Problem Addressed

Structural vibrations in buildings are a critical problem for today’s construction industry. These vibrations can be disruptive, cause discomfort to occupants, and even accelerate structural wear and tear over time. Currently, floors must be made stiffer and heavier to provide satisfactory vibration reduction, but this comes with additional costs and embodied carbon.

Solution Overview

CALMFLOOR reduces excessive floor vibrations by up to 90% as measured by in-situ testing on floors with CALMFLOOR active mass dampers (AMDs) installed. This is achieved by CALMFLOOR increasing the effective damping from a typical 1-2% up to 10% or higher, improving living and working conditions within a building, thereby promoting well-being and productivity. This solution, developed by FSD Active, uses advanced AMD technology, which is proven to reduce structural vibrations. The CALMFLOOR system can be installed in both new and existing buildings, enabling modern and resource efficient structures without worrying about vibrations. Installation is simple in both existing, repurposed and new building as the unit is bolted onto structural components, plugged in a fully operational straight out of the box without any need for structural strengthening. Incorporating CALMFLOOR into a new building at the design stage enables the use of lightweight and slender structural designs that require less construction material and therefore lower embodied carbon. It can also be an enabler of more sustainable construction materials like CLT. Overall floor depth can be reduced, allowing for shorter building heights or additional stories. By reducing the weight of floors, structural framing and foundation sizes can both be minimised.

The CALMFLOOR solution has been designed to reduce its own embodied and operational carbon footprints to maximise savings over the life of a building. The system can enter sleep mode when vibration levels are low using its power-saving technology. For a typical office building, FSD Active estimates this would require only 25W. The company has also estimated the total carbon associated with the use of a single CALMFLOOR console over a 50-year period:

  • Embodied Emissions: 480 kgCO2e from the extraction, production, and manufacturing of a CALMFLOOR console
  • Interim Emissions: 183 kgCO2e from upgrades, software enhancements, and intermittent usage
  • Operating Emission: 365 kgCO2e from day-to-day operations
  • Maintenance Emissions: 93 kgCO2e from routine maintenance, part replacement, and end-of-life disposal

After taking these emissions into account, FSD Active has estimated that the use of one CALMFLOOR unit can result in a net savings of up to 36,471 kgCO2e over the same 50-year period.

Case Study

CALMFLOOR was used in an existing office floor set in a London mixed-use commercial building which had experienced issue with floor vibration. The units were installed on the customer’s floor, minimising the need for disruption and required no structural modifications. Strategic positions were chosen as vibration hot-spots, and once installed, the active mass damping technology resulted in nearly a 75% reduction in vibration responses.

Facts and Figures

Up to 90 %
40 x

This page presents data, evidence, and solutions that are provided by our partners and members and should therefore not be attributed to UKGBC. While we showcase these solutions for inspiration, to build consensus, and create momentum for climate action, UKGBC does not offer commercial endorsement of individual solutions. If you would like to quote something from this page, or more information, please contact our Communications team at media@ukgbc.org.

Related members

Related