The Two Types of Floor Noise
Under Building Regulations Part E there are two distinct types of floor noise to consider; they are:
- Airborne Noise (for example speech and music)
- Impact Noise (for example footsteps directly on the floor above)
By utilising our extensive knowledge of different materials and construction Even if both types of sound appear to be are excessive through the ceiling/floor, then there are some easy acoustic design upgrades that should reduce the sound levels and improve your sound test results. By utilising our extensive knowledge of different materials and construction we can forward a simple, cost effective solution for wall and/or floor upgrade. Where our clients have followed our advice they have achieved a 100% success rate for sound insulation testing – ensuring compliance with Part E of Building Regulations.
The sound testing procedure is quite simple and our engineer will be happy to explain this on site. Essentially, for party walls there is one type of sound insulation test which is airborne sound test and for compartment floors there are two types of sound insulation tests which are airborne and impact sound insulation tests. The airborne sound insulation test is carried out by means of a loudspeaker emitting a steady source of noise on one side of the partition (wall or floor) to be measured. The corresponding sound level is measured on the other side of the partition. Impact sound insulation tests are carried out by means of a tapping machine placed on the floor sample to be measured and the noise measured in the room or space below
All our engineers carry out the sound test measurements in full accordance with the measurement procedures of BS EN ISO 140-4:1998[3] for field measurements with a single figure DnTw and LnTw in accordance with BS EN ISO 717. As per the new regulations the Spectrum Adaptation Ctr which is a correction factor calculated from the measured DnT.w and the corresponding third octave band DnT values. It uses a set of weighting levels in third octave bands derived from a road traffic noise spectrum. It is applied to airborne test results and is measured in dB.
We can carry out final pre-completion sound testing on all new build or conversion projects throughout London. If you would like advice on your acoustic design or sound testing please contact us now at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk or call me now on 07775623464.