Vibration Isolation Project for Laboratory Floating Floor Successfully Completed at Nanfang Hospital, Guangzhou
Vibration Isolation Project for Laboratory Floating Floor Successfully Completed
Guangzhou, China – A floating floor vibration isolation project at Nanfang Hospital's laboratory facilities was successfully completed on March 26, 2026, resolving a long-standing issue caused by nearby metro operations. Our company supplied the materials and carried out the full installation, marking a practical step forward in building vibration isolation for sensitive medical research environments.
The laboratory houses small animals that are highly sensitive to environmental vibrations. However, groundborne vibrations from Guangzhou Metro Line 3 had made it difficult to meet the required conditions for accurate research. To address this, the project introduced our polyurethane vibration isolation pads as the core floating floor material. This approach enabled effective secondary slab vibration isolation by creating a "floating" structural layer that interrupts the vibration path from the ground up. The system balances isolation performance with floor load capacity, a key requirement for hospital vibration isolation.
Construction Challenges & Solutions
During construction, the team faced several challenges: protecting existing lab equipment during relocation, achieving a precise base level, and ensuring proper laying and sealing of the isolation layer — all while following strict medical lab standards. The construction plan was adjusted in advance, with careful step-by-step control. The base was leveled accurately, isolation pads were installed using specialized tools, and all seams were tightly sealed to avoid any "acoustic bridging." Equipment protection was also maintained throughout to ensure lab operations and construction could proceed without conflict.
Fig. 1: S1-1-1# time-domain waveform (non-isolated area)
Fig. 2: S1-1-2# time-domain waveform (isolated area)
After installation, our quality control center conducted comprehensive testing based on national standards. The results met all design targets, with a peak vibration acceleration of no more than 0.015 m/s² — fully satisfying the client's requirements. The vibration attenuation was significant, demonstrating the effectiveness of building vibration isolation in high-demand settings like medical labs.
Project Significance
This project also strengthens the case for secondary slab vibration isolation in retrofit scenarios where existing equipment cannot be removed. It highlights how hospital vibration isolation can be achieved without disrupting ongoing research. More broadly, it serves as a practical example of vibration and noise reduction for buildings along metro lines, a growing need in many urban areas.
By proving that vibration and noise reduction for buildings along metro lines is feasible even in vibration-sensitive environments like animal labs, this project opens new possibilities for upgrading medical research infrastructure. We look forward to applying these solutions to more hospitals, labs, and other critical facilities along metro corridors.