Acoustic design advice for residential dwellings

Anyone managing a new build or material change of use project to create residential dwellings, is legally required to ensure that the building meets the acoustic performance criteria set out in Building Regulations Approved Document E.

Sound Solution Consultants (SSC) have years of experience in providing reliable design and testing services to assist you in meeting these essential, legal requirements.

New builds

For new build residential projects, there are two means adhering to one of two main building methods: Robust Details certification scheme and Pre-Completion Testing (PCT).

Robust Details

Robust Details provides a certification scheme which assures compliance using a set of construction methods listed in the Robust Details manual. These construction methods are very detailed (specific right down to the type of wall tie or insulation to be used, for example) and all details must be followed in full compliance with the Robust Details Manual. This level of engineering is specifically provided to ensure that Approved Document E performance criteria are met (in 99 % of cases) upon conclusion of the project.

If the process of registering and building Robust Detail constructions is followed, then it will not be necessary to pay for pre-completion sound tests once the project has been completed. In this regard, the process of following Robust Details can be cost-beneficial and simple for new build projects of any scale.

Pre-completion sound testing (PCT)

Pre-completion Sound Testing (PCT) requires that buildings are tested prior to completion to ensure they meet Approved Document E acoustic performance standards. The Regulations require that a pair of tests is provided per ten separating constructions, with the person carrying out the building work responsible for arranging the testing. PCT should only be carried out by a qualifying test body, preferably UKAS accredited or registered under the ANC sound insulation testing scheme.

Conversions

If you’re managing the process to convert houses into flats or ‘rooms for residential use’, then the last thing you need to be worrying about is passing a sound test following Approved Document E.

Meeting the acoustic performance requirement in a conversion is a legal requirement for the following building types where the process of PCT must be followed:

• House to flat conversions
• Hotels and hostels
• Boarding houses
• Halls of residence
• Residential homes

Design process

SSC offer full acoustic design consultation and sound testing services, in which we can provide you with all the assistance and documentation that you need to ensure that your residential development meets the legally required acoustic performance standards.

Our approach to design and testing is listed in five steps, as follows:

Step 1 – We will review your architects’ drawings to ensure that the basic acoustic principles have been followed so far. From there, we will be able to work out if the acoustic performance needs to be altered, especially in cases where the changes are likely to save time or material costs.

In conversion projects we’ll also visit your site prior and analyse the current state of building construction. This enables us to get a complete picture of which acoustic treatments will be necessary. We’ll work out the cheapest and most efficient way of converting the building using the products and systems currently available.

Step 2 – We will provide a full report that details all the aspects of acoustic treatment that will be required for the project to meet Requirement E1 to E3 of Approved Document E acoustic criteria. This report will include both cross section diagrams and sketches.

Step 3 – We will visit your site whilst construction is taking place in order to ensure that the construction methods being used are in-keeping with those originally specified. We’ll remain on hand to assist the builder in ensuring that the required level of detail is met.

Step 4 – Where possible, we will work with you to supply building materials at reduced costs, helping to save the project even more money.

Step 5 – We’ll provide a competitive quote for carrying out the final test and, if you’re happy to proceed, we’ll carry out the test (where the project is relevant).