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UKAS-accredited to carry our airborne and impact sound insulation testing, Chiltern Dynamics can meet the requirements of Building Bulletin Document 93 (BB93), which gives guidance on sound insulation requirements of school buildings.
Sound insulation testing to BB93 is often a requirement set out in the design stages of school buildings, to avoid disruption between classrooms and study areas.
The test itself produces very high levels of noise. However, testing also requires relatively quiet conditions. For these reasons, any workforce in the testing area will have to leave temporarily to ensure test accuracy. Testing on site varies with site conditions, but generally takes about 45 minutes per test. Typically on a school building with 12 study areas or classrooms, 15 tests will be required to achieve compliance. One part of the testing for schools is an ambient noise test. This measures the typical background noise of school classrooms, to make sure that there are no consistent peaks of noise that will inevitably interrupt the children studying.
Chiltern Dynamics is also UKAS-accredited for air tightness testing. Operations Manager Tom Gregory said, ‘There are clear links between good sound insulation and air tightness performance. By being to able to test for both, we can offer clients an effective, value for money service. We also provide pre-test support to identify weak points and offer guidance on improvements.’
Air tightness and acoustic requirements are going to get tougher, driven by legislation, Building Regulations and client expectations, Mr Gregory added. ‘It is important therefore to address key details with an understanding of both sound insulation and air permeability.’
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