This technical bulletin affects Conformity Assessment Bodies involved with sound insulation testing.
UKAS understands that a small number of accredited testing organisations are not following the required procedures, in that they are not always measuring reverberation time in every receiver room for field measurement of sound insulation; please note that this is not an acceptable practice
UKAS is undertaking an investigation to establish the full facts, depth and scope. Whilst investigations continue, UKAS would like to clarify its position.
Clarification of the Test Requirements
It is not acceptable to copy reverberation time measurements taken within a room and re-use these in receiver rooms where no reverberation time measurements have taken place, even if each room has the same dimensions. This is a deviation from the test standards and is not a practice UKAS has, or will, authorise under any circumstance.
Acceptable Methodology
Where a test standard requires measurement of reverberation time in the receiver room, these measurements must be undertaken in the receiver room. All accredited testing laboratories offering field measurement of sound insulation will be measuring the Standardised Level Difference and/ or the Standardised Impact Sound Pressure Level, both of which require measurement of reverberation time.
Receiver room reverberation time measurements may only be copied where airborne or impact sound insulation tests of a separating element share the receiver room measured; this shall only be carried out within two hours of the original measurement.
Should you require any clarification on the above, please contact the UKAS Technical Focus Person for Building Acoustics: Grant Swankie – [email protected].
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