Dwelling Houses, flats and rooms for residential purposes shall be designed and constructed in such as way that they provide reasonable resistance to sound from other parts of the building and from adjoining buildings.

The changes

The current edition of Part E of the Building Regulations came into force in July 2003. The main objectives were to improve standards of sound insulation, particularly now that many more adjoining residences are being built, and to bring in measures intended to improve compliance with the Regulations. These included pre-completion acoustic testing as a way of demonstrating compliance and, in a later amendment, the use of Robust Details

Pre-completion testing

Pre-completion testing has applied to rooms for residential purposes, houses and flats formed by the conversion of other buildings since July 2003 and has applied to new houses and flats from 1 July 2004. The sound insulation values required are set out in table 1a and 1b (or our equivalent) and apply to rooms that are finished but not furnished or occupied.

These performance standards are designed for walls, floors and stairs that separate spaces used for normal domestic purposes. A higher standard of sound insulation may be required between spaces used for normal domestic purposes and communal or non-domestic purposes. The appropriate level of sound insulation will normally depend on the level of noise generated in the communal or non-domestic space. Specialist advice may be required to determine the level of sound insulation required.

Where the requirement for pre-completion acoustic testing applies the document specifies that the person carrying out the work is responsible for ensuring that the appropriate sound insulation testing is carried out and recorded in accordance with an approved procedure. They are also responsible for giving a copy of the results to the local authority or Approved Inspector within a specified time as set out in the Building Regulation 15(4).

Testing programme

Normally one set of tests will be carried out on the sound insulation between the first houses, flats or rooms for residential purposes scheduled for completion in each group. So even if the development only consists of one pair of houses, flats or rooms for residential purposed they should be tested.

As further properties are finished one in every ten should be tested.

Testing should be more frequent at the start of a series of completions that at the end to allow any potential problems to be addressed, but on large developments testing should be carried out over a substantial part of the construction period.

Robust Details

From 1 July 2004 Robust Details have been allowed as an acceptable alternative to pre-completion testing.

Robust details are high performance separating wall and floor constructions (with associated details) that are expected to be sufficiently reliable not to need the check provided by pre-completion testing.

If Robust Details are to be used, their use for each specific plot needs to be registered with Robust Details Ltd. The competent local authority or Approved Inspector also needs to be notified in advance with details of the according the part or parts of the building where Robust Details are being used, the detail concerned and the unique number issued by Robust Details Ltd covering that specific use.

This exemption from pre-completion testing is naturally subject to the building work being carried out in accordance with the design detail specified in the notification.

‘Room for residential purposes’

The 2003 edition of Part E introduced the concept of a ‘room for residential purposes’ that is covered by the regulations and includes hostel types of accomodation and hotel rooms.

This has been clarified by an amendment in 2004 to that explains that this also includes rooms in boarding houses, halls of residence and residential homes – it does not though cover rooms in hospitals used for patient accommodation.

Dwelling houses, flats and rooms for residential purposes shall be designed and constructed in such a way that Ð

a) internal walls between a bedroom or a room containing a water closet and other rooms; and
b) internal floors

provide reasonable resistance to sound.

Limitations

Requirement E2 does not apply to –
a) an internal wall that contains a door
b) an internal wall that separates and ensuite toilet from the associated bedroom
c) existing walls and floors in a building which is subject to a material change of use.

The changes

Under the 2003 Approved Document E internal walls and floors within dwelling houses, flats and rooms for residential purposes are now required to meet minimum level of laboratory tested sound insulation of Rw 40dB.

The Document also introduced the requirement for a reasonable level of sound insulation between a bedroom or a room containing a WC and other rooms.

There is no requirement for pre-completion testing of new walls or floor on site under requirement E2. The normal way of satisfying its requirements is to use constructions that meet laboratory test values. Test bodies conducting testing should preferably have UKAS accreditation (or a European equivalent) for laboratory measurements.

The document gives examples of constructions that should achieve the required performance and specifies a minimum mass per unit area for each construction.

On stairwells, if the stair is not enclosed then the sound insulating potential of the internal floor will not be achieved – but it still needs to meet the requirements of E2.

The document recommends that it is good practice to consider the layout of the rooms at the design stage to avoid placing noise sensitive rooms next to rooms where noise is generated.

Domestic extensions and loft conversions also need to meet the Rw 40dB minimum standard.

The common internal parts of buildings which contain flats or rooms for residential purposes shall be designed and constructed in such as way as to prevent more reverberation around the common parts than is reasonable.

Limitations

Requirement E3 only applies to corridors, stairwells, hallways and entrance halls which give access to the flat or room for residential purpose.

Changes

As with requirement E1 the concept of a ‘room for residential purpose’ has been introduced. This has been clarified by a 2004 amendment that explains that as well as hostel types of accommodation and hotel rooms the regulations apply to rooms in boarding houses, halls of residence and residential homes. They do not cover rooms in hospitals used for patient accommodation.

Meeting the requirements

The normal way to meet Requirement E3 is to use the sound absorption measures set out in Section 7 of the Approved Document.

There are basic methods: covering the area with an absorber of the appropriate class, or by calculating the minimum amount of absorptive material that is required in octave bands. This second method is not intended for stairwells.

The Document specifies that where additional guidance is required specialist advice should be sought at an early stage.

(1) Each room or other space in a school building shall be designed and constructed in such a way that it has the acoustic conditions and the insulation against disturbance by noise appropriate to its intended use.

(2) For the purposes of this part Îschoolâ has the same meaning as in section 4 of the Education Act 1996 [4]; and Îschool buildingâ means any building forming a school or part of a school.

The change

Until the 2003 Approved Document schools were not covered by part E of the Building Regulations.

Meeting the requirement

The normal way of satisfying requirement E4 is to meet the values for sound insulation, reverberation and internal ambient noise given in Section 1 of Building Bulletin 93 ÎThe Acoustic Design of Schoolsâ published by the Department for Education and Science.