Over the years it has become clear that for some time Part E of The Building Regulations was only partially effective in dealing with sound insulation in residential property. Historically, airborne sound insulation was seen to fail in around 25% of cases concerning walls and 40% of cases involving flooring.

This has been a nuisance to occupants of new-build residential properties and a major source of noise related complaints. As house builders have been forced to address these problems remedially, it became clear that the issue of sound insulation required substantial updating.

The latest (2003) edition of Part E to the Building Regulations introduced higher performance standards, mandatory Pre-Completion Testing and the alternative of Robust Details. This has effectively addressed this problem and has reduced airborne sound insulation failure rates in new-build to a current 3%. This is the impressive finding of a study of over 88,000 Pre-Completion Tests carried out since 2003 under the registration scheme of the Association of Noise Consultants.

To explore the lessons from this success story and to consider the implications for the future, a one-day conference is to be held on Pre-Completion Testing in Birmingham. The conference is run by the Association of Noise Consultants and will take place on Tuesday 23rd October at the Kingston Theatre of the Austin Court Conference Venue.

Rupert Thornely-Taylor, President of the Association of Noise Consultants, said "I welcome these dramatic improvements and see the one-day conference planned for Birmingham as an important event to encourage architects, building control officers, builders as well as acousticians to exchange views and experiences for maintaining progress into the future".

There will be nine speakers at the conference, including Iain Critchley, Ed Clarke, Dr Robin Hall, and Jim Goddard who will address key matters such as ISO 140, Technical Issues, Role Training and Responsibilities of the Acoustic Consultant and the Role of Building Control.

On the following day Housebuilder Media are to hold a one-day conference at the same venue on noise aspects of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Email: info@goingtopress.com