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Acoustic Installation Part E Building Regs. Jargon Buster

The introduction of Part E and other building regulations has brought with it a host of new terminology related to acoustics. Here we explain some of the key ones - new and old - to help people make sense of acoustic products and installations.

Airborne sound
Sound that travels through the air, often related to speech or media

Impact sound
Sound resulting from direct impact on a building element

Structure bourne sound
Sound which is carried by the structure of a building

Robust Detail
A construction type that has been pre-approved and found to comply with Part E regulations. This means that pre-completion testing (see below) is not required.

Pre Completion Testing
A new requirement to Part E regulations meaning that structures without a Robust Detail will be tested prior to completion to check they reach the required acoustic standards.

Resilient Layer
A layer of 'resilient' material (such as Impacta 4551 or Impacta Rubber) that isolates an element (such as screed or floating floor) from another element (such as the base floor)

Floating Layer
A surface layer that rests on a resilient layer

Final Floor Finish
Carpet, vinyl, laminate or other top floor finish

Flanking Transmission
Sound transmitted between two rooms using an indirect path, such as the top or bottom of a partitioning wall

Floating Floor Treatment
Often referred to as the FFT. An FFT may use battens, cradles or platform base - all of which use a resilient layer to provide isolation from the base floor

Internal Wall
Any wall that does not have a separation function between dwellings

Separating Wall
Wall that separates adjoining dwellings

R,w
The measurement used to rate airbourne sound insulation of a material or building element in a laboratory.


Ctr
The spectrum adaptation term to take account of specific sound spectra, which are predominantly low frequency - only used as a correction to airbourne measurements.

D'nT,w
The measurement used to measure the airbourne sound insulation between two rooms (on site)

D'nT,w + Ctr
See above, but with the low frequency correction factor included

L'n,w
The measurement used to measure the impact sound insulation of floors. L'n,w = laboratory testing

L'nT,w
As above but tested on site