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Improved sound insulation with concrete blocks
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Improved Sound Insulation Performance using Lignacite blocks with acoustic panels.
The Lignacite range provides a number of block solutions for walls which are capable of improving sound insulation values, to satisfy the performance standards of Part E of the Building Regulations, as well as the specific needs of builders and designers.
The solutions presented offer high levels of performance and can achieve compliance through Robust Details and pre-completion testing. Performance standards are also imposed by other guidance documents such as BB93: Acoustic Design of Schools - performance standards.
Background - The move towards higher density housing developments, coupled with a growing expectation from occupiers that reasonable standards of sound insulation will be provided, led to the widespread changes introduced to Approved Document E (AD E) in 2003 and amended in 2010. The result is a much more rigorous specification for sound-resisting elements as well as for workmanship on site. Compliance is enforced through on-site pre-completion testing of separating floors and walls, although for housing the Robust Detail programme was developed to allow specifications that are sufficiently robust to be built without the need for pre-completion testing. Such specifications, known as Robust Details, are subject to ongoing monitoring to ensure the integrity of the scheme is maintained.
AD E applies to dwellings and to rooms for residential purposes. The latter is defined as a room, or a suite of rooms, which is not a dwelling house or flat and which is used by one or more persons to live and sleep. This will therefore include a room in a hostel, a hall of residence, a hotel, or a residential home. It will not include rooms in a hospital or other similar establishment used for patient care.
The scope of AD E also covers reverberation in the common areas of blocks of flats and acoustic requirements for schools.
A detailed explanation of how the products can be used to maximum effect can be viewed by downloading the Lignacite Design Guidance booklet. Topics include guidance for ‘Solutions for Separating Walls - New Dwellings’, ‘Acoustic Conditions in Schools’, ‘Reverberation in the common internal parts of buildings containing flats or rooms for residential purposes’ and ‘Sound Insulation of Partition Walls’.
Lignacite offers a number of products, all able to help improve sound insulation performance. Recent research and development has shown that the use of the ‘Lignacite’ and ‘Lignacrete’ blocks in conjunction with acoustic panels provides further improvement to sound insulation and acoustics. See the diagram in the images for more information.
Further information and other examples of these two products can be found on data sheets on Lignacite's website.
Lignacite (Standard Fairface Paint Grade) and Lignacrete can provide excellent levels of sound insulation between buildings and adjoining rooms. They are extremely effective in reducing reverberated noise in schools, sports facilities, public buildings and conference rooms as well as stairways and other common areas within flats. These blocks can also be used in cavity party wall constructions in dwellings, satisfying the specifications for lightweight and dense blockwork in accordance with Approved Document E to the Building Regulations. (Full details are available from the Lignacite Technical library).
In addition to the sound insulation properties of Lignacite blocks they they are also manufactured with high levels of recycled materials as well as other sustainability credentials such as certified responsible sourcing to BES 6001.
