Why am I required to undertake sound insulation testing?
Sound insulation and speech privacy are critical for a variety of reasons. Inadequate sound insulation can be extremely distressing to those affected by it and may lead no major noise disputes and legal actions. For example, in an apartment block, your upstairs neighbour may like playing loud music. However, the downstairs occupant may be working nights and sleeping throughout the day, thus any inadequate sound insulation between these two flats would cause great disturbance and distress to the downstairs occupants.
What is pre-completion sound insulation testing?
Pre-completion sound testing is a building regulation requirement for all new build and dwellings formed by ‘material change of use”, i.e. conversion projects. It has been a requirement that you undertake sound testing on dwellings since 2003. Sound testing should be undertaken to 10% of properties in each development to ensure that the separating walls & floors between habitable rooms of neighbouring properties meet the minimum requirements as defined by Approved Document E, commonly referred to as Approved Document E; for instance:
- For a pair of semi-detached Houses – a set of tests would usually comprise two airborne sound insulation tests of a separating wall.
- For Flats (up to 10 units) – a six pack would normally be required, this comprises of: two airborne wall tests, two airborne floor tests and two impact floor sound tests. The easiest way to work out the number of tests required is to multiply 1 x 6 packs for every 10 flats, i.e. if you have 22 flats you will require 3 x 6 packs which equals 18 sound tests in total.
- For Rooms for Residential Purposes (up to 10 rooms) (student accommodation, hotel rooms, care homes etc.) – a set of tests would usually comprise: one airborne sound insulation tests of a separating wall; one airborne sound insulation test of a separating floor; one impact sound transmission test of a separating floor.
How are plots selected for sound testing?
APT usually specifies the amount of sound insulation tests that are required. Firstly we look through the floor plans to work out a testing schedule taking into account the positioning of habitable rooms, the room and partitions sizes. We always tests through ‘habitable rooms’ partitions i.e. lounges & bedrooms wherever possible. We will also try and undertake testing across walls and floors in different areas of the building and through different partition types i.e. if one wall is made of masonry and the other met-sec partitioning. Once we have specified the sound testing schedule, the client should show building control to seek their approval before the commencement of the sound testing.
What are the minimum requirements for separating party walls and floors?
The minimum requirements of ADE can depend on a variety of factors such as if the development is new build or refurbished, whether the development is intended to be a permanent dwelling, or classified as “rooms of residential purposes” (e.g. hotels, student accommodation, etc). A brief summary of the minimum requirements can be found below:
Dwellings Houses & Flats
Purpose built dwellings:
- Airborne Sound Testing: Walls – at least 45 | Floors and Stairs – at least 45
- Impact Sound Testing: Walls – N/A | Floors and Stairs – up to 62
Dwelling formed by material change of use
- Airborne Sound Testing: Walls – at least 43 | Floors and Stairs – at least 43
- Impact Sound Testing: Walls – N/A | Floors and Stairs – up to 64
Rooms for Residential Purposes
Purpose-built rooms:
- Airborne Sound Testing: Walls – at least 43 | Floors and Stairs – at least 45
- Impact Sound Testing: Walls – N/A | Floors and Stairs – up to 62
Rooms formed by material change of use
- Airborne Sound Testing: Walls – at least 43 | Floors and Stairs – at least 43
- Impact Sound Testing: Walls – N/A | Floors and Stairs – up to 64
How is sound insulation testing carried out?
For airborne wall and floor sound tests, two individual speaker positions are used for each source room; with a total of ten individual 1/3 octave band measurements recorded for both the source and receiver rooms. Measurements are then made to monitor the levels in the receiving room of the tested partition in question. This gives a basic level difference between source and receiver rooms.
This basic level difference is then ‘corrected’ to allow for the reverberation time (the time taken, in seconds, for a noise source to decay by 60 dB) and the existing levels of background noise monitored whilst in the receiving room.
All our tests are carried out in full accordance with BS EN ISO 140-1998 parts 4 (airborne sound testing) and 7 (impact sound testing), and the calculation of all single figure results are done so in accordance with BS EN ISO 717:1.
How do I know when my site is ready for sound testing?
Sound testing is typically conducted when a development nears completion, and once all internal and external doors and windows have been fitted, it is worth noting that no carpets should be installed prior to the sound testing.
To be able to conduct sound insulation testing we a constant supply of 240V power; we cannot use generator power. We also require a quiet site (a noisy site can make conducting the tests extremely difficult), so no drilling, jack hammers etc. should be used whilst the testing is taking place. We also require full access to all rooms to either side of the dividing partition so if it is a requirement to access a neighbour’s property, this must be arranged prior to the test date.
Do you offer acoustic advice to help me pass my sound insulation test?
Yes, we can offer an acoustic design service to help you design your buildings partitions to pass Part E sound testing. If you send through the relevant drawings such as sections and floor plans during the design stages of the project, we can check the design is adequate and if there appears to be any junctions or details where ‘noise flanking’ may occur, we can then advise if any changes are required to lower the chance of sound test failures..
Why am I required to undertake sound insulation testing?
Sound insulation and speech privacy are critical for a variety of reasons. Inadequate sound insulation can be extremely distressing to those affected by it and may lead no major noise disputes and legal actions. For example, in an apartment block, your upstairs neighbour may like playing loud music. However, the downstairs occupant may be working nights and sleeping throughout the day, thus any inadequate sound insulation between these two flats would cause great disturbance and distress to the downstairs occupants.
Rest Assured
We have undertaken thousands of precompletion sound tests to all types of developments throughout London and the UK. We provide a seamless acoustic package from the design stage through to the precompletion sound testing.
If you would like more information on our full range of our acoustic services please contact us now at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk or call Darren direct on 07775 623464.
Alternately, if you would like more information on preparing your building for sound testing, please visit our checklist page.