HOUSING

SOUND INSULATION

&

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Dr Sean Smith

Building Performance Centre

Napier University

Scottish Executive – Victoria QuayBPC

BUILDING PERFORMANCE CENTRE (BPC)

• Location: Based within Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Creative Industries, Napier University

• Role: Undertake applied and integrated research and consultancy involving building performance

• Key Areas: Structures, sound insulation, thermal insulation, air quality, material components, elements and systems, design and fabrication

Background

BPC

BUILDING PERFORMANCE CENTRE (BPC)

• Regulatory approaches, policy, design, guidance, innovative construction, skills and workmanship

• International and UK wide

• Government departments and agencies, developers, housing associations, local authorities, housebuilders, architects, construction organisations and material manufacturers

• BPC & RMP work on 250+ live sites / annum

Background

robustdetails

BPC

Sustainable Development

BPC

Sustainable Development

“development which meets the needs of the present

without compromising the ability of future generations

to meet their own needs”

Of the 24 reportable indicators

Sound Insulation influences

14 of these indicators

The Noise Environment

“……..the dark side

…..of physics..”

we can hear it

…often we can feel it

……but we can never see it!

SOUND INSULATION & HOUSING BPC

SOUND INSULATION & HOUSING

Existing Housing Stock (99%)

• Laminate or Hard floor finishes

• Improving the existing housing stock

• New Build (1%)

• PCT – pre-completion testing (E&W)

• Robust Details

• BCB…to…..EHO

• Scotland’s future….. in 2009 ?

BPC

SOUND INSULATION & HOUSING

• Existing Housing Stock (99%)

• Laminate or Hard floor finishes

• Improving the existing housing stock

New Build (1%)

• PCT – pre-completion testing (E&W)

• Robust Details

• BCB…to…..EHO

• Scotland’s future….. in 2009 ?

BPC

SOUND INSULATION & HOUSING

• Existing Housing Stock (99%)

• Laminate or Hard floor finishes

• Improving the existing housing stock

• New Build (1%)

• PCT – pre-completion testing (E&W)

• Robust Details

FUTURE: BCB…to…..EHO

• Scotland’s future….. in 2009 ?

BPC

ENGLAND SCOTLAND WALES N. IRELAND

EXISTING DWELLINGS 21 m 2.2 m 1.3 m 0.7 m

ATTACHED 75% 80% - 60%RATIO 3:4 4:5 - 3:5

FLATS 20% 40% 8% 8%RATIO 1:5 2:5 1:12 1:12

UK HOUSING STATISTICSApproximate quantity of attached dwellings

Proportion of flatted dwellings

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

England Scotland Wales N.Ireland

%

Standard Tapping Machine Conforming to BS EN ISO 140

Relative Improvement In Impact Performance

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

Timber Concrete

Basic Subfloor Category

Imp

rove

d Im

pac

t In

sula

tio

n

Per

form

ance

, L' n

T,w

(d

B)

Laminate Direct

Relative Improvement In Impact Performance

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

Timber Concrete

Basic Subfloor Category

Imp

rove

d Im

pac

t In

sula

tio

n

Per

form

ance

, L' n

T,w

(d

B)

Laminate on Thin (2-3mm) Foam Underlay

Laminate Direct

Relative Improvement In Impact Performance

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

Timber Concrete

Basic Subfloor Category

Imp

rove

d Im

pac

t In

sula

tio

n

Per

form

ance

, L' n

T,w

(d

B) Laminate on Fibreboard

(5 mm)

Laminate on Thin (2-3mm) Foam Underlay

Laminate Direct

Relative Improvement In Impact Performance

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

Timber Concrete

Basic Subfloor Category

Imp

rove

d Im

pac

t In

sula

tio

n

Per

form

ance

, L' n

T,w

(d

B)

Laminate Thick (8mm)Underlay

Laminate on Fibreboard(5 mm)

Laminate on Thin (2-3mm) Foam Underlay

Laminate Direct

Relative Improvement In Impact Performance

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

Timber Concrete

Basic Subfloor Category

Imp

rove

d Im

pac

t In

sula

tio

n

Per

form

ance

, L' n

T,w

(d

B)

Carpet

Laminate Thick (8mm)Underlay

Laminate on Fibreboard(5 mm)

Laminate on Thin (2-3mm) Foam Underlay

Laminate Direct

Resilient Underlay Performance Lw

0

10

20

30

40

50

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

Resilient Underlay Thickness (mm)

Imp

act

So

un

d In

sula

tio

n

Imp

rove

men

t,

Lw (

dB

) Re: Concrete Base

Re: Lightweight Timber Base

Hardfloor ‘System’ Performance Lw

0

10

20

30

40

50

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

Resilient Underlay Thickness (mm)

Imp

act

So

un

d In

sula

tio

n

Imp

rove

men

t,

Lw (

dB

)

Re: Concrete Base

Re: Lightweight Timber Base

EXISTING HOUSING - NEW GUIDANCE

EXISTING HOUSING - NEW GUIDANCE

Funding Agencies

EXISTING HOUSING - NEW GUIDANCE

Funding AgenciesUseful for:• Property Managers• Occupants• Architects• Building Control • Acousticians

• Approx 120 pages• 8 Primary chapters• 11 Case studies• Q&A section

Noise issues – Assessing housing stock

BPCRemedial Treatments – e.g. block walls

Existing dwellings - starting point

BPCRemedial Treatments – e.g. concrete floors

BPCCase Studies – before and after treatments

• Identify key types of housing• Apply remedial works to worst first• Standardise remedial works with clear installation

and instructions• Produce “build work” checklists to monitor

progress• Sample test works • Apply thermal and acoustic performance materials• Program of works (e.g. change of tenant or

occupant)• Undertake other needy works at the same time

BPCStrategic approach

• Identify key types of housing• Apply remedial works to worst first• Standardise remedial works with clear installation

and instructions• Produce “build work” checklists to monitor

progress• Sample test works • Apply thermal and acoustic performance materials• Program of works (e.g. change of tenant or

occupant)• Undertake other needy works at the same time

BPCStrategic approach

• Identify key types of housing• Apply remedial works to worst first• Standardise remedial works with clear installation

and instructions• Produce “build work” checklists to monitor

progress• Sample test works • Apply thermal and acoustic performance materials• Program of works (e.g. change of tenant or

occupant)• Undertake other needy works at the same time

BPCStrategic approach

New Build - E&W BPC

• Developed, Designed and Project Managed by BPC – Napier 02/03

• Largest SI research contract

• 100,000+ homes / annum

• BPC - technical adviser

• 28 inspectors

…Pre 2004 (E&W)

Tested Party Floors (New build)Pre 2004

Tested Party Walls(New build) Pre 2004

BPC

FAILS

35% COMPLIANCE 50%

…Post 2004 (E&W) with Robust details BPC

Robust Details (New Build) from 2004

COMPLIANCE 97%

…New build and Laminate / Hard flooring (E&W) future Robust Details

BPC

Designing for hard flooring / laminate use

In-built impact resilient layers

Tested with laminate in place

Not tested on soft covering

• Improvement in performance enhancing communities

• Reducing potential neighbour disputes• Standardisation of works and materials reduces

cost• Reduced waste, better managed recycling and

less landfill• Better thermal performance, reduced air leakage• Alternative and more sustainable materials• Improved knowledge transfer to work force

BPCSustainability benefits of RD approach

• Improvement in performance enhancing communities

• Reducing potential neighbour disputes• Standardisation of works and materials reduces

cost• Reduced waste, better managed recycling and

less landfill• Better thermal performance, reduced air leakage• Alternative and more sustainable materials• Improved knowledge transfer to work force

BPCSustainability benefits of RD approach

New Build - Scotland BPC

New Build - Scotland BPC

Sound insulation testing (PCT) is not compulsory

Robust Details Scheme is not yet used in Scotland

Some BCBs (few of the 32 LA’s) ask for PCT

New Build – Scotland (FUTURE) BPC

What new build regulations we create for sound insulation

will impact

on our future housing stock

and

future generations?

Contact details:

se.smith@napier.ac.uk

Building Performance Centre

www.bpc.napier.ac.uk

Robin Mackenzie Partnership

Acoustic Consultancy

www.rmp.biz