Noise assessment and insulation, BS 4142, BS 8233, WHO Guidelines
We were asked to assess the noise levels in this building and to comment on existing sound insulation both internally and from external noise sources. This involved a number of 24 hr noise measurements around the site to evaluate the level of sound insulation with reference to BS8233:2014 and WHO guidelines. The project also required a BS4142:2014 assessment to evaluate the impact of a commercial noise source to the rear of the building.
We evaluated the existing insulation in the building in our report and recommended glazing and insulation/construction solutions to bring the finished project in line with the guidelines.
Industry standard insulation modelling software indicated the existing ground to first floor partition to be adequate with respect to guidance laid out in Birmingham City Council’s PCGN1 document (2017 edition). The first to second floor partition was found to possess the potential for sound test failure in the absence of the existing suspended ceiling structure.
In this case one of the recommendations was the introduction of a resilient ceiling system throughout to ensure adequate impact sound insulation. Specific design specifications for this were modelled using Insul 9.0 insulation software which produces images and data to show the sound insulation levels that can be achieved from different construction designs.