The intersection of structural and acoustic design in mass timber construction: Quantifying tradeoffs and optimizing performance
Abstract
In mass timber construction, it is understood that early multidisciplinary design and trade coordination is key to delivering a successful project. The intersection of acoustic and structural design is one area that continues to present discussions on mass timber projects, as there exist several design decisions which have simultaneous and contradictory impacts on acoustic and structural performance. Thus, it is important to quantify the benefits and harms to both areas of performance, such that the correct design is selected to balance the goals of the project at hand. This work will briefly explore topics that exist at the intersection of structural and acoustic design. The topics investigated include the effect of deadload on flanking transmission, the impact of fastener spacing on both acoustic performance and vibration controlled span length, continuous versus simply supported spans in ceiling-ceiling flanking transmission, structural design efficiencies accessible through the use of dry acoustic floor-ceiling systems, and floor vibration data in the presence of an acoustic interlayer.
Reference
Simon Cleghorn; Aedan Callaghan. (2026). The intersection of structural and acoustic design in mass timber construction: Quantifying tradeoffs and optimizing performance. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0045284
Explore the literature
Follow references, discover citing works and find related studies.