Evaluation of construction cost, time, and sustainable attributes of drywalls supported by resilient channels

Abstract

In this study, a gypsum board wall was developed using resilient channels to improve sound insulation performance, constructability, and economic efficiency; the effect of the application of the developed wall on skyscrapers and long-term housing, one of the main forms of modern buildings, was also comprehensively evaluated. Resilient channels were inserted and fixed to ensure the constructability was suitable for high-rise buildings. In addition, the sound insulation performance, durability of the wall, CO2 emissions, and life-cycle cost (LCC), which are key elements for economic efficiency, constructability, and sustainability, were analyzed. The developed lightweight gypsum board drywall with resilient channels was compared with a concrete wall as well as a double stud gypsum board wall, which has been most widely used among existing drywalls. The sound insulation performance and durability were evaluated in a laboratory, and the other items were evaluated after constructing the walls in a hotel building with an area of 2956 m2. The evaluation results show that the developed wall exhibited a 3 dB higher sound insulation performance than the concrete wall, even though it was thinner by 50 mm, and the wall secured the grade of "severe duty" (SD) based on the BS 5234-2 standard in durability evaluation, indicating that it can sufficiently replace concrete walls. Moreover, when the developed wall was installed in an actual building and compared with a concrete wall, a 14.7% reduction in construction cost, 59% reduction in CO2 emissions, and 30.4% reduction in the LCC of the drywall, considering even the remodeling and dismantling stages of the building, were observed. Therefore, it was proven that the newly developed resilient channel drywall with improved constructability has significant value in terms of sound insulation performance, economic efficiency, safety, and eco-friendliness.