What Is Sound Insulation Testing?

What Is The Proper Way of Sound Insulation Testing?

Before delving into Sound Insulation Testing, it is essential to clear the concept of Sound Insulation itself. It is a way of measuring the sound which ceases due to an obstacle.

In most cases, the blocks are partition walls. It is possible to measure the sound reduction index inside the transmission suite. It comprises multiple adjoining reverberant rooms.

Measurement is taken of the contrast between the degree of sound in the source and receiver room. During this time, it is essential to consider the properties of the receiver room by calculating them.

Sound Insulation Testing Is Done Out of Necessity

No one performs a test in their home unless it is needed. Sound Insulation Testing is usually a requirement when converting a building into flats.

It means that there has been a material change of use. Another case involves the building being constructed to be a purpose-built flat, for instance, New Build.

As part of the Approved Document E of the Building Regulation, the Party Walls and Floors need to have sound testing done for proving compliance having criteria. These criteria are determined as part of a document table.

In the case of airborne walls, it is necessary to perform Sound Testing. In such a case, it is a must to gain entry to each side of the Party Wall. It needs to be done to carry out proper testing.

Conversely, every window and door needs to undergo fitting upon the completion of sound testing. In the case of a party floor, it is essential to undertake Sound Testing to determine if Airborne and Impact Noise exists between flats.

As mentioned before, there needs to be fitting for every window and door, which must work to complete Sound Testing.

How To Do An Airborne Noise Test?

Testing airborne noise through sound insulation requires a large loudspeaker. It is also efficient to use a dodecahedron speaker with a white noise generator for creating a sound of origin.

It acts as the source material and, in most cases, is done in the biggest of the two rooms, which must go through a test.

Now, it is time to bring the sound level meter for taking noise calculations inside the source room. Of course, the analysis also happens in the receiver room, which adjoins it. In addition, the tester should also measure the background noise levels.

If the background noise is relatively high, there is a good chance that the source noise needs to be even higher.

It becomes a case of the resulting noise level within the receiver room requiring 10dB louder. It is all in comparison with the background noise at every calculated frequency.

How To Do An Impact Sound Test?

In the case of undertaking an impact sound test, one must put the tapping machine in place in the apartment above. The same is achievable by placing it in the flat above.

Conversely, the noise level is calculated in the apartment below. You can conduct the same test in a room below the tapping machine. In every case, tests have to be run in the room.

However, keep in mind that this room has to be liveable, for instance, a bedroom or living room. In addition, the rooms need to consist of a base volume of 25 m3 so that sound testing is executed correctly.

What To Do During A Sound Insulation Test Failing?

In the case of the sound test failing, the Building Control has to be informed. It will allow them to advise on the ways of proceeding. This has to be done for the tester to have a chance of working out the reasons for the sound test failing.

Moreover, it gives the tester enough opportunity to develop ways to deal with it professionally.

Certain companies are providing diagnostic services in case of a Sound Testing failure. The benefits include investigating where the unwanted noise is traveling through.

In addition, the services comprise the most plausible methods for reducing such issues. It becomes very cheap to scrutinize whether a design complies with the building regulation in most cases. This has become a necessity before the activity commences on building work.

Over the years, many contractors and developers had to find out the hard way to deal with the Building Control Officer. The time of issuing the completion certificate justifies this claim. If there is no physical evidence of the sound insulation certificate, the Building Control Officer cannot and will not oblige.

There are private individuals with one-off projects failing with a sound insulation test. There are also instances of regional house builders and national property builders failing.

To be precise, the failure with the sound insulation tests incurs a drastic loss for the budget and the program.

Nowadays, some individuals must get that first-time pass. For such cases, certain companies like UKAS make the long journey to ensure that the certificate is obtained.

If a company has trained personnel for such situations, turning things around becomes easy. Hence, you can get the sound insulation testing certificate quickly.

When the sound insulation test engineer receives accreditation, they will handle tricky scenarios. Everything depends on the design because it enables the engineers to accomplish the Building Registration requirement in one try.

Concluding

Although the proper way of sound insulation testing may seem complicated, there is a way around it. The best sound engineers should provide quick verbal results from sound tests.

In addition, they will hand over a written report on the next working day, and the process will become simple.

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