1. Regulation and compliance with performance standards
Sound Insulation
Regulation and compliance with performance standards
BUILDING REGULATIONS (2000) AD Part E, Resistance to the passage of sound

3. BUILDING REGULATIONS Part E, Resistance to the passage of sound
For dwellings the sound transmission includes flanking sound.
Level Difference
D = L1 – L2
Area of wall not important but the level must be adjusted to account for variations in reverberation time
Standardised Level Difference
DnT = L1 – L2 + 10log(T/0.5) L1 L2
Flanking Sound

4. WIEGHTED STANDARDISED LEVEL DIFFERENCE DnT,w (or WEIGHTED TRANSMISSION LOSS, Rw)
The standardised level differences are plotted on a graph as shown below.
The value of the curve at 500 Hz is taken and this is the rating for the wall (or floor). This rating is the Weighted Standardised Level Difference, DnT, w
If we apply the same method to lab tests and plot ⅓ octave R values we get the weighted transmission loss, Rw
Standardised Level Difference
(dB)
1/3 octave bands
k k 1.6k 2k k 3.15k
Reference Curve
DnT,w
Or Rw
Sum of adverse deviations = 28.3 dB

5. Impact Sound Transmission
Similarly for impact sound
Here the impact sound pressure level, L is measured, and the Reverberation Time in the receiving room
Corrected for Rev. Time
Ln = L – 10lg(T/0.5) L
Tapping m/c
Flanking

6. LnT,w is the weighted normalised impact sound level
The Ln’s for all 16 bands are plotted as before and then a weighting curve is fitted to the data in a similar way to before except that the curve is a different shape as shown below.
LnT,w is the weighted normalised impact sound level
500 Hz
LnT,w
(dB)
Weighting Curve

7. ADE Performance standards

8. ADE Compliance
Demonstrated by pre-completion testing, or alternatively
By means of using robust details
Robust details are high performance separating walls and floors deemed sufficiently reliable so as not to need the check provided by pre-completion testing.

9. Robust Details A method of compliance with AD Part E
for housing developers
operated by Robust Details Ltd – ‘not for profit’ co.
Avoids requirement for pre-completion testing
sites registered with Robust Details Ltd
developer adopts strict QA procedure, check lists etc.
RDL monitor procedures for construction quality
RDL test a proportion of constructions, when failure indicates a fault in the detail, rather than the builder

10. SOUND INSULATION
Practical Issues

11. BASIC REQUIREMENTS (Walls)
Multiple layers more effective than a single layer of the same mass for airborne sound insulation =
Layers must be isolated (on separate frames)
Air gaps must include acoustic absorption
3000mm concrete
mass 6400 kg/m2
2 x 3 layers of plasterboard
with 400mm air gap
mass < 150kg/m2

12. Typical performance of panels
Weighted transmission loss, Rw for plasterboard panels.
Remove
2 x plasterboard inside layers
Basic
Stud
wall
Double stud wall with absorption
Add
2 x plasterboard to outside layers
Remove
1 x plasterboard inside layer
Add
Absorption
Rw = 33 dB
36 dB
40 dB
50 dB
57 dB
63 dB
These values would only be achieved in the laboratory – no flanking!

13. Coincidence dips for glass
2kHz
600Hz

14. Coincidence dips for boards

15. Double walls—mass/air/mass
Block wall with resilient bars and plasterboard
Low frequency mass/air/mass resonance
Note that the bare block wall is better at low frequencies than the same wall with an extra layer of plasterboard on one side – this is due to resonance.

16. Typical Constructions (walls)
Wall ties allow vibration to cross the cavity

17. Typical Constructions (walls)

18. Joint Details
Fully built-in
Cavity stop

19. Edge Details

20. BASIC REQUIREMENTS (Floors)
Floors have additional requirements to prevent impact sound being transmitted. This is achieve by either, or a combination of:
Soft resilient surface layer
Incorporated resilient layer and floating floor
Separate ceiling layer

21. Typical Constructions (Floors)

22. Typical Constructions (Floors)

23. Ceiling Layers
BEST
WORST

24. Joint and Edge Details

25. Acoustic Timber Floor

26. High Insulation Wall System

27. Multiplex Cinemas 3 layers of plasterboard
5 x 100mm mineral wool mm

28. Resilient Connectors
Frames use “acoustic” braces (rubber isolation block to prevent transmission of vibration)

29. High Performance Foam & Vinyl
Uses a sandwich construction to achieve good sound insulation by a combination of:
"absorption-damping-decoupling“

30. REMEDIAL TREATMENTS

31. Flat Conversions (Walls)

32. Flat Conversions (Floors)

33. Flat Conversions (Floors)

34. Flat Conversions (Stairs)