Acoustic Consultancy Testing
As leading Acoustic Consultants, we offer a full turnkey solution for all your acoustic requirements to ensure compliance with planning requirements and Building Regulations Part E to achieve building control sign off for the acoustic elements of the project. This ensures your company receives professional advice every step of the way, with an on-going continual consideration of cost.
We visit site to undertake sample sound insulation testing to the existing buildings walls and floors to check the sound insulation performance of the existing dividing partitions. Thereafter, once the sound levels have been established and targeted acoustic design can be undertaken to ensure compliance with Building Regulations Part E.
We can help develop the acoustic design of the project from the initial design scheme stage through to the precompletion sound testing. In particular we review the acoustic details to take into account the mass, isolation and absorption elements of the construction.
To try and help our clients achieve compliance with Approved Document E, we offer the following 4 step acoustic design advice package:
1. Site Survey Visits – to let us view the existing site construction. This allows us to check for potential problematic construction such as inclusion of lightweight blocks in the existing construction. It also lets us check that the installation teams are installing the acoustic materials as per manufacturer’s guidelines.
2. Sample Sound Testing – of the existing construction. This offers an accurate overview of the acoustic performance of the existing partitions which enables us to offer a targeted acoustic design using the sound insulation performance of the existing construction.
3. Acoustic Design Review – a full design review of the proposed developments party walls and floors. Site Survey Visits – to let us view the existing site construction. This allows us to check for potential problematic construction such as inclusion of lightweight blocks in the existing construction. It also lets us check that the installation teams are installing the acoustic materials as per manufacturer’s guidelines.
4. Pre-completion Sound Testing to satisfy Approved Document E – If the local authority has requested you undertake Sound Insulation Testing please call us now on: 01525 303905 or email us at: info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk
For more information on our acoustic consultancy services, please look below.
Part E Sound Insulation Testing
Pre completion sound testing under Part E of Building Regulations has been a mandatory requirement since July 2003. All new build properties and conversions which were built after this date require 10% of each party wall/floor construction type to be tested. Sound Testing is to be carried out between pairs of rooms separated by party walls or floors.
Sound insulation testing is required to make sure that a residential development can demonstrate acceptable levels of noise attenuation performance. Building Regulations Part E requires you undertake two different types of sound testing including airborne noise (i.e. sound/noise transmitted through the air, such as televisions and conversations between people) and impact noise (i.e. noise resulting from an impact on the floor surface, such as footsteps on the floor). By undertaking the two types of sound testing ensures the dwelling provides a reasonable resistance to the passage of sound.
We are a UKAS-accredited sound insulation testing laboratory providing our valued clients with a proactive sound testing service and reliable reportage to achieve building control sign off. Utilising our many years of acoustic design experience means that your project will be in safe hands from the initial design stage to the final precompletion testing of the project.
If the local authority has requested you undertake Sound Insulation Testing please call us now on: 01525 303905 or email us at: info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk
For more information on these services, please visit our Sound Insulation Testing page.
Acoustic Design Services
We have many years’ experience of acoustic partition design on all types of developments from pairs of semi-detached houses, up apartment blocks containing hundreds of residential units. Utilising our vast experience in construction design, and the data from thousands of sound insulation tests, we have a clear understanding of the positives and negatives of all types of construction.
We are also a UKAS accredited sound testing laboratory which means we can offer a comprehensive design and testing solution for all your acoustic requirements. We can test and issue certification on completion of any works carried out and you can be safe in the knowledge that the results will be accepted by the tasked building control officer.
We have undertaken hundreds of acoustic design and sound test packages on many different types of projects, from the initial scheme stage to completion. We offer a no nonsense professional proactive that ensures you company receives professional advice every step of the way, with a continual consideration of cost.
In order to achieve the current sound insulation performance requirements of Approved Document E of the current Building Regulations, it is highly recommended you employ the services of an Acoustic Consultancy such as APT Sound Testing to survey your acoustic design/construction proposals.
We can also undertake site survey visits which allow you to feel confident about the outcome of testing at the end of the build. The site survey visits help to reduce the risk of sound test failure due to poor workmanship.
We provide full ISO compliant UKAS accredited surveys and testing, using the latest calibrated Norsonic sound testing equipment.
If you are unsure of the acoustic requirements on your project, please call us now on: 01525 303905 or email us at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk
For more information on these services, please visit our Acoustic Design Services page.
Sample Sound Testing
We offer site visits which allow you (the client) and your contractor to feel confident about the outcome of testing at the end of the build. The site visits let us check that the installation teams are installing the acoustic materials as per manufacturers avoiding crucial onsite mistakes. You can often have a compliant design which still fails due to poor workmanship; the site survey visits negate the risk of sound test failure.
We provide full ISO compliant UKAS accredited surveys and testing, using the latest calibrated Norsonic sound testing equipment.
If you are unsure of the acoustic requirements on your project, please call us now on: 01525 303905 or email us at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk
For more information on these services, please visit our Sample Sound Testing page.
Site Survey Visits
We offer site survey visits which allow you (the client) and your contractor to feel confident about the outcome of testing at the end of the build. The site visits let us check that the installation teams are installing the acoustic materials as per manufacturers avoiding crucial onsite mistakes. You can often have a compliant design which still fails due to poor workmanship; the site survey visits negate the risk of sound test failure.
If you are unsure of the acoustic requirements on your project, please call us now on: 01525 303905 or email us at: info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk
For more information on these services, please visit our Sound Insulation Testing page.
BS8233 Planning Noise Survey
APT Sound Testing has a huge amount of experience in dealing with BS8233 noise assessments for planning applications on all types of developments. More often than not, noise assessments are requested in relation to the planning conditions on new build apartments, houses, or hotels. The assessment is required at the planning stage because the local authority want to ascertain what extra noise may be generated by the proposed development.
Residential developments can be affected by various noise sources, such as transport noise, entertainment noise and industrial noise sources. We have undertaken hundreds of successful noise surveys on residential developments supporting planning consultants, architects, construction companies and private individuals to ensure the most practical and cost effective acoustic solutions are implemented at the design stage. We have worked on all types of projects from small dwellings right up to the largest apartment blocks.
When applying for full planning permission, you may require an acoustic assessment and noise survey of your development to ensure it is suitable for residential development. This is a requirement under the National Planning Policy Framework in England and Wales. The purpose for the acoustic assessment and noise survey is to protect the future residents from noise and provide good acoustic conditions both internally through an appropriately designed building envelope and externally in gardens etc. via acoustic fencing etc.
If the local authority has requested you undertake a BS8233 Noise Survey please call us now on: 01525 303905 or email us at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk
For more information on these services please visit our BS8233 Noise Surveys’ page.
BS4142 Plant Noise Survey
If you have received a planning condition requiring a plant noise survey in accordance with BS4142 we can help. We recognise that noise from industrial sites is playing an ever-growing role with planning authorities. The Central Government’s push to promote re-development of brown field sites is increasingly pushing together industrial and residential developments, where industrial noise levels and operating hours may pose a serious harm to amenity and quality of life.
Local authority control on noise emissions via planning can mean that the insulation of plant & machinery can be an important part of achieving sound pressure level limits, either at the site boundary or at nearby local sensitive receivers. Establishing guideline noise levels and limits and monitoring the compliance with those limits is often a crucial part of that process.
If you are introducing a new noise source to your project, we would measure the existing levels in the area over 24 hours, and predict the impact of the potential new noise source. If the noise source is already be present, we can measure the noise levels over 24 hours without the noise source and then again with the noise source to establish the difference.
BS4142 provides the method of assessing industrial noise in areas where there is existing housing. The existing background noise is measured (at different times of the day if necessary) using the measure LA90. This is the level exceeded for 90% of the time. Our consultants are extremely familiar with the methods and requirements of BS4142.
We can offer a detailed survey report and outline possible mitigation measures with noise mapping to show the ‘real life’ effectiveness of the measures. Such assessments can cover extraction systems, air conditioners, industrial plant, refrigeration units, and general use of industrial buildings.
If the local authority has requested you undertake a BS4142 Noise Assessment please call us now on 01525 303905 or email us at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk
For more information about our Acoustic Consultancy Services, Acoustic Design and other services please visit our Planning Noise Survey page.