What is Part E?
Part E sound testing, often referred to as "Pre-Completion Sound Testing," is a mandatory requirement under Building Regulations Part E in England and Wales.
Sound Testing assesses the sound insulation performance between new dwellings (flats, apartments, terraced and semi-detached houses) and between dwellings and common areas. The primary goal is to ensure that residents are protected from excessive noise from adjoining properties or external sources, promoting comfortable living conditions. Essentially, sound insulation testing assesses if the dwelling/s provides a reasonable resistance to the passage of sound.
What is involved in Part E sound testing?
Testing, using specialist equipment, involves measuring both airborne sound insulation (sound travelling through the air, like speech or music) and impact sound insulation (such as footsteps on a floor). The results are compared against the minimum performance standards set out in Approved Document E. If a dwelling fails to meet these standards, remedial work is typically required before the building can be signed off by building control.
For a typical small development (under 10 dwellings with similar construction), you would typically need:
2 airborne wall sound tests
2 airborne floor sound tests
2 impact floor sound tests
Our acoustic consultants can work closely with the Architect or Developer, or as part of the Design Team from the outset of the project, to give building acoustic design advice in order to ensure compliance with Part E. We can look at every aspect of acoustics associated with the development, including sound insulation design advice and pre-completion testing, to ensure that requirements set out in the Approved Document E are met.
To understand testing requirements for your project, please get in touch.