Protection from noise contributes towards the ‘quality of
life’ afforded by dwellings, and a healthy, productive and
attractive environment in offices, hospitals, schools and other
non-domestic buildings.
Many aspects of modern life contribute towards
increasing levels of potential nuisance noise including the
construction of housing at high densities, increasing use of home
entertainment equipment throughout the home, and the 24 hour
society.
In dwellings, legislation is concerned with
protecting residents from nuisance noise in attached dwellings and
within the dwelling, and requires that separating walls and floors
are built to provide specific levels of protection. There is no
requirement to protect from noise sources external to the dwellings
such as road or air traffic.
Schools, hospitals, libraries and many other
types of buildings have very specific acoustic requirements and
specifications will often determine the acceptable noise levels
within rooms by their purpose.
Mineral wool insulation has excellent acoustic
absorption characteristics. Its use in carefully specified
constructions with good detailing contributes significantly towards
the requirements stipulated in the regulations set out below.
The Law
Approved Document E (England and Wales only) –
Resistance to the passage of sound. The Document sets minimum
standards for the protection that separating walls and floors offer
between dwellings and internal walls and floors within dwellings.
It sets similar standards for other types of residential rooms
including hotels and student accommodation. It also states minimum
standards for reducing reverberation in communal areas of flats and
apartment buildings and creating the appropriate acoustic
conditions in schools.
In Scotland, Technical Handbook, section 5 and
in Northern Ireland Technical Booklet G covers acoustic regulations
in dwellings and non dwellings.
Key guidance
General
BS 2750:1980 (1993) – Measurement of sound
insulation in buildings and of building elements.
Hospitals
HTM 56 (superseding HTM 2045), HTM60 – These
documents set out sound insulation requirements and guidance for
various areas in hospitals.
Schools
BB93 sets out the performance standards for the acoustics of new
schools.