Compliance Services : Acoustic Tests

Acoustic Tests

Part E - Resistance to the passage of sound (England and Wales) 2003

Key requirements - Part E Regulations focus on four main items:

E1 Protection against sound from other parts of the building and adjoining buildings
E2 Protection against sound within a dwelling house etc
E3 Reverberation in the common internal parts of buildings containing flats or rooms for residential purposes
E4 Acoustic conditions in schools

There are two routes to compliance

1. Robust Details

• Pre-approved details achieving sound insulation standards higher than those required by Part E.
• For new build houses and new build apartments only.
• No pre-completion testing required.

Robust Details are an alternative to constructions that require pre-completion sound testing in England and Wales.

The main benefit of using Robust Details is there is no need to carry out pre-completion sound testing. This eliminates the risk and uncertainty of remedial action being required on completed separating walls and floors, which may lead to potential delays in completing the property.

The Robust Details are designed to achieve higher sound insulation standards than the minimum requirements in Part E. Each approved Robust Detail contains a checklist which must be completed on site.

This is a quality control check to confirm that all the critical factors that affect sound performance have been built correctly.

Robust Details are administered by Robust Details Ltd. Every dwelling built using Robust Details needs to be registered with Robust Details Ltd and a plot registration fee paid.

Further information on the Robust Details scheme is available on the Robust Details website at: www.robustdetails.com

All floating floor and ceiling treatments for separating floors, where stipulated, are to have a proven level of performance from laboratory tests before they can be used in a Robust Detail.

2. Pre-completion testing

• Details designed to meet or exceed Part E minima.
• For all new build, refurbishment, remedial and extension work in buildings with rooms for residential purposes.
• Minimum of 1 in 10 dwellings of same type to be tested.

Part E calls for sample pre-completion testing of separating walls and floors prior to handover. The testing is required to ensure that the level of performance specified in Part E is being achieved.

Acoustic Tests are to be performed to the ISO 140 series of standards. Pre-completion sound insulation tests should be carried out by independently accredited organisations.

A minimum of one in every 10 dwellings of the same dwelling type are required to be tested prior to completion. Depending on the mix of dwelling types in a development, testing will usually be required on 10-30% of the units.

Acoustic Tests should be conducted in completed but unfurnished rooms or available spaces in the case of properties sold before fitting out.

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