A sound insulation test of a separating partition will be considered as a pass if the airborne sound insulation is equal to or greater than the DnT,w + Ctr value required for the appropriate dwelling and if the impact sound insulation is equal to or less than the L’nT,w value for the appropriate dwelling. The performance criteria are different for new builds and conversions and also differences may occur due to the use of the dwelling type.
DnT,w is an in-situ measured performance parameter which demonstrates the level of resistance to sound transmission between two adjacent spaces. The measurement will include both direct sound transmission and flanking sound transmission of the construction. Flanking transmission is the effect of sound travelling through the building and may be particularly evident where beams and joists bridge a common partition or along poorly isolated lightweight wall constructions. The DnT,w of a separating wall or floor will typically be of the order 5 to 7 dB lower than the manufacturers specified Rw (single figure quantity of sound insulation) for the single element, due principally to the contribution from flanking sound transmission around the element when it is built on site.
Ctr is the spectrum adaption term. It is a correction attributed to the sound insulation quantity to account for urban traffic noise.
L’nT,w is an in-situ measured performance parameter which demonstrates the level of resistance to impact sound transmission between floors. The impact measurement includes both direct sound transmission and flanking sound transmission.
Further information can be obtained by contacting Soundguard Acoustics or by downloading our FREE developers guide to Approved Doc E sound insulation testing
Thursday 28 November 2013
Monday 18 November 2013
Customer Testimonials for Sound Testing
'Soundguard Acoustics provided a thorough & professional service & achieved a successful outcome for my building refurbishment project. I would definitely recommend them to anyone seeking expertise in this area' D. Widden, Taunton, Somerset
'We found Soundguard Acoustics competent, prompt & professional to work with. We will certainly be working with them again on future projects & would definitely recommend them to fellow professionals' L. Bullivant, BULLCO Ltd, Devon
'Soundguard Acoustics offered clear professional advice on our new product development work with Robust Detail Ltd. They responded quickly and we are very happy with the service received. We would definitely recommend them'M. Panes, Superglass
'Soundguard Acoustics provided a friendly service carried out in a prompt & professional manner' K. Thomas,Weston Super Mare
'We have always had a good service from Soundguard Acoustics. Friendly, reliable & reasonably priced' J. Pearce,DevonBuild.co.uk
'We found Soundguard Acoustics competent, prompt & professional to work with. We will certainly be working with them again on future projects & would definitely recommend them to fellow professionals' L. Bullivant, BULLCO Ltd, Devon
'Soundguard Acoustics offered clear professional advice on our new product development work with Robust Detail Ltd. They responded quickly and we are very happy with the service received. We would definitely recommend them'M. Panes, Superglass
'Soundguard Acoustics provided a friendly service carried out in a prompt & professional manner' K. Thomas,Weston Super Mare
'We have always had a good service from Soundguard Acoustics. Friendly, reliable & reasonably priced' J. Pearce,DevonBuild.co.uk
Friday 15 November 2013
Approved Doc E Sound Testing - What's involved?
Airborne sound insulation test (walls & floors): A controlled noise is generated by an amplifier and loudspeaker across a broad range of frequencies. The generated noise is very loud and can be in excess of 100dB. Initial measurements are taken using a Sound Level Meter within the ‘source room’ followed by further measurements in the ‘receiver room’ on the other side of the wall or floor under investigation. The source room speaker position is then changed and the measurements repeated either side of the partition under test.
Background noise measurements are made using a sound level meter in the receiving room and are used to apply appropriate corrections for external sound such as traffic noise. Similarly the reverberation time (the time taken for sound to decay by 60dB) is measured within the receiving room using the sound source and a sound level meter to determine the corrections that must be applied to account for the characteristics and absorptiveness of the room.
The difference in the two airborne noise levels (for walls and floors), corrected for background and reverberation characteristics determines the airborne sound insulation performance of the wall, or floor. A greater airborne noise difference between the source room and the receiver room determines a higher airborne sound insulation performance.
Impact sound transmission test (floors only): This test is different, a calibrated ‘tapping machine’ which comprises of five 'hammers' driven up and down by a cam and electric motor is used to "tap" the floor surface by applying a known force on the floor structure. The machine is placed in several pre-determined positions. The resulting noise is measured in the dwelling below, using a sound level meter.
Background noise measurements are made using a sound level meter in the receiving room and are used to apply appropriate corrections for external sound such as traffic noise. Similarly the reverberation time (the time taken for sound to decay by 60dB) is measured within the receiving room using the sound source and a sound level meter to determine the corrections that must be applied to account for the characteristics and absorptiveness of the room.
The measured noise levels in the receiving room (for impact floors tests), corrected for background and reverberation characteristics determines the impact sound insulation performance of the floor. For the impact noise the lower the measured level, the better the performance as less sound is being transmitted into the dwelling below.
Find out more about Sound Testing or contact Soundguard Acoustics
Sound Test DEVON | Sound Test CORNWALL | Sound Test SOMERSET | Sound Test DORSET | Sound Test SOUTH WEST | Sound Test UK
Background noise measurements are made using a sound level meter in the receiving room and are used to apply appropriate corrections for external sound such as traffic noise. Similarly the reverberation time (the time taken for sound to decay by 60dB) is measured within the receiving room using the sound source and a sound level meter to determine the corrections that must be applied to account for the characteristics and absorptiveness of the room.
The difference in the two airborne noise levels (for walls and floors), corrected for background and reverberation characteristics determines the airborne sound insulation performance of the wall, or floor. A greater airborne noise difference between the source room and the receiver room determines a higher airborne sound insulation performance.
Impact sound transmission test (floors only): This test is different, a calibrated ‘tapping machine’ which comprises of five 'hammers' driven up and down by a cam and electric motor is used to "tap" the floor surface by applying a known force on the floor structure. The machine is placed in several pre-determined positions. The resulting noise is measured in the dwelling below, using a sound level meter.
Background noise measurements are made using a sound level meter in the receiving room and are used to apply appropriate corrections for external sound such as traffic noise. Similarly the reverberation time (the time taken for sound to decay by 60dB) is measured within the receiving room using the sound source and a sound level meter to determine the corrections that must be applied to account for the characteristics and absorptiveness of the room.
The measured noise levels in the receiving room (for impact floors tests), corrected for background and reverberation characteristics determines the impact sound insulation performance of the floor. For the impact noise the lower the measured level, the better the performance as less sound is being transmitted into the dwelling below.
Find out more about Sound Testing or contact Soundguard Acoustics
Sound Test DEVON | Sound Test CORNWALL | Sound Test SOMERSET | Sound Test DORSET | Sound Test SOUTH WEST | Sound Test UK
Thursday 14 November 2013
Where do I find an Approved Doc E Sound Testing company?
Approved Document E states that the sound insulation testing body should be either a member of the Association of Noise Consultants (ANC) and have joined their PCT registration scheme or be registered testers with the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).
Choosing an accredited company under these schemes gives you the peace of mind that your reports will be accepted by all local authorities, building control and national guarantee companies.
By using an ANC member registered under the PCT registration scheme, such as Soundguard Acoustics Ltd, then you will receive a full report including instruction for your Building Control Officer for accessing the secure online testing certificates for your build. Our company, Soundguard Acoustics, will also liaise with and release the report directly to your BCO if required to ensure that they are satisfied with the test selection.
What if I use an unregistered company?
Don’t! The quality and validity of the testing and results may be questionable and may not be accepted by the necessary approval bodies. It is likely that your BCO will ask for further or repeated testing by an accredited test company to validate the results. This will result in delay for your project and further payment to the accredited test company.
Choosing an accredited company under these schemes gives you the peace of mind that your reports will be accepted by all local authorities, building control and national guarantee companies.
By using an ANC member registered under the PCT registration scheme, such as Soundguard Acoustics Ltd, then you will receive a full report including instruction for your Building Control Officer for accessing the secure online testing certificates for your build. Our company, Soundguard Acoustics, will also liaise with and release the report directly to your BCO if required to ensure that they are satisfied with the test selection.
What if I use an unregistered company?
Don’t! The quality and validity of the testing and results may be questionable and may not be accepted by the necessary approval bodies. It is likely that your BCO will ask for further or repeated testing by an accredited test company to validate the results. This will result in delay for your project and further payment to the accredited test company.
Wednesday 13 November 2013
How many Approved Doc E sound tests do I need within my development?
One set of tests needs to be undertaken for every ten flats or houses, provided the construction system is the same. A set means that the test should include two locations where the party element (wall or floor) is tested.
This is equivalent to two individual tests when assessing the performance of a wall (airborne performance only) and four individual tests when assessing a floor (two airborne and two impact tests). All tests must be undertaken between habitable spaces (e.g. bedrooms, living rooms) and not to or from common spaces such as stairwells and corridors.
Approved Document E 2003 states that a minimum of 10% of all party walls and floors is sound tested for every construction group or sub-group. This means that where variations in the construction may occur then further testing may be required.
Houses: a set of tests would usually comprise of two airborne sound insulation tests of a pair of separating walls
Flats: a set of tests would usually comprise of two airborne sound insulation tests on separating walls; two airborne sound insulation tests of separating floors and two impact sound transmission tests of separating floors
Rooms for Residential Purposes: (student residences, hotel rooms & care homes) a set of tests would usually comprise of one airborne sound insulation test of a separating wall; one airborne sound insulation test of a separating floor and one impact sound transmission test of a separating floor
Contact Soundguard Acoustics today for your advice or quotation for your testing requirements EMAIL
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