WHAT SOUND LEVELS DO I NEED TO PASS MY SOUND TESTING?
To help you better understand the sound level requirements of Part E of Building Regulations to pass your Sound Testing, we have collated an easy to follow table – shown below.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkXixmwhUac
| Table 1a: Dwelling-houses and flats – performance standards for separating walls, separating floors, and stairs that have a separating function. | ||
|
Airborne sound insulation |
Impact sound insulation |
|
| Purpose built Walls Floors and Stairs |
45 |
N/A |
| Material change of use Walls Floors and Stairs |
|
|
| Table 1b: Rooms for residential purposes – performance standards for separating walls, separating floors, and stairs that have a separating function. | ||
|
Airborne sound insulation |
Impact sound insulation |
|
| Purpose built Walls Floors and Stairs |
43 |
|
| Material change of use Walls Floors and Stairs |
43 |
|
Basically, for new build properties you need to achieve 45dB or higher for airborne wall and floor sound tests and 62dB for Impact sound tests. For Converted properties the levels are slightly easier to achieve with 43dB for airborne wall and floor sound testing and 64dB for impact sound testing.
A brief description of the types of sound testing are:
AIRBORNE SOUND TESTS
Airborne sound tests may be required between horizontally and vertically separated pairs of rooms. The sound tests are undertaken by using a sound source, amplifier and loudspeaker to generate a high noise level in one room (the source room). Noise measurements are then taken in both the source and receiver rooms using a prescribed number of source and microphone positions.
The background levels in the receiver room are measured and the reverberation time in the receiver room is also measured. From the results, the airborne sound insulation (DnT,w + Ctr) is calculated and compared to the requirements of Approved Document E.
IMPACT SOUND TESTS
For vertically separated rooms, an Impact sound test may also be required. This sound test is undertaken using a “tapping machine”, (as above) which drops a series of weights onto the floor of the upper room. The noise level in the lower (receiver) room is measured for a prescribed number of source and microphone locations. The background levels in the receiver room are measured and the reverberation time in the receiver room is also measured. From the results, the impact sound insulation (L’nT,w) is calculated and compared to the requirements of Approved Document E.
If you would like more information in regards to sound testing please follow our blog at: http://soundtestinguk.blogspot.co.uk/, or contact us at: info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk or visit our website at: www.aptsoundtesting.co.uk