An office raised floor can meet a project’s access requirements while leaving acoustic questions unresolved. For a Chile office fit-out, start by defining the noise problem: footsteps heard below, speech transmitted between rooms or noise within the occupied space. These are different design questions and should not share one vague requirement for an acoustic floor.
The project acoustician or designer should establish the relevant criteria and evidence. A panel brochure can inform the review, but it does not describe every wall, floor finish and service opening in the completed office.
Describe the sound path first
Impact noise starts with contact such as footsteps or moving chairs. Airborne sound includes speech and other sound travelling through air and building elements. Flanking transmission describes a route around a separating element, including paths associated with a continuous raised floor and its cavity.
Fraunhofer IBP’s raised-floor testing information addresses both airborne and impact flanking transmission. This supports treating those paths separately when requesting acoustic evidence; it does not establish a performance value for a SunTree floor.
Match the requirement to a defined assembly
Ask what was tested: panel construction, finish, supports, cavity and any additional acoustic treatment. Request the relevant report reference and test arrangement. A number expressed in decibels is incomplete without its metric and context.
| Design question | Evidence to request |
|---|---|
| Footsteps heard below | Relevant impact-sound assessment of the assembly |
| Speech between adjacent offices | Separating construction and flanking-path review |
| Sound within an open office | Room-acoustic design, including finishes and other surfaces |
| Partition above the floor | Junction details and continuity of the cavity |
| Service openings | Treatment of penetrations in the acoustic design |
Do not compare two reported values simply because both use dB. Different acoustic metrics answer different questions, and the desirable direction of the result can differ.
Coordinate partition and perimeter details
A private meeting room may sit beside an open workspace on a continuous floor. The designer should review how the partition meets the floor, what happens below it and whether the service routes cross the separating line. Review doors and ceilings as part of the room enclosure too.
If a cavity barrier or another acoustic treatment is proposed, check its coordination with cable access, ventilation and other specified requirements. Do not install an improvised barrier based only on an acoustic sketch without reviewing those interfaces.
Review the actual walking finish
The finish selected for the office forms part of the acoustic and maintenance discussion. Ask whether the supporting evidence includes that finish and its installation method. Changing a finish after approval may require the acoustic assessment to be revisited.
Compare suitable OA network floor and calcium sulphate floor proposals on the documented assembly. Neither product category, by itself, guarantees a particular sound result in the completed building.
Agree what a mock-up can demonstrate
A mock-up can help the team review walking feel, joints, transitions and practical access. Informal listening is not a substitute for a specified acoustic test. If measured performance is required, define the test arrangement, acceptance criteria and responsible specialist before the mock-up is built.
Use the sample and mock-up approval guide to record the exact configuration and avoid approving an unspecified assembly.
Put the acoustic brief into the enquiry
Send the office and partition layouts, proposed finish, floor height and the acoustic consultant’s requirements. Identify which evidence is mandatory and which details remain under design. Request a SunTree proposal against that brief, with any deviations or missing test evidence stated clearly for review.