Sound Regulations
Approved Document E - 2003 Edition
Resistance to the passage of sound

E1 Protection against sound from other parts of the building and adjoining buildings

It is now a requirement for separating floors to achieve specific values of sound insulation in new and converted residential buildings, including 'rooms for residential purposes' such as hotels and residential care homes.

Performance Requirements

Methods of Compliance
There are two methods of compliance:

• Pre-Completion Testing (PCT)
This method requires the contractor to test 1:10 units adopting each specific construction to demonstrate that the required levels of sound insulation are achieved. All tests must be carried out by an accredited acoustic engineer, with the structure needing to achieve the minimum prescribed acoustic values.

• Robust Detail
As an alternative to PCT, contractors can select from a number of rigorously tested approved robust details that will, if installed correctly provide a level of sound insulation in excess of those required by Part E, 2003 (in new build
houses and flats only).

E2 Protection against sound within a dwelling-house e.t.c.
Internal floors have to achieve a minimum airborne sound insulation standard.

Performance Requirement

Method of Compliance

The contractor is to use constructions for new floors that provide the laboratory sound insulation values set out in the table above. It is not necessary that performance should be verified by testing on site. Laboratory tests where carried out by the Building Test Centre and the results are summarised below:

E4 Acoustic Conditions in Schools
The normal way of satisfying Requirement E4 is to meet the values for sound insulation, reverberation time and indoor ambient noise which are given in section 1 of Building Bulletin 93 'The Acoustic Design of Schools' produced
by DfES.

Methods of Compliance
Longley Concrete Floors have a range of solutions (both beam and block and hollowcore) capable of meeting the performance requirements of Building Bulletin 93.