Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112 Page 113 Page 114 Page 115 Page 116 Page 117 Page 118 Page 119 Page 120 Page 121 Page 122 Page 123 Page 124 Page 125 Page 126 Page 127 Page 128 Page 129 Page 130 Page 131 Page 132 Page 133 Page 134 Page 135 Page 136 Page 137 Page 138 Page 139 Page 140TECHNICAL FEATURE ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Test according to real-world conditions Some manufacturers take advan- tage of these simplified standards by providing a test report that is high performing but not representative of real-world conditions. Many devel- opers, architects, and contractors believe if there is a test report with a rating above minimum code, the products included will be accept- able for that building. This is not always the case, since laboratory and field tests can be manipulated to show false ratings of products presented. Understanding how tests are per- formed is the best way to distinguish between materials that are qualified to meet the IBC requirements and those that are not. The most impor- tant detail to understand is that one acoustical underlayment does not achieve an IIC rating on its own. The entire floor-ceiling assembly, including the finished floor, acous- tical underlayment, subfloor struc- ture, and ceiling details, is required to achieve these ratings. One of the biggest discrepancies when testing an assembly is an IIC rating of a bare concrete slab com- pared to one with a drop ceiling. An 8” bare concrete slab on its own will not meet IIC 50, but with a 10” drop ceiling full of insulation, it will reach IIC levels into high 50s or low 60s. Manufacturers may use drop ceilings to help boost their under- layment and show higher results. Issues arise when the floor-ceiling assembly of a design calls for a bare slab and the specified product was tested with a drop ceiling. When choosing an acoustical underlayment for tile and stone, two major properties should be met: acoustics and crack isolation. Acoustics can be verified through a third-party laboratory test or a field test conducted by an acoustical consultant using ASTM E492, E90, and E1007 standardized test meth- ods. Crack isolation can be verified using ASTM C627 Robinson Wheel Testing to meet minimum residen- tial ratings. Companies that provide a significant amount of testing on both fronts insure results to archi- tects and developers. Specifying products from these companies leads to confidence in a finalized product and overall fewer com- plaints from building occupants. Ryne Sternberg is a chemical engineering graduate of Penn State University, and business develop- ment engineer with Pliteq Inc. – an engineering firm dedicated to provid- ing products that will satisfy acous- tical standards, crack isolation of tile and stone as well as any other requirements placed on floor-ceiling assemblies of design. All products are derived from recycled rubber con- tent, which achieve the best vibration and acoustic results and contribute to LEED. These products are backed up with over 700 completed laboratory and field test reports. For more infor- mation, visit www.Pliteq.com. 114 TileLetter | September 2016