AIR PRESSURE TESTING LTD
Regional Office: 36 Mayfield Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU2 8AP
Tel: 07967 233836 or 07775 623464
Fax: 01582 896709
Offices in London, Luton and Cardiff
|
|
AIR PRESSURE TESTING LTD
|
|
|
Acoustic Testing Services
Whether your project is a simple flat conversion or a major commercial project, there can be no doubt that ‘getting it right from the start’ is key to a successful project. We at APT Acoustics call this ‘expert intervention’ as many builders and developers get into difficulty at this critical juncture, when left to their own devices, or are at the mercy of the suppliers of ‘sound-proofing materials’ whose main objective to sell their own products. This ‘expert’ intervention can be as minimal as a drawing review for new-build, or a site visit and a few simple sketches for a conversion project. For bigger projects this can be a full programme of detailed drawings, calculations and specifications, working closely with the architect and other professionals to ensure a successful outcome. APT Acoustics are not connected with any materials suppliers so we will only suggest the materials which we think will best do the job - at the best price, to keep your costs down whilst ensuring compliance with part E of the Building Regulation. For residential buildings, the ‘proof of the pudding’ comes when the plots are tested for compliance with Approved Document E (2003). Failure at this stage can be catastrophic for the builder or developer, yet there is a real chance of failure without ‘expert intervention’.
Unfortunately even though you’ve got a set of design details, and work is under way it is still not guaranteed you will pass the pre-completion sound Testing. One common problem is likely to be the standard of workmanship, as this can often let you down when the sound testing time comes around. APT Acoustics can help to reduce this risk by preparing on-site checklists which require important details to be signed and dated upon completion. That way, everyone becomes accountable for quality. We can undertake periodic inspections at critical stages of construction to ensure that important design elements are being built correctly and using the correct materials. If critical inspections are carried out at an early stage, mistakes can more easily be corrected and at minimal cost and disruption to the build programme. Good design and effective workmanship, supported by on-site inspections, are the key elements of what we call ‘expert intervention’. When these are right, you can be confident, as you arrange for the final sound tests, that there will be a successful outcome and the tests will ‘pass’. Our records show a very high success rate where ‘expert intervention’ has taken place.
Occasionally, a separating wall or floor won’t achieve the required level of sound insulation and this will be reported as a ‘fail’. With over 30 years experience in building acoustics, we will be able to diagnose the reason for the failure and recommend a cost-effective solution. Often, the reasons for failure are obvious to the test engineer in which case the advice will be given freely and without further charge. Sometimes, there are more technical issues which require detailed diagnosis and invasive investigation, such as a serious design fault, e.g. the use of a timber-joisted separating floor in a masonry cavity building, in such cases the fail rate at that development can be 100% and can cost tens of thousands of pounds to put right, as well as preventing you achieve practical completion which may result in liquidated damages. This is why we place such emphasis on the process of ‘expert intervention.
Acoustic Testing - Further Information |
