Decoding Acoustic Regulations

Andy Milkins, General Manager at Colchester, part of Elta Group shared his thoughts on Decoding Acoustic Regulations…

With space in commercial buildings at a premium and the distance between commercial and residential buildings closing at a growing rate, noise control is playing a more prominent role than ever before.

Despite the growing importance of noise control, building regulations for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are yet to include mandatory requirements for the acoustic performance of commercial buildings.

BS 8233:2014

Instead, sound insulation guidance for commercial buildings is covered in BS 8233:2014, which deals with the control of noise from outside the building, noise from plant and services within it, and room acoustics for non-critical situations.

As you will probably be aware, BS 8233 is a code of practice that is intended for use by non-specialist designers and constructors of buildings and those concerned with building control, planning and environmental health. The code suggests appropriate criteria and limits for different situations, which are primarily planned to guide the design of new or refurbished buildings undergoing a change of use.

The British Council for Offices (BCO) Guide to specification 2009 also provides essential acoustic guidance for external noise intrusion, internal noise and noise from building services. But, in the absence of any real mandatory requirements, it raises the question of what factors need to be considered before a noise reduction method is selected? Find out the answer with Elta right here.