Active floor vibration control for the education sector
How floor vibration impacts educational buildings
Educational buildings and facilities, such as classrooms, lecture theatres, gymnasiums and sports halls, call for minimal disruption from inside and outside sources and a vibration-free infrastructure in order to foster an optimal learning environment. Excessive floor vibration puts this at risk. As buildings are designed to be taller, more open plan, longer span and rely on lighter materials, problematic vibration can increase, undermining the environmental factors needed for students and staff to perform to their best ability.
Campus building, for example, are constantly in motion. Foot traffic, internal building systems and outside road and rail transport all generate low-frequency vibration that travels fast through floors. As energy moves across walkways, lecture halls and operational zones, it can interfere with sensitive equipment, unsettle learning environments and undermine wellbeing.
Left unmanaged, problematic floor vibration can reduce academic performance outcomes, increase maintenance demands and erode long-term building value and serviceability.
CALMFLOOR delivers active vibration control instantly with zero structural intervention
CALMFLOOR active mass dampers (AMDs) brings precision vibration control without the need for added steel or concrete, columns, slabs or tuned mass dampers. Each portable AMD unit weighs just 67kg (148lbs) and can be installed in hours – directly on the slab, within beam webs or in ceiling voids.
Unlike the above traditional solutions, CALMFLOOR doesn’t require invasive and costly structural changes. Installation of CALMFLOOR AMDs is clean, quick, and designed to suit both new builds and live environments. No downtime. No disruption. No structural changes. The learning environment remains operational throughout and students’ focus remains intact.
Ideal for:
Schools and sixth forms
Colleges and vocational centres
Universities and academic buildings
Campus libraries and lectures theatres
Sports halls, gymnasiums and auditoriums
Transport hubs and pedestrian concourses
Labs, IT suites and performance spaces
Floor vibration control – ready for learning, designed for change
Designed for live environments that can’t afford to be out of action, CALMFLOOR AMDs allow schools, colleges and universities to maintain full use of their buildings during the quick, seamless installation process. . Eliminating the need to move classes or close areas. There’s no need for student schedules to be revised or classes moved to new locations. The process takes just a few hours.
Lightweight and portable, CALMFLOOR AMDs can also be redeployed as needs change and space requirements switch, making active vibration control, ideal for evolving campuses and flexible, multipurpose learning environments.
Why CALMFLOOR?
Reduces floor vibration to lab-standard performance by up to 90%
No columns, no additional steel or concrete, no structural disruption
67kg (148lbs) AMDs are installed in hours, buildings stay operational
Supports academic performance and structural integrity
Enhancing cognitive and operational performance
Floor vibration does more than disrupt building structures, it disrupts people at a neurocognitive level. Studies show excess vibration impairs cognitive performance, reduces productivity and skews behavioural responses, especially in high-focus spaces like classrooms, exam halls and libraries.
In university settings, excess vibration also disrupts sensitive lab equipment, media studios, IT rooms and digital learning spaces. Over time, this can reduce academic outcomes and increase costly maintenance demands.
CALMFLOOR ensures floor vibration performance meets the demands of 21st century learning environments, without compromising layout, retrofit timelines or architectural freedom.
CALMFLOOR Benefits:
Relocatable units adapt as layouts or uses change
CALMCONNECT smart portal provides real-time performance data and tracking
Low-carbon, simulation-led approach supports Net Zero goals
Architects can design lighter buildings
Simulation-led design for diverse educational spaces
Educational buildings are structurally diverse. They typically include long corridors, suspended floors, mezzanines, multipurpose halls and operational zones housing mechanical systems. CALMFLOOR’s simulation experts analyse the floor’s modal behaviour to pinpoint vibration hotspots and define optimal AMD unit placement. This ensures precise, data-led vibration control that supports both building stability and human performance.
