Transmission of sound
According to statistics provided by the 1996 English House Condition Survey, up to 4.7 million people suffer as a result of noise from traffic, industry or noisy neighbours. Many others consider sound insulation standards in their homes to be poor. Nearly all stated that sound insulation standards needed to be improved.
Building Regulations
Various revisions to Building Regulations, Approved Document E: Resistance to the passage of sound, have taken place over recent years, with an aim to reducing transmission of sound within the building to improve the internal environment. The Regulations relate to both internal and separating walls and floors. Pre-completion testing for purpose built dwellings was applied from 1st July 2004, when an alternative to testing involving the use of 'Robust Details' was also introduced.
Part E covers separating walls and floors in Part E1. Internal floors are covered in Part E2. With regards purpose built dwellings, there are 2 approaches that can be taken:
- Build and register for the use of Robust Details which, assuming construction satisfies all the relevant requirements, will meet the level of sound insulation required by the Regulations.
- Build using other floor constructions and then undertake pre-completion sound insulation tests between a specified proportion of attached properties on each site in order to prove compliance. The constructions can either be the tried and tested guidance details given given in Approved Document E or other details not included in the Approved Document which are proposed by the manufacturer or specifier.
There is no site-testing requirement for internal floors. The Regulations simply require the specification of constructions that have a minimum level of sound insulation as demonstrated by laboratory tests.
What are Robust Details?
Robust details are construction solutions which provide an alternative to pre-completion sound testing as a method of complying with Part E (resistance to the passage of sound) of the Building Regulations (England and Wales).
robust detail, for Part E of the Building Regulations, is a separating wall or floor construction which has been assessed and approved by Robust Details Limited. In order to be approved, each robust detail must:
- Be capable of consistently exceeding the performance standards given in Approved Document E to the Building Regulations for England and Wales
- Be practical to construct on site
- Be reasonably tolerant to workmanship.
Houses built using robust details, won't need pre-completion sound testing.
Guidance Notes for Concrete Separating Floors (Robust Details):
- Precast concrete planks should be butted tightly together and all joints between planks grouted.
All voids between walls and floor should be filled.
- Floating floor and ceiling treatments should be suitable and installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
- Flanking strips around the perimeter of the flooring board should be installed to isolate the floor from the walls and skirtings.
- Concrete floor slab density should match the Robust Detail requirements.
- Ceiling should not be in direct contact with any steel beams/columns.
Click here (http://www.robustdetails.com/robustdetails_separatingfloorsconcrete.shtml) for detailed checklist of how to comply with Robust Details for various concrete flooring options. Topfloor's Technical Team are always on hand to assist.
