Sound Insulation Testing

Building Regulations Part E - Passage of Sound

What is Sound Insulation Testing?

Building Regulations Part E requires that dwellings undergo sound testing before completion (pre-completion testing) to demonstrate a reasonable reduction in the transmittance of sound through the separating walls and floors.

Our trained and experienced engineers are SITMA accredited testers who will guide you through this process and help identify the most suitable rooms for testing, inform you of the ideal conditions for the tests and how many tests are required.

We operate throughout the UK and, providing we have all the information in place before testing, we can tell you how your property performed immediately after the tests.

Do I need Sound Insulation Testing?

Under Building Regulations Approved Document E, you will require sound insulation testing if you are:

• Building a block or blocks of flats
• Building a hotel, hostel or house of multiple occupancy
• Building terraced or semi-detached houses
• Converting a building whereby you create more dwellings than previously existed (e.g. converting a house or offices into residential dwellings)

Sound insulation tests are not required on:

• Detached dwellings
• Refurbishment projects

What do I need to do to book Part E testing?

In order to undertake the tests, we first require plans, sections and elevations of the building to be tested and any other building details available (wall and floor construction) to ensure we can plan the tests. Access will be required to both sides of the partition.

Procedure

There are two forms of sound insulation tests, airborne and impact tests.

The airborne sound insulation test is carried out with a loudspeaker for a steady source of noise on one side of the partition (wall or floor) to be measured. The corresponding sound level is measured on the other side of the partition.

Impact tests are carried out by using a tapping machine placed on the floor to be measured. The noise level is then recorded in the room below and calculations based on these measurements are undertaken and the results compared to the Building Regulations Part E requirements for the given type of the building.

Failures

Transmission via air paths through a partition or floor will be evident by the presence of higher frequency noise on the receiving side.

Flanking transmission occurs when airborne or impact sound passes under, over or around a wall or floor partition. The sound travels along shared building elements of adjacent structures. This can be detected with higher levels of low frequency noise on the receiving side.

1. Direct sound transmission - Through the partition
2. Flanking transmission - Via structurally connected elements
3. Overhearing - Through ventilation ducting or windows
4. Leakage - Around small connected building elements such as gaps around pipes between properties

General requirements for sound testing:

• An accredited pre completion testing company must be used for testing.
• All windows, internal & external doors must be installed, glazed and closed.
• All trickle vents or other ventilation systems should be installed and closed.
• All walls, floors and ceilings must be completed.
• All skirting boards, electrical sockets and light switches should be fitted.
• In order to test separating floors for impact sound transmission, there should be no soft floor coverings in the rooms to be tested (i.e. carpet, rugs, soft vinyl, ceramics).
• Rooms in which tests are to be carried out must be empty and tidy.
• No trades should be working in the dwellings during the tests.
• Access is required to the properties on either side of the party walls and/or floors during the test.
• There must be no noisy operations or work in or nearby to the dwellings during testing (drilling, cutting, groundwork).
• We will need 240v 50Hz mains power available within (or very close to) the dwellings.