Infrared Inspections to Electrical Installations
Electrical Thermal imaging surveys detect abnormally high temperatures and are a non-disruptive way of inspecting electrical and mechanical installations.

It provides an extremely low impact fault diagnosis tool for electrical fault finding. It requires no contact being made with the components which means that the components can be checked in a live state with little danger to the user, there is no effect on the components or interruption in any processes the electrical system may be controlling, thus no downtime for server rooms and/or manufacturing plant etc.

Electrical faults can lead to breakdowns and the potential for fire hazards. In both cases the losses due to downtime and repair costs can become hugely costly.

What can cause failure in electrical equipment?

• The age of the equipment – gradual breakdown/wear and tear.
• Loose connections
• Overloading sockets in your workplace
• Loose or corroded contacts
• Load imbalances
• Poor cable joints
• Overloaded transformers

The most common electrical equipment that requires surveys are:

• Switchgears and switchboards
• Distribution boards and fuse boards
• Transformers
• Control panels
• Busbar systems
• High voltage systems
• Batteries
• UPS systems
• Heating and ventilation panels
• Motor and pumps
• Generators

Why should you undertake a thermographic survey?

Electrical thermal imaging surveys help to identify hot spots in electrical systems that you might not be able to see with the naked eye and makes sure that they are running safely. Thermographic surveys are low impact to the work environment so there is no down time for you to be affected by.

What type of Buildings need a thermal imaging survey?

1. Commercial Buildings
2. Office Blocks
3. Schools and Colleges
4. Warehouses & Storage
5. Data Centres
6. Military Infrastructure
7. Flats, Houses & Residential Tower Blocks
8. Housing Stock (Councils & Property Managers)

What does a Thermal image look like?

Based on infrared radiation, thermal images will have wide colour palate. The hottest areas of the thermal image from the thermographic survey will be yellow in colour, the coolest will appear in blue this provides a clearly defined imagine highlighting hot and cold spots.

Also, more expensive high resolution camera can be much more effective. The resolution of the camera is how many pixels the camera has on the scene. Higher resolution means that each image contains more information: more pixels, more detail, and a greater likelihood of getting an accurate measurement – that is why we always use cameras with a minimum of Resolution of 640×480 pixels along with Ultramax imaging for up to 1.2 MP thermal resolution. Here is some more information on why you should use high quality thermal imagining cameras.

How often should Thermographic inspections be carried out?

It is recommended that thermographic inspections to the electrical installations are carried out during the formal periodic inspections, which are usually carried out annually. Thermographic surveys of critical parts for an installation could mean they have to be isolated in order for them to be inspected. This would obviously cause disruption; however, a routine thermographic inspection of these parts will help your business to run and could identify underlying defects which in turn could lead to a failure of the electrical supply. This shows how important it is to have thermographic inspections routinely incorporated into the annual maintenance schedules, to stay safe.

How many issues can I expect to find within my building?

Historically, we usually find defects during each visit. This can be loose or corroded contacts, load imbalances, poor cable joints or an overloaded transformer – all of which will generate excess heat and previous data from thermal imaging of electrical installations shows a significant rate of potential fault detection for an initial survey, typically in the region of one to two faults for every 10 panels inspected – if you have 50 panels that may result in 10 faults!

A thermal camera can often show the problem before an electrical test or visual inspection would uncover it. The severity of the problem can be determined by comparing the temperature rise of the fault with the properly operating component under the same loading conditions.

Past data from thermal imaging of electrical installations shows a significant rate of potential fault detection for an initial survey, typically in the region of one to two faults for every 10 panels inspected.

How Much Does a Thermal Imaging Inspection Cost?

This one of the most common questions we get asked, and its has a simple answer: it depends on numerous factors.  When we sit down to work out our fee proposal for a Thermal imaging inspection, we ask the client a number of questions:

1. The type and size of building.
2. The amount of preparation required.
3. The amount of time required to safely undertake the survey.
4. The type of equipment required to undertake the inspection.
5. The project location and subsequent travel costs/time.
6. The required deliverables – what needs to be included within the thermal survey report.
7. The amount of health and safety requirements i.e., some sites ask for 4-hour safety inductions.

We pride ourselves from being able to offer a basic electrical thermal survey from as little as £495 plus Vat, right up to the huge industrial areas that may need to be done in multiple visits that may be over £10,000 plus Vat and everything in between. It’s always best to call us to so we can get a more accurate overview of our project and quote; accordingly, so please contact us to discuss your project (along with any site-specific issues) and obtain a quote.

Are you engineers trained to carry out a thermographic inspection?

When you are employing a thermographer, you should check to see that they incorporate the high specifications possible for their inspections. Are they certified to Level 3 and do they use large format FLIR thermal imaging cameras?

Their specification should include:

1. Level 3 thermographic certification
2. Level 3 qualified thermographers
3. Large format FLIR cameras with 45-degree lenses

The importance of clear and concise thermographic reports

We spend much a large amount of time on our thermography reportage, that’s why it’s one of the best in the industry, this is obviously a part of the service which is off site and clients don’t see. Whilst we may draw initial conclusions on site, which may need more investigation; usually, our final conclusions and report will only be finalised after all the data has been studied. It’s our ongoing aim to provide thermographic reports that are clear, concise, and easy to reference. Our aim is to take the guesswork out of the equation.

Please contact us now.

If you require a electrical thermal imaging inspection our professional and certified Level 3 Thermographer’s will carry out your thermographic Inspections for all necessary standards and current regulations.

All we need are a few details such as the building address and the number of electrical installations within the building. Floor plans and would also be helpful to allow us to orientate ourselves during the inspection. We will also send across our informative checklist to help you prepare for the thermal survey.

If you would like to contact us for more information on our thermal imaging services, please contact us on 01525 303905 or email us at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk Please call 01543 225306 or fill out one of our contact forms to discuss our service levels and to run a thermographic inspection for your business. Talk to us today so we can keep you and your business safe.

Different Types of Sound Testing in London
Building Regulations Part E require that builders demonstrate the sound insulation performance of separating walls/floors in new-build dwellings and/or converted dwellings or rooms for residential purposes (as well as those newly formed by a material change of use). This applies when separate dwellings are attached via a common partition not exclusively used by the same occupants. The only way to satisfy the relevant compliance with building regulations is to undertake sound testing in London.

The regulations set minimum performance requirements for sound insulation between spaces, to provide reasonable conditions for living. Performance can be demonstrated either by sound testing a sample of as-built constructions/properties.

Sound Insulation Testing needs to be carried out between pairs of rooms separated by party walls or floors. In most cases, the rooms to be sound tested will be the two main habitable rooms – living rooms and bedrooms. The sound testing procedure involves setting up a noise source in a room on one side of the party wall or floor and measuring the noise on both sides of the partition.

Sound Testing for Part E of Building Regulations has been a mandatory requirement since July 2003. All new build dwellings and conversions that were built after this date require 10% of each party wall/floor construction type to be tested.

There are two main types of Sound Testing in London that need to be carried out prior to the building handover, they are:

Airborne Sound Testing
Airborne sound tests are usually required between horizontally and vertically separated pairs of rooms. The sound tests are undertaken by using a sound source, amplifier, and loudspeaker to generate a high noise level in one room (the source room). Noise measurements are then taken in both the source and receiver rooms using a prescribed number of source and microphone positions. The background levels in the receiver room are measured and the reverberation time in the receiver room is also measured. From the results, the airborne sound insulation (DnT,w + Ctr) is calculated and compared to the requirements of Approved Document E. For new build projects, you are required to achieve 45dB for airborne sound testing through walls and floors and 62dB for Impact sound testing for floors. For refurbishment projects this changes to 43dB for airborne and 64dB for impact.

Impact Sound Testing
For vertically separated rooms, an Impact sound test may also be required. This sound test is undertaken using a “tapping machine”, (as above) which drops a series of weights onto the floor of the upper room. The noise level in the lower (receiver) room is measured for a prescribed number of source and microphone locations. The background levels in the receiver room are measured and the reverberation time in the receiver room is also measured. From the results, the impact sound insulation (L’nT,w) is calculated and compared to the requirements of Approved Document E.

Sample Sound Tests
If you are undertaking a conversion project, i.e. subdividing a commercial office building into flats, it is important to ascertain the performance of your existing floor and wall partition. In our experience, there is often noise that travels directly through the separating partition due to lack of mass or isolation; or, it may be coming along another indirect route – called a flanking path. One of the most common flanking paths is the inner leaf of an external cavity wall, especially if it’s been constructed out of a lightweight weight material such as thermalite blockwork. To offer our clients peace of mind we can visit site before any construction works have taken place and undertake a series of sample sound tests to check the acoustic performance of the existing partitions. This allows our clients to undertake a targeted acoustic design, saving time and money.

Sound Testing of Building Facades
For the sound testing of external facades, we place the loudspeaker outside the building at a distance of 5m from the facade with the angle of sound incidence equal to  45° ± 5°  and such that the real traffic noise impact is simulated the best possible way.  The speaker and amplifier are used to generate a steady random noise signal via the loudspeaker source. The sound pressure levels are then measured at 2m in front of the facade plane and 1.5m above the ground.

Sound Proofing Walls in London
APT provides acoustic testing and consultancy to help architects, developers, and homeowners achieve the minimum requirements of Part E of the Building Regulations for new build and/or conversion projects. Sound transfer between walls in dwellings is a common problem and it is often down to poor-quality construction – this is often down to the contractors installing party walls and floors being on price work and not taking time and care during the construction process resulting in poor workmanship.

Contact APT Sound Testing
All APT’s test engineers carry the latest Norsonic sound testing equipment, which is class one rating. All of our sound testing is completed to a strict quality-controlled standard. We provide full ISO & UKAS compliant sound testing. If you would like more information in regards to sound testing in London, please contact us on 01525 303905 or visit our website APT Sound Testing Services website.

Sound Insulation Testing in London
With many of us now living in this overcrowded environment, it is essential that noise transference between adjoining properties is kept to a minimum for the occupant’s wellbeing. One way of ascertaining that a building is in compliance with Building Regulations Part E for the prevention of noise transference is to undertake Sound Insulation Testing in London.

We have undertaken thousands of sound insulation tests throughout London and the South East on all types of projects from simple flat conversions to large developments containing hundreds of flats. We also undertake Sound Insulation Testing where a leaseholder dispute has arisen, i.e. where the lease of the building stipulates that wooden floors should not be used instead of carpets and as a result of the change of floor finish the noise levels have increased – especially the impact noise. We can also undertake sample sound testing to highlight the existing noise levels so a targeted acoustic design can be undertaken.

Currently, we are also experiencing a rise in the amount of sound testing required to existing blocks of flats, such as existing council stock. This is hardly surprising as the amounts of noise complaints have more than doubled within the last 10 years due to residents experiencing excess noise between the dividing wall and floor partitions.  By utilising our extensive knowledge of different materials and construction we can forward a simple, explanative cost-effective solution for wall and/or floor upgrade. Where our clients have followed our advice they have achieved a 100% success sound test pass rate, ensuring compliance with Part E of Building Regulations.

The Sound Testing procedure is fairly simple and our engineer will be happy to explain this on site. Essentially, for party walls, there is one type of sound insulation test which is an airborne sound test and for compartment floors, there are two types of sound insulation tests which are airborne and impact sound insulation tests. The airborne sound insulation test is carried out by means of a loudspeaker emitting a steady source of noise on one side of the partition (wall or floor) to be measured. The corresponding sound level is measured on the other side of the partition. Impact sound insulation tests are carried out by means of a tapping machine placed on the floor sample to be measured and the noise measured in the room or space below

All our engineers carry out the sound test measurements in full accordance with the measurement procedures of BS EN ISO 140-4:1998[3] for field measurements with a single figure DnTw and LnTw in accordance with BS EN ISO 717.

Ongoing problems with airborne and structure-borne sound are often associated with direct noise flanking transmission through floors and supporting walls and other associated structures. One common cause of noise flanking is often associated with the inclusion of lightweight blocks within the construction of the building envelope and/or blocked cavities. It all cases it is essential to establish if your problem is due to direct transmission, flanking transmission or a combination of both so that the most cost-effective remedial treatment can be chosen.

Unwanted noise travelling along flanking paths will make the building structure vibrate which causes the sound to radiate into your room. One simple cost-effective solution is to build another wall or ceiling in front of the original, but not connected to it (often called an independent wall or ceiling) so it provides isolation between materials.

One way to reduce the chance of flanking transmission is through careful consideration to the design at the start of the project.  Unfortunately, by simply specifying high-performance wall and floor partitions it is no guarantee to adequate sound isolation and successful sound testing.

APT Sound Insulation Testing offers both preconstruction and post-construction design solutions if a project has failed the sound testing. We also offer onsite inspection services to ensure that the sound insulation elements are being installed as per manufacturers guild-lines.

If you require pre-completion sound testing and/or you would like acoustic design advice on your project, please contact us now at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk.

Is a Thermal Imaging Survey Worth Doing?

A healthy building envelope also makes the facility more comfortable and healthier for its occupants. This improved environment can also increase productivity and be very beneficial for the life cycle of a building.  A healthier building means healthier occupants – a double win for employers and employees.

What are other names for Thermal Imaging Surveys?

This procedure is also known as a thermographic survey, thermal survey, BREEAM Thermographic survey, BREEAM thermographic assessment, heat-loss survey, thermal imaging home inspection or Infrared thermography (IRT).

How much does a London Thermal Imaging Survey cost?

This is one of our most common questions, with a very easy answer: it depends on various factors!

How much a thermal imaging survey costs depend on the following:

1.    The type and size of the building

2.    The number of buildings

3.    The preparation required

4.    Potential access issues that may slow down the survey

5.    The projected survey time and equipment required

6.    The location and travel costs/time

7.    The deliverable: in other words, the type of reportage is required.

Once the above items have been considered, we can forward an accurate fee proposal for the works.

When is the best time to do a Thermal Imaging Survey?

Thermal imaging surveys should generally be conducted in the early hours of a cold morning, approx. 2 hours before the sun rises to prevent solar loading on the building envelope. Generally, when it’s cold outside you heat the building to provide a temperature differential of 10c. The bigger and steadier the temperature differences between inside and outside, the easier the job will be. Also, thermal surveys should not usually be undertaken if heavy rainfall is present at the time of the thermal survey.

It is with noting that it is more difficult to conduct these types of heat loss survey during summer months as the ground temperatures and surrounding building envelope can maintain high temperatures for months on end; however, we can overcome this by using the latest advanced – and sensitive – thermal imaging cameras as well as utilising our highly trained and experienced thermography engineers. 

APT Sound Testing is a company that provides specialist thermal imaging surveys to customers through all industry sectors throughout the UK including construction and facility management projects throughout London and the South East.

Specialising in electrical thermal imaging surveys and building thermography, APT sound Testing is one of a few companies that only use surveyors that are trained certified to a minimum of ITC Level 2, which is the minimum requirement to undertake BREEAM Thermal Inspections throughout London and the rest of the UK for practicing thermographers.

We have over 15 years of experience carrying out building thermal imaging surveys in support of industrial and commercial applications, our thermal inspections reportage contains the required reporting structures to satisfy the requirements expected by Construction and Insurance Companies, Facility Managers, Building Controls and BREEAM 2011 Assessors etc.

Here at APT Sound Testing, we realise that thermal imaging inspections can be vital in establishing potential defects in your buildings at the earliest possible stage. This can save you time and money during future operations together with reducing the risk of making the wrong decision and potential building shutdowns.

The combination of highly trained and certified and experienced thermographic surveyors as well as high specification calibrated equipment guarantees our customers the best possible thermal imaging survey report to meet all of their needs.

Our thermal imaging team makes sure that customer satisfaction comes first, and our surveys are carried out with the utmost thoroughness and expertise.

We have the equipment and experience necessary to identify underlying maintenance issues that can lead to expensive and unforeseen maintenance costs. Whether it BREEAM Thermal Imaging Survey be a Leak Detection Survey, an underfloor heating survey, a damp survey, or an energy efficiency survey, please contact us today and see how we can assist you.

To learn more about our London thermal imaging surveys and how they can help you maintain your home better, call APT Sound Testing today on 01525 303905 or visit the APT Sound Testing Services website.

Improving the Sound Insulation Performance in Historical Houses
Heavy concrete floors and masonry walls, therefore, have very good sound insulation properties; whereas single met-sec walls with 1 layer of standard plasterboard on either side and lightweight timber walls are much poorer acoustically and usually fail the sound insulation tests. This isn’t the whole story as by isolating materials by utilising resilient fixings and/or layered systems, the better the insulation performance for absorbing impact sounds.

Many companies try to improve their sound testing results by improving wall thickness and weight of the material, however, simply adding layers of plasterboard to a standard wall system often has little impact to the sound test results. There is also the problem of covering important architectural internal features found in historic buildings, such as detailed cornices and other mouldings; therefore this is often a contentious issue, especially if it’s an upgrade to a listed building. 

Read more on Cost-Effective Soundproofing for Walls

Installing baffles within airbricks and blocking up redundant chimney flues are often enough to greatly improve the sound test results, secondary measures such as the installation of draught-proof strips to doors and applying the acoustic sealant to the skirting’s boards at the wall/floor junction can also be beneficial and improve the acoustic levels.

To improve ambient noise levels it may be better to make acoustic upgrades to the front of the house where roads etc. are usually located. There is usually just a garden at the rear so this will usually be less noisy.

In all instances, acoustically the weakest part of external walls will be the window units. These are often Sash units and subsequently are one of the most important features within the external façade of historic buildings.

Many councils/local authorities will not let you remove and replace original window units unless the frames are rotten and beyond reasonable repair, however decent acoustic improvements can be made by installing a draught-proofing strip to the opening lights, and by providing an acoustic caulk seal around the window frame. If it’s extremely noisy a secondary glazing units along with demountable shutters may be an option. One of the simplest improvements can be made via the installation of good quality heavy curtains fixed close to the wall; this can also be one of the most attractive upgrades.

If the building is being subdivided into new apartments then the walls between apartments will need to be sound tested in line with Part E for Converted Dwellings. In this instance, we can undertake sample sound testing on walls and floors to check the existing sound insulation performance. Thereafter we can forward an acoustic design to comply with Part E of Building Regulations as well as undertaking the final pre-completion sound testing.

If you would like more information in regards to sound testing and acoustic design for your historical development, please contact us at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk or phone us on 0777 5623464 or visit the APT Sound Testing website today.

Soundproofing Walls to Reduce Noise from Neighbours

Have you moved into a new house and realised you have noisy neighbours and thought it a good idea to soundproof your party walls?  

There are many soundproofing methods you can undertake to reduce noise through your party walls, many of which can be installed by yourself or by a trained handyman; such a hybrid acoustic panel plasterboard, which minimise the impact the build up, or lost space within the room; however, these types of solutions come at a price and are usually more expensive than a more standard ‘off the shelf’ solution.

Unfortunately, in most instances the more space you lose within the room/s typically the better the result. Although these come at a price and are usually more expensive than a more standard solution such as batten the walls, install 50mm of acoustic insulation (min 45/kg/m2) then install resilient bars to the timber baton. The wall can be finished with two layers of acoustic plasterboard with suitable laps. Although this type of system would be cheaper in terms of materials, it may cost more in terms of labour.

Another thing you need to check is where the noise is coming from – is it travelling through the centre of the wall, or the edges of the wall? If it’s the edges of the wall you may be experiencing a noise flanking problem which is quite common in older dwellings.

Also, you need to consider if it’s a brick/block cavity wall or a timber/metal construction as masonry walls usually have more mass which results in better airborne wall sound results.

One of the most common party wall soundproofing solutions would be to install a metal frame system that is independent of the wall – say a 75mm met-sec wall. This would need to be kept 20mm off the face of the existing wall. Then install a RW45 Acoustic Wool (min 45kg/m3) within the metal frame and finish with 2 layers of 15mm acoustic plaster board. However, this system comes at a space premium as will lose you about 115mm with skimmed 15mm sound board, or 125mm with two layers of 12.5mm soundboard

Here is a detail showing the types of some information There is some information on this type of system below, though you are going to lose approximately 100mm of room space when building an independent metal wall solution (min gap to the wall 20mm)

Also, it’s worth checking if you have a disused chimney breast in the house, as this can be solid between older properties and sometimes people connect their TV’s soundbars, speakers etc. to the chimney breast the base sound (lower frequencies) can travel through the solid construction. In this instance you can add baton, resilient bars, acoustic wool and soundboard to the chimney breast which should help.

Another issue may be joists which over-hang the cavity and touch the other joists or the wall in the neighbouring property which can quite a difficult to remedy. Also, on older houses they often used a “soldier course” of brick, the bricks were laid on end, hence the word “soldier” as opposed to being laid flat – to see if this is the case, you need to lift a couple of floorboards along the party wall and have good look at the pointing on the soldier or standard brickwork.

On closer inspection you’ll often find gaps in the masonry mortar, as the bricks are harder to lay properly due to the confined space between the joists.  Also, also the mortar may degrade and crumble due to the general movement in the timber joists (deflection) as well as shrinkage. In most cases the mortar can be replaced/repointed. In some cases, large areas of masonry may be missing which will need to be replaced. You can also install some extra acoustic wool within the joist voids against the party wall, which should further improve the soundproofing.

Have a look at the Gyplyner system below, it’s quite a robust and cost-effective solution as it reduces the build-up of an independent wall solution, whilst maintaining good soundproofing properties, this system would lose you about 52mm with skimmed 15mm sound board, or 62mm with two layers of 12.5mm soundboard. It’s a good off the shelf solution as the GL1 profile is held in stock by most large building merchants and the brackets a just screwed to the wall and bent round, then screwed to the GL1 profile, which makes it quite quick and easy to install.

Sometimes a single skin of lightweight blocks (such as thermalite) may have been used in the party wall construction which is a poor soundproof wall construction due to its lack of mass. This type of masonry may be only 500kg/m3 (50kg/m2), masonry should be around 1850kg/m3 (185kg/m2) which can easily lead to sound test failure if used in the inner envelope construction and or party walls.  

It’s worth remembering for sound to conduct through a wall, it has to actually move or vibrate the party wall ever so slightly. A heavy mass wall is always much harder to move than a lighter wall. It is very important to note that a heavy wall will still vibrate, just not as easily as the lighter one.

If you understand the above elements that make up party wall and floor design and construction, you’ll have a more educated eye for the acoustic design on your dwelling,  for instance, the  4 main elements of soundproofing construction are:

1. Adding mass in your party walls
2. Decoupling of materials within party walls
3. Noise absorption within party walls
4. Noise damping in party walls

In a nutshell soundproofing is the art of trying to prevent vibrations crossing party walls and floor partitions.

Getting the acoustic design right from the word go, is key, and APT Sound Testing can help in all areas of sound insulation design and sound testing. Please get in touch on info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk  to request a quote or call us on 07775623464 or 01525 303905 to discuss your development.

Please Note: although we take every care to ensure the information was correct at the time of publication. Any written guidance provided does not replace the user’s professional judgement. It is the responsibility of the duty-holder or person carrying out the work to ensure compliance with relevant building regulations or applicable technical standards.

Sound Proofing – Adding Mass to Walls

How exactly do soundproof a wall? Well, that’s a very common question. Let’s start with a basic understanding of the main 4 elements of soundproofing construction – they are:

1. Adding mass
2. Decoupling of materials
3. Noise absorption
4. Noise damping

If you understand the above elements that make up party wall design and construction, you’ll have a more educated eye on the acoustic design of your project. view your problem room. In a nutshell, we are trying to prevent vibrations from crossing the wall partition.

When it comes to soundproofing walls and ceilings, we cannot understand the importance of adding mass. However simply adding mass is not often enough, you also need to consider two important factors:

1. That of what type of material to use.
2. where the material should be installed within the wall construction.

when adding mass to walls in buildings one the most common ways is to add cement board or soundboard. This adds mass and makes the walls as heavy and thick as possible. Adding mass to walls is one of the easiest ways to decrease sound vibration, although will not reduce deep bass sounds from being heard.

Another good reason for adding mass to any room is a good way to provide extra insulation, which in turn makes the room more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.

How do I work out the required mass?

Working out the required mass for the wall to pass the sound insulation test can be quite difficult. For instance, the acoustic rating of a typical masonry wall increases from 45 dB to 50 dB when the thickness is increased from 100 mm (block laid on edge) to 215 mm (block laid flat).

This doubling of mass does not need to be achieved by doubling the thickness of a wall, as you can greatly increase the mass by opting for masonry that has a minimum mass of 1900kg/m3 or (190/m2) whereas many lightweight blocks such as thermalite are only 500kg/m3 (50kg/m2), which can easily lead to sound test failure if used in the wrong situation such as the inner envelope construction and or a single skin construction for party walls.

It’s worth remembering for sound to conduct through a wall, it has to actually move or vibrate the party wall ever so slightly. A heavy mass wall is always much harder to move than a lighter wall. It is very important to note that a heavy wall will still vibrate, just not as easy as the lighter one, with this in mind we then need to use the 2^nd element of soundproofing design which is the Decoupling of materials – this is covered in our next article here.

Getting the soundproofing design right from the word go is key, and APT Sound Testing can help in all areas of sound insulation design and testing. Get in touch on info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk  to request a quote or call us on 01525 303905 to discuss your development.

What Types of Sound Testing Do I Need 

Sound Testing needs to be carried out between pairs of rooms separated by party walls or floors. In most cases, the rooms to be sound tested will be the two main habitable rooms – living rooms and bedrooms. All new build dwellings and conversions that were built after this 2004 are required to have 10% of each party wall/floor construction type to be tested.

The sound test procedure involves setting up a noise source in a room on one side of the party wall or floor and measuring the noise on both sides of the partition. The three types of Sound Tests usually required – depending on the project configuration) are:

Airborne Wall Tests

Airborne wall sound tests may be required between separate dwellings where a lounge and/or bedroom are positioned against the dividing wall partition. The sound tests are undertaken by using a sound source, amplifier and loudspeaker to generate a high noise level in one room (the source room). Noise measurements are then taken in both the source and receiver rooms using a prescribed number of source and microphone positions.

The background levels in the receiver room are measured and the reverberation time in the receiver room is also measured. From the results, the airborne sound insulation (DnT,w + Ctr) is calculated and compared to the requirements of Approved Document E.

Airborne Floor Tests

For vertically separated dwellings, airborne floor sound testing may be required, where a lounge and/or bedroom sit’s against the dividing floor partition above and/or below a ‘habitable’ room. The sound tests are undertaken by using a sound source, amplifier, and loudspeaker to generate a high noise level in one room (the source room). Noise measurements are then taken in both the source and receiver rooms using a prescribed number of source and microphone positions.

Impact Sound Tests

For vertically separated rooms, an Impact sound test may also be required. This sound test is undertaken using a “tapping machine”, (as above) which drops a series of weights onto the floor of the upper room. The noise level in the lower (receiver) room is measured for a prescribed number of source and microphone locations. The background levels in the receiver room are measured and the reverberation time in the receiver room is also measured. From the results, the impact sound insulation (L’nT,w) is calculated and compared to the requirements of Approved Document E.

Non-Residential Sound Testing

It is worth noting that sound insulation testing may also be required in non-residential buildings such as schools, hospitals, workplaces, whereas built performance needs to be demonstrated to ensure noise-sensitive areas (e.g. classrooms, wards, meeting rooms) are suitably insulated from noisier areas or to comply with BB93 & BREEAM requirements.

Sample Sound Testing

If you have an existing building that you are about to convert into flats etc. and need to establish the acoustic performance of the existing partitions, we can undertake sample sound testing on walls and floors to check the sound insulation performance. Thereafter we can forward a targeted acoustic design to comply with Part E of Building Regulations, as well as undertaking the final pre-completion sound testing.

All APT’s test engineers carry the latest Norsonic equipment, which are class one rating all of our acoustic testing/sound testing is completed to a strict quality controlled standard. We provide full ISO & UKAS compliant sound testing.

If you would like more information in regards to your air and sound testing please contact us now at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk or call us on 07775 623464

Designing Buildings to Pass Sound Testing
From the very start of the design phase of a new building, it’s extremely important that careful consideration is given to the acoustic element of the building.

By getting APT involved at the start of the design process we can undertake comprehensive acoustic design reviews and ongoing site surveys. We always advocate meeting with the design team at the earliest opportunity to go through all acoustic elements for the building’s design, taking into account the site constraints and the most cost-effective method of achieving Part E of Building Regulations. We try to forward any possible ‘onsite’ construction problems and difficulties in achieving successful acoustic construction and subsequently the sound testing for Part E.

Designing Buildings to Pass Sound Testing
Once we have completed the acoustic design review our services don’t finish there. We provide the site team with ongoing design support and site visits. You will have direct contact with the allocated acoustician from the start of the process through to the successful completion of the project.

Once the first phase of the building is completed, we can undertake sample sound testing to ensure the acoustic design and onsite construction methods are sufficient to pass Part E sound testing.

When it comes to refurbishment projects i.e. houses converted into flats and/or an office block into flats we can undertake a sample test of the existing wall and floor construction. Once we have established the sound levels for the existing construction we can then look at the extent of the acoustic upgrades to attain Part E Complaisance. This is much more effective than just forwarding an acoustic design that may be too excessive and expensive when the existing construction is already ‘acoustically’ robust and therefore only needs to improve by a few dB.

One problem we often encounter (without our design input) is that the building marginally fails during the sound test. The potential problem that is often overlooked is that many types of acoustic design/materials have attained an acoustic rating within a laboratory. It is very difficult and extremely unlikely that the sound levels achieved on a construction site will be as good as in the confines of a stringent laboratory environment.

When the construction assembly is tested in the lab, it is also certified and an exact description of the materials and the installation techniques are described in detail and followed to the letter, obviously, this should be replicated on your site as closely as possible, however, this seldom happens. This is one of the reasons why a 5dB point difference is allowed between the construction design on paper and the actual on-site construction performance. When you consider that sound doubles every 10dB, then 5dB can make a huge difference to the overall performance of the dividing partition under test. If consideration is not allowed during the design process then there will be a greater chance of a sound test failure on your project. 

Another potentially problematic area of sound transference and potential sound test failures is down to flanking sound. Noise flanking is when travels along a continuous path due to insufficient isolation/break within the building wall & floor elements. One of the most common flanking paths is along with the inner leaf of an external cavity wall. This may be due to lightweight block construction resulting insufficient mass to prevent noise transference.  

Unwanted noise travelling along flanking paths makes the building structure vibrate and this causes the sound to radiate into your room. One solution is to build another wall or ceiling in front of the original, but not connected to it (often called an independent wall or ceiling). APT can help to locate the flanking sound and propose a cost-effective design that will pass the sound testing and satisfy Part E of Building Regulations.

For the smaller projects, we undertake a more simplified acoustic design service consisting of a review of the design drawings, such as floor plans and sections. This usually takes place straight after planning has been approved as increased cost savings can be realised at the earliest stage. We can also undertake sample sound testing if the client is not sure of the existing onsite construction.

We can then evaluate the building design to ensure that it the walls and floors are capable of meeting the acoustic requirements of Approved Document E.

Some of the main areas we consider are:

•             There are no potential flanking points, where isolated partitions are wrongly mechanically fixed together to caused noise bridging or the wrong materials have been specified such as lightweight blocks etc.

•             The acoustic treatments for Soil Pipes, Stair Cases Steel Beams, etc. to ensure they are acoustically fit for purpose, as these are some of the many areas that get missed.

•             Acoustic floor treatments are compatible with the proposed floor finishes i.e. Carpets, Laminates, Floor Tiles and under-floor heating systems.

•             The Lighting specification to, ensure they are acoustically compliant to the overall design i.e. down lighter design etc.

If you would like more information in regards to sound testing please contact us on 01525 303 905, email us at: info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk or visit the APT Sound Testing website.