Server rooms and data centres that have gaseous fire extinguishing systems are required to be tested on an annual basis. This is obviously critical given the consequences of fire damage and down time for such equipment. It is essential that an server room integrity testis undertake prior to handover of the enclosure and annually thereafter. Over the last 12 months we are seeing an increasing amount of server rooms fail the annual integrity test due to the inability of the server room’s envelope to adequately retain the extinguishant.
This is often due to penetrations through the wall, ceiling and floors the enclosure is not able to retain the extinguishant agent for the required holding period – usually 10 minutes. If the server room fails the integrity test, remedial work should then be undertaken to reduce the leakage from the enclosures envelope, this may include;
Sealing the underside of doorways within the
floor void (Risk Level 10)
Sealing all cracks or penetrations leading
into or out of the protected enclosure (Risk Level 8)
If a false ceiling is installed below the
structural soffit, ensure the air tightness line – usually above the false
ceiling is fully sealed. (Risk Level 10)
Ensure all structural steels are sealed where
they go through the inner envelope (Risk Level 8)
Seal around the all air conditioning/cooling
vent frames (Risk Level 8)
Sealing all pipe chases and cable trays to be
sealed around the outside and inside where they penetrate the perimeter
boundaries of the protected enclosure (Risk Level 10)
Walls to be caulked around the inside
perimeter at both high and low level (Risk Level 9)
The sealing of porous block walls – this can
be remedied by painting etc. (Risk Level 8).
The addition of door sweeps or drop seals,
weather stripping around jambs (Risk Level 9)
Sealing of windows/glazed sections to the area
(Risk Level 8)
For fire suppression system to work properly, the room must have sufficient
integrity to retain an extinguishing concentration for a specified period after
discharge – usually 10 minutes) if the enclosure can’t adequately hold the
extinguishment the fire may reignite causing further damage. As this is the
predominant cause of failure, the British and International Standard (BS:
ISO14520) requires that a server room integrity
test be conducted on system installation and thereafter
at annual intervals, failure to do so may negate your buildings insurance.
In the event of a failed server room integrity test we can quickly
locate the air leakage paths using low impact smoke-puffers – if permitted. We can then issue an air leakage report
highlighting the air leakage paths within the server room enclosure. This will
ensure that you have all of the required information to undertake targeted remedial sealing
works on the enclosure.
Once
the air leakage paths are sealed a second room
integrity test can be undertaken – if
time permits. Once the appropriate remedial work has been
undertaken then the enclosure should be retested to confirm if an acceptable
level of integrity has been reached and the results recorded.
Our professional engineers, using the very latest in testing technology will provide thorough informative assessments concerning potential areas of leakage, advice and recommendations on protection and solution, as well full retention reports.
If you would like more information
in regards to Room Integrity Testing Please visit reference the following ISO
standards: ISO 14520, NFPA 2001 and ISO 15004
To try and help our clients better understand Sound Insulation Testing for Approved Documents E, we have collated the most common and questions (along with answers) clients have asked us over the last ten years. If you have further questions not contained within this article then please don’t hesitate to contact us.
What is Sound Insulation Testing? Sound insulation is the property of a wall and /or dividing partition to resist the passage of noise. The sound Insulation testing is a method of quantifying the sound insulation performance of walls and/or floors. Sound Insulation testing can be carried out on party walls, party floors or facades of any building.
Do I needsound insulation testingon my Property? One of the largest single reasons for disputes between neighbours
is noise complaints. Approved Document Part
E – Resistance to the passage of sound describes minimum standards
to be achieved by newly built domestic dwellings.
What is Approved Document E?
Approved Document Part E of the Building Regulations, sets out
minimum standards for sound insulation performance to be achieved by party wall
and party floors, you can achieve compliance with Part E by undertaking Pre-Completion Sound
Testing
When is the Sound Testing carried out?
The Sound Insulation
Testing is carried out when the buildings are
complete. Windows should be in place with any vents closable. Internal and
external doors should be in place, along with skirting, cornicing and plug
sockets in place. Sound testing must be carried out before any soft coverings such
as carpet have been laid to the floors. No furniture – such as beds or settees
should be in the rooms during the sound testing as it will have an effect on
the results.
Are internal partitions within a single dwelling sound tested?
No, Laboratory test based performance standards (Rw) exist for certain internal
walls and floors, but they are not intended to be verified as-built by on site
measurement and therefore sound insulation testing is not a
requirement; however, approved document E does state that internal partitions
should achieve 40dB.
Do detached properties require sound testing for Part E of
Building Regulations?
No, only attached properties require sound tests such as semi-detached
dwellings or blocks of flats. Detached properties share no common partitions
with any other properties.
How many sound insulation tests should I need on my Project?
Approved Document E states that one set of sound tests is required for every 10 units in a group or sub-group. A group or sub-group is defined where significant differences in construction or layout occur, for instance:
For a pair of semi-detached Houses – a set of tests would usually comprise two airborne sound insulation tests of a separating wall.
For Flats (up to 10 units) – a six pack would normally be
required, this comprises of: two airborne wall tests, two airborne floor tests
and two impact floor sound
tests.
For Rooms for Residential Purposes (student accommodation, hotel
rooms, care homes etc.) – a set of tests would usually comprise: one airborne
sound insulation tests of a separating wall; one airborne sound insulation test
of a separating floor; one impact sound transmission test of a separating
floor.
Which plots selected for sound testing?
We usually specify the amount of sound insulation tests that is required
on each project and this will be shown on a schedule within our fee proposal.
This allows our clients to forward the schedule to building control to seek
their approval prior to the test. We first look at the floor plans then work out
a testing schedule taking into account testing through the projects ‘habitable
rooms’ i.e. lounges & bedrooms where possible. When we have specified the
sound testing schedule it should always be checked by building control and/or
the client to seek their approval before the commencement of sound insulation testing.
How do I Prepare my Site forSound Insulation Testing?
APT Sound Testing always send out a sound testing checklist along with
our fee proposals to help you prepare for the sound testing,
as we always want our clients to be fully prepared so they can pass their sound
testing at the first attempt.
How long will the sound testing take?
The time taken to undertake the sound insulation testing varies with site conditions, but generally a ‘6 pack’ set
of tests on houses and flats takes about one to two hours. Obviously this
depends on the site being fully prepared in line with our sound testing
checklist.
Will
the sound insulation testing disrupt work on site?
we
require relatively quiet conditions are needed to take accurate measurements.
This means that anyone working in the testing area will have to leave
temporarily and any noisy works in the vicinity of the test rooms will need to
be halted i.e. using power tools or loud hammering etc.
How do I know if I’m ready for a sound insulation test?
We send out a checklist with all quotations to allow our clients to check they
are ready for the sound
testing. Basically the plots should be at least at
second fix stage – for further details please refer to our sound test checklist.
What sound testing equipment do you
use?
We use the latest UKAS calibrated acoustic equipment, for ease of
use and reliability. unlike many other companies we able inform clients if they
have passed or failed straightaway whilst on site. This allows us to offer acoustic
advice and collect detailed construction information whilst on site, in the
event of wall and/or floors failing the sound testing.
What if I only have 110V and not 240V on site?
Unfortunately
we cannot undertake the testing off 110V or localised generator power; we will
need 240V to undertake the sound testing.
Should I inform my neighbours of the impending sound testing?
If the building is attached in any way to occupied properties then you will
need to inform the neighbours. We need to gain access to the neighbouring
properties to undertake the sound test as we test the wall
partition. You will also need to ensure that access is provided to the neighbouring
properties throughout the sound testing.
Can you offer acoustic advice to help me to
pass my sound testing?
APT offer an acoustic design service to help
you design your buildings partitions to pass Part E sound testing. If you send
through the relevant drawings such as sections and floor plans during the design
stages of the project, we can check the design to see if there are any
junctions or details where ‘noise flanking’ may occur, we can then advise if
any changes are required to lower the chance of sound test failures.
Rest Assured
We believe in working with our clients on all types of projects
from small end of terrace developments up to large blocks of flats. We believe
that by being involved at the beginning of a project we can often save our
clients expensive and difficult remedial works at the completion stage of a
project.
If you need sound
insulation testing for your current project, please call our team on 01525
303905 or email info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk We can
provide you with expert advice and are happy to offer a free, no obligation
quote along with our informative
checklist to help you
prepare for the sound testing.
