Sound Insulation Testing

For Compliant, Comfortable Buildings

Atlantic Air provides professional sound insulation testing across Northern Ireland and Ireland, delivering accurate results, clear certification and reliable support to help your project achieve compliance without delay.

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WHAT IS

Acoustic Testing?

Sound insulation testing, also known as acoustic testing, is an essential part of modern building construction and compliance with current building regulations. The purpose of acoustic testing is to measure how effectively walls and floors reduce sound transmission between adjoining rooms, dwellings or buildings. Proper sound insulation is particularly important in residential developments such as apartments, semi-detached houses and terraced properties, where noise transfer between neighbouring spaces can affect comfort and privacy.

Pre-completion sound insulation testing is required under building regulations for many types of developments to ensure that separating walls and floors meet the required acoustic performance standards. These tests measure both airborne sound transmission, such as voices or music travelling through walls, and impact sound transmission, such as footsteps or movement travelling through floors.

Atlantic Air provides professional sound insulation testing services across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and the UK. Our experienced engineers work closely with contractors, developers, architects and consultants to ensure projects achieve the required acoustic performance standards before completion.

Our experienced testers collect field measurements in accordance with ISO 140 and ISO 16283 (all parts) as required in order to ensure compliance with current Building Regulations i.e. Technical Booklet G 2012 (UK & NI) and Technical Guidance Document E 2014 (ROI).

We will liaise directly with Building Control and/or the Assigned Certifier in order to establish and agree the required number of tests, so that we can provide a stress-free service and an accurate quotation with no hidden costs.

The images used for ‘Airborne Sound Insulation Testing’ and ‘Impact Sound Insulation Testing’ need to be switched around and made equal in size.

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Why Sound Insulation Testing

Is Required

Pre-completion sound insulation testing is required under building regulations for many types of residential developments where adjoining properties share separating walls or floors. These tests are carried out to ensure that the construction of the building provides adequate resistance to sound transmission between neighbouring dwellings, helping to maintain comfort, privacy and acceptable living conditions for occupants. Acoustic testing is commonly required for developments where multiple dwellings are connected or where rooms for residential purposes are located within the same building.

Typical developments that require pre-completion sound insulation testing include:

  • Semi-detached houses
  • Terraced houses
  • Multi-unit developments
  • Apartments

The purpose of the test is to confirm that separating walls and floors achieve the required acoustic performance standards before the building can be signed off by building control. By carrying out these tests, developers and contractors can demonstrate compliance with building regulations and ensure that the completed building provides effective sound insulation between adjoining properties. Proper acoustic performance helps prevent excessive noise transmission, improving the overall comfort and quality of the living environment for occupants.

What is Sound Insulation Testing?

Sound testing or acoustic testing as it is also known with regard to buildings is the measurement of the sound level difference between two rooms separated by party walls and/or floors between dwellings and rooms such as classrooms, hotel rooms, offices etc. There are two ways of testing acoustic insulation of separating elements;

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Airborne Sound Insulation Testing

The airborne test measures the resistance to the passage of airborne sound through a separating wall or floor. Using a high powered multi directional loudspeaker we will generate 123dB of ‘pink’ noise on one side of a separating wall or floor (Source Room).

Using a UKAS calibrated Sound Level Meter and Class 1 Microphone we will take a series of measurements to determine the sound pressure level in the Source Room. We will then move to the opposite side of the separating wall or floor (Receive Room) and measure the sound pressure level, reverberation time and background noise level.

This then allows us to calculate the sound level difference between the two rooms under test (DnT,w) and compare it to the performance requirements for that separating element.

This technology is designed to deal with large volumes of warm moist air, thus enabling us to position extract air valves directly over shower enclosures. By extracting steam at its most intense point we can dramatically reduce condensation levels whilst recover the highest possible temperature from the warm air before extraction to the outside.

Impact Sound Insulation Testing

The impact test measures the resistance to the passage of impact sound through a separating floor. Using a UKAS calibrated Tapping Machine that contains five equal size hammers, we can generate a continuous and stable impact sound on the floor (Source Room).

Using a UKAS calibrated Sound Level Meter and Class 1 Microphone we will measure the sound pressure level, reverberation time and background noise level in the room below (Receive Room). This then allows us to calculate the weighted standardised impact sound level (L’nT,w).

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Acoustic Testing Across

Northern Ireland & the Republic of Ireland

Atlantic Air provides sound insulation testing across Northern Ireland and Ireland including Belfast, Tyrone, Armagh, Derry, Antrim and surrounding areas. Our experienced engineers work closely with contractors, developers and architects to ensure projects achieve the required acoustic performance standards.

FAQs

What is sound insulation testing?

Sound insulation testing measures how much sound passes through walls and floors separating dwellings to confirm compliance with building regulations.

 

Is acoustic testing required for new builds?

Yes. Many residential developments must undergo pre-completion sound insulation testing before building control approval is granted.

 

What buildings require acoustic testing?

Acoustic testing is commonly required for apartments, terraced houses, semi-detached properties, hotels, schools and other buildings where sound separation between rooms is important.

 

What happens if a building fails an acoustic test?

If the building fails the required acoustic performance standards, improvements may be required to the wall or floor construction before retesting.

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