bream acoustic performance

Hea 05 Acoustic performance

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No. of credits available: Building type dependent

Minimum standards: No

AimTo ensure the buildings’ acoustic performance including sound insulation meet the appropriate standards for its

purpose.

Assessment CriteriaThis issue is split into two parts:

● Pre-requisite

● Acoustic performance standards (number of credits is building type dependent)

The following is required to demonstrate compliance for:

Pre-requisite

1. A suitably qualified acoustician (see Relevant definitions) is appointed by the client at pre-bid/briefing stage

of the project to provide early design advice on:

1. External sources of noise impacting the chosen site

2. Site layout and zoning of the building for good acoustics

3. Acoustic requirements for users with special hearing and communication needs,

4. Acoustic treatment of different zones and facades.

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Acoustic performance standards

2. The building meets the acoustic performance standards and testing requirements for the relevant building

type and function areas as detailed in Table 5-4.

Table 5-4 Acoustic performance standards and testing requirements

Building typeRoom

function

Credits Criteria Testing

Requirement

Notes

Pre-schools,

schools and

sixth form

colleges

As required by

relevant

standard.

1 Achieve the

performance

standards

required by

Building Bulletin

93 based on a

sample

measurement as

described in

Section 1.3 of

Building Bulletin

931 and the ANC Good Practice

Guide.

A Suitably

Qualified

Acoustician

carries out pre-

completion

acoustic testing

to ensure that the

relevant spaces

(as built) achieve

the required

performance

standards. Where

testing identifies

that spaces do

not meet the

standards,

remedial works

are carried out

prior to handover

and occupation.

Testing must be

carried out in line

with Section 1.3 of

BB93 and the ANC

None



Good Practice

Guide

recommendations.

Remedial works

must be carried out

in line with the

Section 1.3 of BB93.

1 Rain noise - For

roofs with a mass

per unit area less

than 150kg/m2 (lightweight roofs)

or any roofs with

glazing/rooflights,

calculations or

laboratory data

are required for

teaching/learning

spaces to

demonstrate that

the reverberant

sound pressure

level in these

rooms are not

more than 20dB

above the indoor

ambient noise

level for the

equivalent type of

room given in

Table 1.1 of

As above where

applicable.

Where is it not

considered

applicable a

justification and

alternative means

of compliance

should be

provided by the

Suitably Qualified

Acoustician.

For heavy weight

roofs, or parts of

the roof that are

heavyweight, with

a mass per unit

area greater than

150kg/m2 (including those

with sedum

planting) that do

not have any

glazing / rooflights,

calculations are

not required, as

such the credit can

be awarded on a

default basis of

compliance.

For the purpose of

assessing the

reverberant sound

pressure levels on

rooms beneath light

weight roofs and



Building Bulletin

93 during heavy

rain.

roofs with glazing

and/or roof lights the

levels should be

calculated using

laboratory test data

from measurements

conducted in

accordance with BS

EN ISO 140-18 2

‘Heavy’ rain noise

excitation.

1 All music

accommodation

(or multi-purpose

halls in primary

schools with no

music

accommodation)

is to meet the

performance

levels set within

BB93. Where

noise levels are

expected to

exceed 95dBA (e.

g. in the case of

amplified music

and/or

percussion) the

design team must

demonstrate that

As above where

applicable.

Where is it not

considered

applicable a

justification and

alternative means

of compliance

should be

provided by the

Suitably Qualified

Acoustician.

Whilst careful

timetabling of

lessons may also

mitigate adverse

acoustics issues,

BREEAM’s focus

for new

construction is

building

performance.

Timetabling is

likely to change

over the building’s

lifetime, therefore,

it cannot be used

to demonstrate

compliance with

this criterion.



the need for

higher sound

insulation has

been designed

out through

careful space

planning.

Further or

Higher

Education

buildings

As required by

relevant

standard.

1 Achieve the

indoor ambient

noise level

criteria for

secondary

schools in

Section 1 of

Building Bulletin

93.

Where appropriate

indoor ambient

noise levels in all

non-teaching

spaces i.e. spaces/

rooms not covered

in BB93, comply

with the "good

practice" criteria

levels of

BS8233:19993,

Tables 5 & 6. For

the purposes of

acoustic

measurement and

A suitably

qualified

acoustician

carries out pre-

completion

acoustic testing

to ensure that the

relevant spaces

(as built) achieve

the required

performance

standards. Where

testing identifies

that spaces do

not meet the

standards,

remedial works

are carried out

prior to handover

and occupation.

The procedures

outlined in BB93

and the ANC Good

Practice Guide can

None



calculation these

spaces should be

considered

unoccupied.

be followed if/where

appropriate.

1 All areas used for

teaching, training

and educational

purposes (such

as classrooms,

seminar rooms

and lecture

theatres) achieve

reverberation

times compliant

with Table 1.5 of

BB93.

None

Healthcare

buildings

As required by

relevant

standard.

1 The values for

noise intrusion

from external

sources in Table

1 of HTM 08-01

Acoustics4 are not exceeded.

The values for

internal noise from

mechanical and

electrical services in

Table 2 of HTM 08-

01 Acoustics are

not exceeded.

The weighted

A suitably

qualified

acoustician

carries out pre-

completion

acoustic testing

in accordance

with HTM 08-01

Acoustics,

Chapter 7

Testing and

Validation.

The relevant

spaces (as built)

achieve the

Deviations from

the values in Table

1 are acceptable

only in the

circumstances

specified by HTM

08-01. The design

team must use the

recommendations

specified in HTM

08-01 to justify any

deviation.



standardized level

differences

measured between

rooms on site are

not lower than the

values of the sound

insulation ratings

(dB DnT,w) in Table

4 of HTM 08-01:

Acoustics (the

values in Table 4

are determined

according to the

privacy

requirements, noise

generation of the

source room and

noise sensitivity of

the receiving room

as specified in

Table 3 of HTM 08-

01:Acoustics)

Impact noise is

controlled at source

and the weighted

standardised impact

sound pressure

level (L’nT,w) does

not exceed 65dB in

noise sensitive

required

performance

standards. Where

testing identifies

that spaces do not

meet the standards,

remedial works are

carried out prior to

handover and

occupation.



rooms

1 Sound-absorbent

treatment is

provided to

control

reverberation in

rooms and

circulation spaces

in accordance

with paragraphs

2.110 of HTM 08-

01 Acoustics.

None None

Multi-

residential

buildings

Individual

bedrooms &

self contained

dwellings

1 Airborne sound

insulation values

are at least 3dB

higher and impact

sound insulation

values are at

least 3dB lower

than the than the

performance

standards in the

Building

Regulations or

Standards.

A programme of

pre-completion

testing is carried

out by a

compliant test

body based on

the normal

programme of

testing described

in the Building

Regulations or

Standards for

every group or

sub-group of

dwelling-houses,

flats or rooms for

residential

purposes; this

must

Testing should be

between habitable

rooms on the

Ground Floor and

at higher storey

levels if applicable.

Where there are

insufficient suitable

separating walls or

floors in a

development to carry

out the number of

tests specified in the

appropriate Building

Regulations or

Standards, all of the

available suitable

separating walls or



demonstrate that

the performance

standards

detailed within

this table are

achieved.

OR

Use of

constructions for all

relevant building

elements have

been registered

with and assessed

and approved by

Robust Details

Limited (RDL) and

found to achieve

the performance

standards required

for the number of

credits sought (see

additional

information section

for further

information on

Robust Details).

floors must be tested.

3 Airborne sound

insulation values

are at least 5dB

higher and impact

sound insulation

values are at

least 5dB lower

than the than the

performance

standards in the

Building

Regulations or

Standards.

Alternative to pre-

completion testing

or RDL approval

includes, where

separating walls or

floors only occur

between non-

habitable rooms. In

such cases, three

credits can be

awarded by default.

4 Airborne sound

insulation values

are at least 8dB

higher and impact

sound insulation

values are at

least 8dB lower

than the than the

performance

standards in the

Building

Regulations or

Standards.

Alternative to pre-

completion testing

or RDL approval

includes, where

the dwellings are

detached. In such

cases, four credits

can be awarded by

default.



Office,

Industrial,

Retail,

Prisons,

Courts and

other (non

residential)

building

types.

All room

functions

1 Indoor ambient

noise levels

comply with the

“good practice”

criteria levels of

BS8233:1999,

Tables 5 & 6 (see

additional

information

section) unless

otherwise stated

within this table.

See also additional

criteria below for

sound insulation.

Where the room

types below are

present, the

appropriate

requirements for

sound insulation

must also be

achieved.

A suitably

qualified

acoustician

carries out pre-

completion

acoustic testing

to ensure that the

relevant spaces

(as built) achieve

the required

performance

standards. Where

testing identifies

that spaces do

not meet the

standards,

remedial works

are carried out

prior to handover

and occupation.

For the purposes

of acoustic

measurement and

calculation these

spaces should be

considered

unoccupied.

Typical,

appropriate noise

levels are given in

the table below

(additional

information

section), the list is

not intended to be

exhaustive.



Educational

space

(teaching &

lecture

spaces)

Achieve the

airborne and

impact sound

insulation criteria

in Health

Technical

Memorandum 08-

01 .

See Compliance

notes for definition

of “acoustically

sensitive rooms”.

Medical

treatment

rooms

Achieve the

airborne and

impact sound

insulation criteria

in Health

Technical

Memorandum 08-

01 .

None

Acoustically

sensitive

rooms

The sound

insulation

between

acoustically

sensitive rooms

and other

occupied areas

complies with

section 7.6.3.1 of

BS8233 , as

follows, Dw +

LAeq,T > 75

See Compliance

notes for definition

of “acoustically

sensitive rooms”.

Dw is the weighted

sound level

difference between

the two spaces

LAeq,T is the

measured indoor

ambient noise level

in the acoustically

sensitive room (for

the purposes of



awarding design

stage credits, the

design ambient noise

level can be used).

The source and

receive room sound

pressure levels from

which Dw is derived

must be measured in

accordance with BS

EN ISO 140-4:1998

and the guidance in

Annex B of Approved

Document E.

Measurements must

be based on finished

but unfurnished

rooms, accounting

for any carpets and

acoustically

absorbent ceilings

specified.

Rooms/areas

used for

speech or

performance,

including

public

speaking

1 Achieve

reverberation times

compliant with

Table 8 of BS8233

1999.

In addition, or

alternatively, if

relevant to

As above. Where the

reverberation time

required by the

relevant standard

is not appropriate

for the type of

space/building

assessed, the



assessed building;

classrooms,

seminar rooms and

lecture theatres

achieve

reverberation times

compliant with

Table 1.5 of BB93.

acoustician must

confirm why this is

the case. In

addition the

acoustician must

set alternative

appropriate

reverberation

times and provide

these to

demonstrate

compliance.

Compliance notes

Shell only Where it is not possible to define the type of office

space due to the speculative nature of the

development, i.e. open plan or cellular, it must be

assumed that it will be open plan with an occupancy

rate of 1 person per 10m2. Assessments of buildings that are not fully fitted do not need

to assess the criteria associated with sound insulation of

acoustically sensitive rooms.

Building types without areas “used

for speech”

Where a building type (other than education,

healthcare, multi-residential types) does not have

areas “used for speech”, it does not need to comply

with the relevant reverberation criteria. In these

instances, the two available credits can be awarded

where the building complies with the indoor ambient

noise level and, if relevant, sound insulation criteria.



BB93 relaxation of requirements for

schools in Northern Ireland

The Department for Education Northern Ireland

(DENI) issued a note to designers in November 2006

detailing relaxations in compliance with BB93. The

relaxations were made to facilitate the particular

design requirements for new schools in Northern

Ireland (as recommended in the various DENI

Building Handbooks). Subsequently, where an

assessed school in Northern Ireland has cited the

note and applied the relaxation of BB93

requirements, they are not prevented from achieving

the available BREEAM credits provided, in all other

respects, the building complies with BB93 (and the

above BREEAM requirements).

BB93 alternative performance

standards

BB93 recognises alternative standards and details

what is required should these be used within the

building project, where appropriate this approach may

also be used to demonstrate compliance with

BREEAM criteria.

Acoustically sensitive rooms Where the term ‘acoustically sensitive rooms’ is

referenced in this BREEAM issue, it refers to any

room/space the design team or client deems to be

acoustically sensitive for the purposes of privacy

which may include the following types of space/rooms

(where specified);

1. Cellular offices,

2. Meeting/interview/consulting/treatment rooms

In addition;

1. Court buildings: Witness/consultation rooms

and Judges’/magistrates’ chambers and jury

retiring rooms.



2. Prison buildings: Care/listener suites, Official

visit rooms, ‘Closed visits’ rooms.

Unoccupied spaces Where the term ‘unoccupied space’ is referenced in

this BREEAM issue it refers to the nature of the

space for the purpose of carrying acoustic

calculations or measurements i.e. such

measurements must be carried when the space is

unoccupied and therefore devoid of sources of noise.

Multi-residential developments with

CSH assessed dwellings

Building’s with self-contained dwellings also being

assessed under the Code for Sustainable Homes

(CSH), the following applies:

The number of credits achieved for the self-contained

dwellings assessed under the CSH issue Hea 2 (Sound

Insulation) can also be applied to this issue of the Multi-

residential assessment for those dwellings. Other residential

and non-residential areas, not forming part of a self-

contained dwelling, must meet the above requirements in

order for this credit to be awarded.

Robust Details It must be noted that the Robust Details scheme is

not applicable in the assessment of forms of

construction which fall into the categories of material

change of use or rooms for residential purposes.

(Refer to additional Guidance section for more detail/

definition of Robust Details.)

Schedule of EvidenceReq Design Stage Post Construction Stage



All Professional report / study and

calculations from the acoustician.

Letter of appointment or other

confirmation demonstrating when the

acoustician was appointed.

Relevant section/clauses of the building

specification or contract and/or formal

letter from the project team regarding

commitments

Professional field report / study and

calculations from the acoustician

post construction.

Evidence, such as a formal letter from

the acoustician or their test report

confirming that they meet BREEAM’s

definition of a suitably qualified

acoustician.

A letter from the design team or main

contractor confirming that any and all

required remedial works have been

carried out in accordance with the

acoustician’s recommendations.

Multi-Residential

only

Where pre-completion testing will

be carried out a letter from the

developer confirming the intent to:

1. Meet the relevant sound

insulation performance levels

2. Use a Compliant Test Body to

complete testing

Where Robust Details will be used;

1. Confirmation that the Robust

Details chosen will achieve

the required performance

standards for sound insulation

(as applicable)

2. Confirmation that the relevant

plots are registered with RDL

(the Purchase Statement)

Either

1. Copies of the sound insulation

field test results and/or a letter

of confirmation that the

required sound insulation

performance standards as

detailed in the assessment

criteria have been achieved

AND

2. Evidence that the tests have

been carried out by a

Compliant Test Body

OR

3. Completed Robust Details Ltd

Compliance Certificate signed

by the developer for all



relevant constructions relating

to the plots being assessed

Additional Information

Relevant definitions

Building Bulletin 93 revision (schools): BB93 is under revision (as of March 2010) and may change its

title to Guidelines for acoustic design of schools to include criteria for refurbishment and conversion work as well

as new build.

Building Regulations / Standards: For England and Wales – Approved Document E 2003 edition, with

amendments 2004 – Resistance to sound, for Northern Ireland – DOE Technical Booklet G - Sound, for Scotland

– Technical Handbook Section 5 - Noise

Compliant Test Body: is defined as those organisations:

1. Having UKAS accreditation to the appropriate scope, or who are accredited by a member of the

International Accreditation Forum (IAF - iaf.nu) to the appropriate scope OR

2. Who can provide evidence that they follow the relevant principles of BS EN ISO 17024 (Conformity

assessment - General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons)5 in relation to BREEAM

requirements.

Groups and Sub-groups: As defined in the Building Regulations for England and Wales Approved Document

E: Resistance to the Passage of sound, section 1 (paragraphs 1.11 – 1.17). For example, flats and study

bedrooms are usually considered as two separate groups, and if there are significant differences in construction

type then the groups will need to be broken down into sub groups. In addition to this, where there are steps or

staggers greater than 300mm between dwellings, dwellings without steps/staggers should be treated as a

different sub-group to those with step/staggers. This is because the presence of steps/staggers is likely to

improve performance.

Habitable rooms: For the purpose of this issue, habitable rooms include any room where individuals will sit or

lie down and require a reasonably quiet environmental to concentrate or rest. Such rooms are bedrooms, living

rooms, dining rooms, studies as well as kitchen-dining and kitchen-living rooms.

Material change of use: is where there is a change in the purpose for which or the circumstance in which a

building is used e.g. where a building has been converted from a non dwelling (school, church etc.) to a dwelling.


http://iaf.nu/


Multiple occupancy offices: Office space that is not cellular in nature i.e. it is open-planned, and designed

to accommodate more than two desk spaces/workstations.

Non-habitable rooms: For the purpose of this issue, non-habitable rooms include any room that is not

considered as defined above, such as kitchens, bathrooms, toilets, hallways, garages and laundry rooms.

Occupied spaces: Refer to BREEAM issue Hea 01 and note that for Hea 05 there is a specific, unrelated,

definition of 'unoccupied' with reference to acoustic testing and measurement, see Compliance notes for details.

Robust Details: Robust Details (RDs) are construction solutions that provide an alternative to pre-completion

sound insulation testing as a method of complying with Requirements E1 of Approved Document E (2003

edition) of the Building Regulations (England and Wales). The relevant plots on a development must be

registered with RDL and built in accordance with the RD specification. To give a reasonable level of assurance

that these details will achieve the required minimum standards, RDL carry out random inspections during

construction and random sound insulation tests after construction. A Robust Detail is deemed to be approved for

BREEAM (Multi-residential building) credits only when it achieves a specified performance level as assessed by

RDL. Robust Details can only be used in relation to assessment for new build dwellings and cannot be used to

assess the performance of construction details in rooms for residential purposes or material change of use.

Room for residential purposes: is defined within the Building Regulations for England and Wales

Approved Document E as a room, or a suite of rooms which is not a dwelling-house or a flat and which is used

by one or more persons to live and sleep and includes a room in a hostel, hotel, a boarding house, a hall of

residence or a residential home, whether or not the room is separated from or arranged in a cluster group with

other rooms, but does not include a room in hospital, or other similar establishment, used for patient

accommodation.

Specified performance level: Robust Details are approved for credits under the Code for Sustainable

Homes (CSH), where the specified performance levels set out below are met. Construction types that meet these

levels are listed on the Robust Details website www.robustdetails.com on the CSH page. Where assessing self

contained dwellings in multi-residential buildings that are not defined as material change of use or rooms for

residential purposes, Robust Details that meet the specified performance level as set out below can also comply

with the credit criteria for self contained units in multi-residential buildings and reference must be made to the

CSH page on the Robust Details website:

1. Mature Robust Details (published for over 12 months and at least 100 test results) – regular assessment

based on the 90th percentile of results from the last 100 site tests

2. Low use Robust Detail (published for over 12 months but fewer than 100 test results) – initial assessment

based on the first 30 tests needed to qualify for the Robust Details scheme and the site tests available, and


http://www.robustdetails.com/


reviewed regularly as new test results become available, until it becomes a mature Robust Detail or is

rejected.

3. New Robust Detail (published for less than 12 months and fewer than 100 test results) – initial assessment

based on the first 30 tests needed to qualify for the Robust Details scheme, and reviewed regularly as new

test results become available, until it becomes a mature Robust Detail or is rejected.

It should be noted that not all RDs will necessarily achieve the performance levels required to achieve multi-

residential credits. If in doubt, please check the list of currently approved details with RDL directly at www.

robustdetails.com or on 0870 240 8210.

Suitably qualified acoustician: An individual who holds a recognised acoustic qualification and

membership of an appropriate professional body. The primary professional body for acoustics in the UK is the

Institute of Acoustics.

Single occupancy offices: Cellular office space designed to accommodate one or two desk spaces/

workstations (typically no greater than 10m2).

Weighted standardized level differences (DnT,w): HTM 08-01 defines this as the ‘unit for rating airborne

sound insulation on site’.

Weighted standardised impact sound pressure level (L'nT,w): HTM 08-01 defines this as the ‘unit for

rating impact airborne sound insulation on site’.

Checklists and Tables

Table 5-5 A selection of good practice indoor ambient noise levels from BS8233:1999

Function of area Indoor ambient noise level*

Single occupancy offices ≤ 40dB LAeq,T

Multiple occupancy offices 40-50dB LAeq,T

General spaces (staffrooms, restrooms) ≤40dB LAeq,T

Spaces designed for speech e.g. seminar/lecture

rooms

≤35dB LAeq,T

Informal café/canteen areas ≤ 50 dB LAeq,T





Catering kitchens ≤ 50 dB LAeq,T

Restaurant areas 40-55dB LAeq,T

Manual workshops ≤55 dB LAeq,T

Courtrooms with no public address ≤30dB LAeq,T

Courtrooms with public address ≤40dB LAeq,T

Consulting/treatment rooms ≤35dB LAeq,T

Sound recording studios ≤30dB LAeq,T

Bars 40-45dB LAeq,T

Laboratories ≤40 dB LAeq,T

Lecture theatre/seminar room ≤35dB LAeq,T

Concert hall/theatre/auditoria ≤30dB LAeq,T

Bedrooms ≤35dB LAeq,T

Library areas 40-50 LAeq,T

Open visit areas (Prisons) ≤45 LAeq,T

* Where ranges of noise levels are specified where privacy is not deemed by the final occupier to

be an issue, it is acceptable to disregard the lower limit of the range and consider the noise level

criteria to be lower than or equal to the upper limit of the range.

Calculation procedures

Testing, measurement and calculation procedures

Where specific guidance on testing, measurement and calculation is not stated in the criteria table above for the

relevant building type, or within the relevant standard/guidance referenced, the following procedures can be

followed by the acoustician when measuring or calculating the levels required to demonstrate compliance with

this BREEAM issue:

1. Noise from both internal sources (e.g. mechanical ventilation systems, plant noise) and external sources (e.



g. traffic noise transmitted via the building façade) should be included, and, where windows are openable

as part of the ventilation strategy, these should be assumed to be open for the purposes of calculations

and open for measurements.

2. Noise from occupants and office equipment (e.g. computers) should not be included in the measurements.

3. Measurements should be made in at least four rooms in which noise levels can be expected to be greatest

either because they are on the noisiest façade or because they are on a naturally ventilated façade.

4. Where different ventilation strategies are used, measurements should be conducted in rooms utilising each

strategy. Otherwise, measurements should be made in rooms on the noisiest façade.

5. T in LAeq,T is taken as the duration of the normal working day (typically 8 hours between 09.00 and 17.00).

6. Measurements need not be made over a period of 8 hours if a shorter measurement period can be used.

In this case, measurements should be made when external noise levels are representative of normal

conditions throughout the day.

7. Measurement periods less than 30 minutes may give representative values for indoor ambient noise levels

and may be utilized where this is the case. However measurement periods shorter than 5 minutes should

not be used.

8. Measurements should be taken in a minimum of 3 locations in rooms at a height of 1.2 m above the floor

level and at least 1 m away from any surface.

9. Where relevant, measurement of airborne sound insulation between teaching spaces should be conducted

between one in four pairs of adjacent rooms (or teaching spaces) of each room type or performance

requirement category and construction type.

10. Where relevant, measurement of impact sound pressure level should be conducted in one in four teaching

spaces (separated from rooms above) of each room type or performance requirement category and

construction type.

The above is intended as guidance for undertaking acoustic testing/measurement to demonstrate compliance

with the performance requirements in BREEAM. If the acoustician has felt it necessary to deviate from the above

procedures, they should provide a reason for doing so and confirm that the alternative procedures are adequate

for demonstrating that the building meets the acoustic performance requirements.

Other information



NR curves

Noise assessments based on NR curves are often used by building services consultants to predict internal noise

levels due to mechanical ventilation systems. However, the BREEAM requirement uses the indoor ambient noise

level, LAeq,T which includes external noise transmitted via the façade as well as internal noise such as that from

mechanical ventilation systems. In the absence of strong low frequency noise, LAeq,T can be estimated from the

NR value using the following formula: LAeq,T ≈ NR + 6 dB. Therefore, if the NR value is known, but not the

sound pressure levels in the individual frequency bands, an estimate for the indoor ambient noise level LAeq,T

can still be determined from the NR value for the building services noise. The LAeq,T for the external noise

transmitted via the façade must then be combined with the LAeq,T for the building services


bream acoustic performance

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