Due to the high consumption of resources and energy in the construction sector, the development of resource-efficient and sustainable construction solutions is gaining increasing attention. The awareness of sustainability and resource conservation results in the interest of using natural and renewable materials in contemporary architecture. Timber construction methods offer both constructive and ecological potential for sustainable solutions. From a building physics perspective, the acoustic performance of lightweight buildings, such as those made of timber, presents a challenge. Even if standard requirements are met, the increased low-frequency sound transmission typical for light-weight construction can cause discomfort and is already the subject of questions in building physics, which are currently increasingly extending to timber construction. Within the framework of a holistic approach, this paper compares the problem of acoustic properties, design optimizations and the ecological properties of timber-frame and solid timber construction components. The comparison with heavy materials, such as concrete, shows the relation of acoustic optimization with the change of the environmental profile. In order to establish the interaction between acoustic quality of wooden ceiling constructions and their ecological characteristics, this article aims to demonstrate the potential of materials used in the building sector under ecological aspects considering a life cycle analysis.

The increasing use of timber in multi-story construction has highlighted challenges related to the vibration behavior of timber floor slabs, affecting both structural and acoustic performance. Floor vibrations between 0 and 20 Hz and structure-borne sound especially between 50 and 100 Hz are impairing the user comfort and serviceability. This paper investigates a mono-material approach using wooden tuned mass dampers (TMDs) to reduce these vibrations in timber slabs, particularly in buildings with long spans. Eigenmodes in relevant frequency ranges are first identified, followed by the separate design and interdisciplinary integration of TMDs for structural and acoustic performance. The study integrates acoustic and structural design requirements through an interdisciplinary process, employing both experimental and numerical models. Results demonstrate that wooden TMDs can address both disciplines and reduce deflection in timber slabs and improve structure-borne and low-frequency sound transmission.

A novel concept for enhancing timber floor slabs with integrated acoustic decoupling is introduced. The approach was evaluated through a series of measurements on both small-scale and large-scale setups. The tests involved a dual-shell timber slab system with discontinuous timber beam elements within the cavity. The timber beam elements are used to integrate acoustic decoupling into the structural system achieved through the use of targeted processing and geometric modification. The results show up to 5 dB improvement in the weighted normalized impact sound pressure level L n , w and the sound reduction index R compared to the unmodified reference system, without the addition of mass. This demonstrates the potential for improving sound insulation in lightweight timber structures, also in the low-frequency range, while maintaining minimal material use, offering significant implications for the design and construction of future building systems.