Addiscombe Environmental is Accredited to undertake Sound Insulation Testing to Approved Document E by the Association of Noise Consultants.
The United Kingdom Building Regulations require that Pre-Completion Sound Insulation Tests are undertaken on new dwellings and conversions, and where Robust Details have not been used. The requirements are laid down in Approved Document E, which came into effect on 1 July 2003, and by Amendments which came into effect on 1 July 2004. Approved Document E may be downloaded here. (Page opens in a new window.)
Pre-completion testing is generally carried out at the request of the Building Control Officer. The guidance contained within Approved Document E gives detailed recommendations for the partitions to be tested and for the number of tests that should be carried out. We recommend that the proposed testing is agreed in advance with the Building Control Officer (or person requiring the test).
Airborne tests are required between horizontally and vertically separated pairs of rooms. The 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.
For vertically separated rooms, an Impact test may also be required. This test is undertaken using a “tapping machine”, 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.
Where testing indicates that sound insulation does not meet the requirements of Approved Document E, remedial measures can be recommended.
Please contact us for a quotation to carry out sound insulation tests.
