Sound Insulation Testing
Sound insulation testing is most commonly carried out to demonstrate compliance with the Technical Guidance Document E: Sound (TGD E) of the most recent 2014 Building Regulations. This statutory document has now made sound insulation testing mandatory for representative samples of demising walls in every new housing development in Ireland.
TGD E sets out the minimum sound insulation performance that the separating construction must provide in order to provide a reasonable resistance to sound transmission. Table 1 below details the minimum levels of performance required by TGD E in order to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of the regulations.
| Table 1 from TGD E | Sound Performance Levels | |
|---|---|---|
| Separating Construction | Airborne Sound Insulation
DnT,w dB |
Impact Sound Insulation
L’nT,w dB |
| Walls | 53 (min) | – |
| Floors (including stairs with separating function) | 53 (min) | 58 (max) |
TGD E also requires that the testing agency have sufficient competency as follows:
To ensure a proper standard of testing, it is essential that persons are competent in the measurement of sound insulation in buildings to the relevant ISO Standards i.e. ISO 16283 Part 1 and ISO 140 Part 7 series, possess sufficient training, experience and knowledge appropriate to the nature of the work he or she is required to perform having particular regard to the size and complexity of such works.”
At CLV Consulting, we are registered as competent testers with the Sound Insulation Testing Register of Ireland (SITRI), have Certificate of Competence in Building Acoustics Measurements certificates issued by the Institute of Acoustics (IOA) and have over fifteen years of experience each in sound insulation testing and assessment.
Our sound insulation testing equipment is Type 1 and fully compliant with the requirements of the standards referenced above and our sound insulation testing reports are suitable for submission to any of the government regulatory or insurance bodies.