Acoustics play an important role in our everyday lives, often unbeknown to the end-user. From the sounds that wake us up in the morning to the background noise throughout the day, Acoustic Assessments influence the built environment, to reduce the noise affecting you.
Acoustics can be a critical element during early stages of a development.
There is a lot to lose if you have not assessed acoustics including:
As part of the planning process, reference is often made to BS8233 and BS4142. These British Standards provide guidance for internal noise conditions and plant noise limits. For longer-duration projects within populated areas, a BS5228 construction noise and vibration assessment (and compliance monitoring) may also be required.
Specific Employer Requirements may also apply. Most hotel developers, for example, have bespoke acoustic criteria for their projects. Similarly, many private and public sector clients require BREEAM certification, particularly with ESG being a prominent topic. Most of the acoustics-related credits, Pol05 and Hea05, are generally relatively easy to achieve and therefore worth targeting. Pol05 covers noise pollution whereas Hea05 requires anything from sound insulation to reverberation depending on the type of development.
For residential developments in England, ensuring compliance with the Building Regulations is also important. This is primarily in form of adequate sound insulation. Part E of the Building Regulations requires party walls and floors to achieve a minimum level of sound insulation. Part E also covers educational developments.
Besides Part E, the recently introduced Part O, which looks at overheating, also has an important acoustic component for residential developments. Essentially, noise affecting your site has an intrinsic role in shaping the overheating mitigation strategy.
Getting an Acoustic Consultant involved at an early stage can be the difference between costly delays or getting your site approved and built.
Working on a construction project can come with a long ‘to do’ list. Not only that, but you have to deal with the stress of navigating planning conditions as well as numerous building regulations. Acoustic issues don’t have to further complicate this process. Could an Acoustic Assessment be a requirement for your site? Of all […]
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We are excited to introduce our new Principal Acoustic Consultant, Stephan Booi, to lead our acoustics team. Stephan has nearly 15 years’ experience in acoustics and brings a versatile skillset to the team. His broad range of projects includes architectural, industrial, and environmental acoustics. The range of his experience includes numerous large, complex and high-profile […]
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Are you interested in a career at Lustre Consulting? Join us and be part of a dedicated team. Lustre Consulting has been established for over 10 years and successful candidates will be joining us at an exciting time of growth and development. Our employees have the opportunity to influence the growth and vision of the company, with […]
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We are on a mission to Create Safe and Compliant Places to Live and Work. So at Lustre Consulting we choose to make safety a top priority. We have an obligation to our staff, subcontractors and the public to ensure that all our work is carried out safely. Choosing to put safety first prevents accidents […]
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