ORIGINAL PAPER
Effects of different technologies of timber ceiling on the dynamic and acoustic properties of timber frame prefabricated buildings
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1
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Poland
2
Multidisciplinary Center for Infrastructure Engineering, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Shenyang University of Technology, China
Submission date: 2025-08-14
Final revision date: 2025-12-23
Acceptance date: 2026-01-05
Online publication date: 2026-06-16
Corresponding author
Mahmoud Miari
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Poland
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ABSTRACT
The natural frequency of a building is one of the main parameters affecting the dynamic and acoustic properties of the building. This study investigates the influence of two timber ceiling technologies—KVH timber and the Steico wall system—on the dynamic and acoustic properties of prefabricated timber-frame buildings. KVH is a kiln-dried, finger-jointed solid structural timber widely used in load-bearing applications, whereas the Steico wall system is a prefabricated lightweight timber panel designed for sustainable construction. Also, this paper aims to study the effect of the presence of additional storey on the dynamic and acoustic properties of timber buildings. Three different timber buildings have been taken into account. The first one is a two-storey building with a KVH layer, the second one is a one-storey building with a steico wall and the third one is a one-storey building with a KVH layer. Measured fundamental natural frequencies were 42.63 Hz, 26.81 Hz, and 21.39 Hz, respectively, demonstrating clear quantitative differences between the systems. Statistical indicators including mean values, standard deviation, and coefficients of variation (below 15%) confirm acceptable repeatability. The stiffness of those buildings has been evaluated as well. It was concluded from this study that the ceilings composed of the KVH layer have better acoustic properties than the ceiling composed of the steico wall. Also, it was concluded that the presence of an additional storey worsens the acoustic properties of the ceiling and increases the stiffness of the building affecting the dynamic properties of the timber building.