound block system an option
just guessing as there is little detail
but I appreciate some designs cannot take these
assuming you need vibration dampened forms
MikeHydroPhys

mdshydroplane