Document E

 

The Approved Document E of the Building Regulations gives standards of acoustic performance of walls, floors and other parts of buildings, which have to be satisfied. These concern sound insulation between dwellings.

Acoustic Associates (Peterborough) offer the following:

  • IOA recognised Training courses for anyone wishing to become an accredited sound tester

The requirements in summary are shown below

Requirement E1 – Performance standards for separating walls, separating floors, and stairs that have a separating function.

The requirements for E1 for dwellings and flats and for rooms for residential purposes are:

Airborne sound

insulation DnT,w+Ctr dB

(Minimum values)

Impact sound

insulation

Lā€™nT,w dB

(Maximum values)

Dwelling-houses and flats

Purpose built

Walls

Floors and stairs

45

45

62

Formed by material change of use

Walls

Floors and stairs

43

43

64

Rooms for residential purposes

Purpose built rooms

Walls

Floors and stairs

43

45

62

Formed by material change of use

Walls

Floors and stairs

43

43

64

Requirement E2 – Laboratory values for new internal walls and floors within dwelling-houses, flats and rooms for residential purposes.

The requirements for E2 are:

Separating partition

Airborne

sound insulation Rw dB

(Minimum values)

Walls

Floors

40

40

Requirement E3 ā€“ Reverberation in the common internal parts of buildings containing flats or rooms for residential purposes.

The requirement is to control reverberation in the common parts of the building.

Requirement E4 ā€“ Acoustic Standard in Schools