Industrialized lightweight floors for multi-storey dwellings in Spain

In the housing construction in Spain, most of the work is done by means of little or not industrialized technologies. Industrialization will be a way of helping to solve many of the problems we find nowadays: work-related accidents, low productivity (due to an intensive use of manpower) and high costs due to lack of quality. The acoustical quality of dwellings in Spain is going to be guaranteed with the compliance of the new Spanish Building Regulation (Código Técnico de la Edificación - CTE). Aiming for a higher level of comfort in dwellings, the CTE increases the requirements and considers the building as a product itself. This situation implies enhanced constructive materials and systems, and calls for dedicated R&D investments. Therefore manufacturers of the constructive sector in Spain are launching innovative research for the development of new products based on increased industrialization. This paper shows the results of a research line on industrialized lightweight floors based on steel for multi-storey dwellings, and makes comparison among different materials and layers added to the metallic structure. The objective is not only to improve the acoustic behavior, but also to optimize its width and cost, without forgetting other characteristics such as fire protection.