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Other legislation – The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993
NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993 (the Workplace Regulations) contain some requirements which affect building design. The main requirements are now covered
dwellingflatssoundPart G Application and Interpretation
Regulation 48NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
48.—(1) Regulation 50 shall not apply to— (a) an internal wall that contains a door; (b) an internal wall that separates an en-suite toilet from the associated bedroom; or (c) existing walls and floor
dwellingflatssoundnon-domesticProtection against sound from other parts of the building and from adjoining buildings
Regulation 49NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
A dwelling or room for residential purposes shall be designed and constructed in such a way so as to provide reasonable resistance to the passage of sound from other parts of the same building outside
dwellingflatssoundmeans-of-escapeProtection against sound within a dwelling or room for residential purposes
50NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Within a dwelling or room for residential purposes reasonable resistance to the passage of airborne sound shall be provided by— (a) internal walls that separate— (i) a bedroom; and (ii) a room contain
dwellingflatssoundmeans-of-escapeReverberation in the common internal parts of buildings containing flats or rooms for residential purposes
51NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Any common internal part of a building that contains a flat or a room for residential purposes shall be designed and constructed in such a way as to limit reverberation around those common parts to a
flatsdwellingsoundInternal walls and floors for new buildings
0.4NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Section 5 – Internal walls and floors for new buildings, gives a range of wall and floor constructions which, if properly designed and constructed, should provide reasonable resistance to the passage
dwellingsoundflatsReverberation in common internal parts of residential buildings
0.5NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
It is the view of the Department that the requirements of regulation 51 will be met in a flat, maisonette or room for residential purposes where reasonable provisions are made to limit the reverberati
flatssounddwellingGuidance on reverberation in common internal parts
0.6NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Section 7 – Reverberation in the common internal parts of buildings containing flats, maisonettes and rooms for residential purposes, gives guidance on how to determine the amount of additional absorp
flatssoundstairsSound insulation testing requirement
0.12NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Pre-completion testing, together with Appendix B: Procedures for sound insulation testing, defines the procedures that should be followed to conduct a sound insulation test of the dwelling or room for
dwellingsoundflatsPerformance standards for separating structures
0.13NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
It is the view of the Department that the requirements of Part G will be met if separating walls, separating floors, and stairs that have a separating function, together with the associated flanking c
dwellingsoundflatsTesting exemption for approved design details
0.14NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
The Building Regulations Northern Ireland 2012 apply to building work to which Part G applies, and require appropriate sound insulation testing to be carried out. The exception is that, in the case of
dwellingsoundflatsTesting procedure and result notification
0.15NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
The sound insulation testing should be carried out in accordance with the procedure described in Appendix B of this Technical Booklet. The results of the testing must be recorded in the manner describ
dwellingsoundflatsQualifications for testing personnel
0.16NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Sound insulation testing should be carried out by a person who is registered to test the specific class of building concerned. Sound insulation testing is to be carried out by a test body with appropr
dwellingsoundflatsRegulation 49 - Airborne and Impact Sound Insulation
Diagram 1NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Diagram 1 Requirement of regulation 49. Flat, maisonette or room for residential purposes. Other parts of the same building. Floor of open access balcony. Any dwelling or room for residential purposes
sounddwellingflatsLaboratory Values for Airborne Sound Insulation in Dwellings
Table 2NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Airborne sound insulation (minimum values) Rw dB. Walls 40. Floors and stairs 40. Table 2 Laboratory values for new internal walls and floors within dwellings and rooms for residential purposes, wheth
sounddwellingflatsEnsuring Proper Construction and Specialist Advice
1.8NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
The person carrying out the building work should ensure that the guidance on construction given in this Technical Booklet, or in another suitable source, is followed properly to minimise the chances o
sounddwellingflatsExclusion of Tests Between Living Spaces and Circulation Areas
1.9NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Tests should not be carried out between living spaces and corridors, stairwells or hallways.
sounddwellingflatsTests Between Rooms with Common Separating Elements
1.10NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Tests should be carried out between rooms or spaces that share a common area of separating wall or separating floor.
sounddwellingflatsTiming and Condition of Sound Testing
1.11NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Tests should be carried out once the dwellings or rooms for residential purposes either side of a separating element are essentially complete, except for decoration. Impact sound insulation tests shou
sounddwellingflatsGrouping Test Results by Construction Type
1.12NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
The results of tests only apply to the particular constructions tested but can be indicative of the performance of others of the same type in the same development. Therefore, in order for meaningful i
sounddwellingflatsGrouping Criteria by Building Type
1.13NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Grouping should be carried out according to the following criteria. Houses, flats, maisonettes and rooms for residential purposes should be considered as four separate groups. In addition, if signific
sounddwellingflatsSub-grouping for New Buildings by Separating Elements
1.15NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
For dwellinghouses, sub-grouping should be by type of separating wall. For flats and maisonettes, sub-grouping should be by type of separating floor and type of separating wall. Rooms for residential
sounddwellingflatsSub-grouping Based on Flanking Elements and Junctions
1.16NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
The construction of flanking elements (e.g. walls, floors, cavities) and their junctions are also important. Where there are significant differences between flanking details, further sub-grouping will
sounddwellingflatsExceptions to Sub-grouping Requirements
1.17NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Sub-grouping may not be necessary for dwellings and rooms for residential purposes that have the same separating wall and/or separating floor construction, with the same associated flanking constructi
sounddwellingflatsSub-grouping for dwellings with unfavourable features
1.18NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Some dwellings or rooms for residential purposes may be considered to have unfavourable features: an example could be flats or maisonettes with large areas of flanking wall without a window at the gab
dwellingflatssoundSets of tests in flats and maisonettes with separating floors but without separating walls
1.21NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Normally, one set of tests should comprise four individual sound insulation tests (two airborne tests, two impact tests) – (a) tests of insulation against both airborne and impact sound between one pa
flatssoundSets of tests in flats and maisonettes with a separating floor and a separating wall
1.22NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Normally, one set of tests should comprise six individual sound insulation tests (four airborne tests, two impact tests) – (a) a test of insulation against airborne sound between one pair of rooms (wh
flatssoundTesting between opposite rooms on separating floors
1.22(c)-(d)NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
tests of insulation against both airborne and impact sound between one pair of rooms (where possible suitable for use as living rooms) on opposite sides of the separating floor; and tests of insulatio
flatssoundtestingAccess requirements for full test sets
1.23NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
To conduct a full set of tests, access to at least three flats and maisonettes will be required.
flatssoundtestingPreference for bedroom and living room testing
1.24NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
It is preferable that each set of tests contains individual tests in bedrooms and living rooms.
flatssoundtestingTesting different room types on opposite sides
1.25NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Where pairs of rooms on either side of the separating element are different (e.g. a bedroom and a study, a living room and a bedroom), at least one of the rooms in one of the pairs should be a bedroom
flatssoundtestingReduced testing for single room pair layouts
1.26NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Where the layout has only one pair of rooms on opposite sides of the entire area of separating wall or floor between two dwellings or rooms for residential purposes then the number of airborne and imp
dwellingflatssoundtestingTesting main rooms in residential properties
1.28NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
To conduct a set of tests, the sound insulation between the main rooms should be measured according to the principles set out in this section for new buildings and material change of use, but adapting
dwellingflatssoundtestingTesting properties sold unfitted
1.29NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Some properties, e.g. loft apartments, may be sold before being fitted out with internal walls and other fixtures and fittings. Measurements of sound insulation should be made between the available sp
flatssoundtestingNormal programme of testing
1.30NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
District councils should consult with developers on likely completion times on site, and ask for one set of tests to be carried out between the first dwellings or rooms for residential purposes schedu
dwellingflatssoundtestingMaterial change of use - sound insulation requirements for historic buildings
1.41NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
In the case of some historic buildings undergoing material change of use, it may not always be practical to achieve the sound insulation values set out in Tables 1a and 1b. However, in such cases the
sounddwellingflatsPre-completion testing results - required information
1.42NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
The test report of a set of tests must contain at least the following information, in the order below – (a) Address of the building. (b) Type(s) of property. Use the definitions in Part A of the Build
sounddwellingflatstestingJunctions between separating walls and other building elements
2.9NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
In order for the construction to be fully effective, care should be taken to correctly detail the junctions between the separating wall and other elements, such as floors, roofs, external walls and in
soundflatsdwellingGuidance on separating wall junctions in Table 2.1
2.10NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Table 2.1 indicates the inclusion of guidance in this document on the junctions that may occur between each of the four separating wall types and various attached building elements.
soundflatsdwellingTypes of separating wall
Diagram 2.1NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Diagram 2.1 Types of separating wall: (a) Wall type 1 - masonry with plaster, (b) Wall type 2 - masonry cavity with independent frames, (c) Wall type 3 - mineral wool cavity with independent panels, (
soundflatsdwellingSeparating wall junctions reference table
Table 2.1NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Separating wall type: Building element attached to separating wall Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Type 4. External cavity wall with masonry inner leaf: G G S G. External cavity wall with timber frame inner leaf
soundflatsmeans-of-escapeCavity widths in separating cavity masonry walls
2.17NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Recommended cavity widths are minimum values.
sounddwellingflatsTie type A for masonry cavity walls
2.19NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Connect the leaves of a cavity masonry wall only where necessary by wire type (butterfly) ties as described in BS EN 845-1 and spaced as required for structural purposes, see BS 5628-3 which limits th
soundstructuraldwellingflatsCorridor walls and doors - general approach
2.24NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
The separating walls described in this section should be used between corridors and flats and maisonettes, in order to control flanking transmission and to provide the required sound insulation. Howev
flatssoundmeans-of-escapeDoor performance in separating walls
2.25NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Ensure that any door in a separating wall has good perimeter sealing (including the threshold where practical) and a minimum mass per unit area of 25 kg/m2 or a minimum sound reduction index of 29 dB
flatssoundmeans-of-escapeNoisy building areas - lobby and door provisions
2.26NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Noisy parts of the building should preferably have a lobby, double door or high performance doorset to contain the noise. Where this is not possible, nearby flats and maisonettes should have a similar
flatssoundBuilding services design and structure-borne sound
2.27NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
The design of building services, their position in the building structure relative to habitable rooms and kitchens should be considered at an early stage in the design process as services noise and st
flatssounddwellingRefuse chute wall mass requirements
2.28NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
A wall separating a habitable room or kitchen and a refuse chute should have a mass per unit area (including any finishes) of at least 1320 kg/m2. A wall separating a non-habitable room from a refuse
flatsdwellingsoundSeparating wall junction methods with external cavity walls
2.37NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
The separating wall should be joined to the inner leaf of the external cavity wall by one of the following methods – (a) Bonded. The separating wall should be bonded to the external wall in such a way
soundflatsdwellingseparating-wallsexternal-wallsMasonry inner leaf mass requirement where separating floor present
2.39NI-wide·Technical Booklet G Resistance to the Passage of Sound
Where there is also a separating floor then the requirement for a minimum mass per unit area of 120 kg/m2 excluding finish should always apply, irrespective of the presence or absence of openings.
soundseparating-wallflats