▲ Secures additional Grade 1 certification under new floor impact sound performance evaluation standards, leading the industry in inter-floor noise reduction technology

▲ Strives to realize customer-centric residential value through the development of high-performance technology, on-site verification, and quality enhancements

Hyundai E&C, which is fast-tracking its efforts to build residential units with zero inter-floor noise, recently obtained an additional Grade 1 certification for its floor impact sound insulation structure from the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH).

After becoming the first in Korea to secure Grade 1 technology for inter-floor noise reduction, Hyundai E&C has once again demonstrated its unrivaled capability to create comfortable living spaces and the ultimate in residential value by simultaneously obtaining dual Grade 1 certifications under the floor impact sound performance grading evaluation, which applies even stricter standards and evaluation methods.

The floor noise reduction system, which was given a Grade 1 classification in this year’s evaluations, can effectively absorb various types of noise from everyday activities, such as walking, running, moving furniture, and dropping objects, thanks to the optimal blending and layered structure of its composite materials used for cushioning. The system is also characterized by a simultaneous improvement in performance, ease of construction, and floor quality resulting from a change in the existing sound insulation material to one that has a higher degree of flexural rigidity¹⁾, is lighter, and is easier to work with on-site, and by incorporating technology that ensures enhanced floor stability under diverse resident use conditions.

This evaluation was conducted by the LH Quality Testing & Certification Center, a performance certification body designated by Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. More specifically, it raised expectations for the realization of apartment buildings free from inter-floor noise by demonstrating a reduction of 25dB for lightweight impact sounds and 32dB for heavyweight impact sounds through on-site demonstrations, rather than laboratory measurements that often exhibit discrepancies with actual site conditions. This certification assessment confirmed that Hyundai E&C had attained the highest level of floor impact sound insulation in the industry, reducing heavyweight impact sounds by 5dB compared to the Grade 1 standard (37dB), which is a reduction of more than 20dB compared to standard flooring.

In 2022, after becoming the first in Korea to obtain Grade 1 certification for both lightweight and heavyweight impact sound testing for five of its floor structures, Hyundai E&C has been concentrating on advancing its technology through the H-Silent Lab, an integrated research facility dedicated to the reduction of inter-floor noise. As a result, it became the first Korean construction firm to commercialize Grade 1 technology for inter-floor noise reduction, which was incorporated at THE H Daechi Edellui, completed in the first half of this year. The company is establishing a virtuous R&D cycle that connects research, development, demonstration, and on-site application by repeatedly verifying its real-world effects through resident satisfaction surveys at apartment complexes where its inter-floor noise reduction technology has been utilized.

Hyundai E&C is the only construction company in Korea to have installed its proprietary Grade 1 floor system in actual apartment complexes. Based on this competitiveness, the company is leading housing trends with differentiated technology and quality by building and actively refining its integrated offering, the H-Silent Solution Package, which combines not only the floor noise reduction system but also systems related to floor plan structure, low-frequency noise and vibration control technology, and noise detection algorithms.

A Hyundai E&C official stated, “With inter-floor noise emerging as a major social issue, Hyundai E&C has once again enhanced the brand's appeal as a builder of ‘tranquil homes’ by securing the highest-grade certifications in both the existing and updated evaluations.” The official added, “Through the continuous development of high-performance technology, on-site verification, and quality improvements, we will realize the value of a living space free from noise and raise industry standards.”

1) The ability of a material to resist external forces that cause it to bend or deform.