Acoustics testing service

What is acoustic testing?

Minimising noise transmission is integral in supporting mental well-being, productivity, and the overall quality of life for individuals in a range of settings. Acoustic testing evaluates the transmission of noise through doors, walls, floors, and other building products.

Why is acoustic testing important?

Doors, walls, floors, and other building products, such as socket pads and windows, are some of the most important safety features in a building.

Demonstrating the overall effectiveness of these products, including their sound insulation, is essential for ensuring compliance with project specific requirements.

Testing to the BS EN ISO 10140 series of standards supports product development and improvement, enabling manufacturers to meet market demands for better sound insulation in building products.

UKAS-accredited acoustic testing

BRE offers a range of testing from UKAS-accredited laboratory for sound insulation performance of building elements in accordance with BS EN ISO 10140, including, but not limited to, walls and partitions, doors, windows, floors, rooflights, small technical elements such as ventilation (trickle vents and grilles) and cable raceways. BRE also offers testing of downlights in accordance with robust details Appendix F to meet the requirements of building regulations, including airtightness testing.

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Other sound testing

BRE undertakes a range of non-UKAS accredited testing for sound power in accordance with the relevant standards for hard walled test rooms BS EN ISO 3743-1 (Transmission suite & HVAC), and the anechoic chamber BS EN ISO 3744 & 3745.

Purpose built facilities

Our state-of-the-art facilities for acoustic testing include:

Sound transmission suite

BRE’s UKAS-accredited sound transmission suite benefits from large access doors and an overhead crane, and features:

Horizontal Test Aperture: Measuring 10.8 m²1 (3 m high x 3.6 m wide), ideal for walls and similar components, complete with timber strips and embedded Unistrut for secure fixings.
Vertical Test Aperture: Designed for floors, with an upper opening of 4.85 m x 4 m and 150 mm ledges to support joists. The shared test room area spans approximately 18 m².

we offer

We offer material storage and pre-conditioning for windows and doors, and the suite accommodates testing of building services equipment, such as mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) units and fan coil units (FCUs), in adherence with BS EN ISO 3743-1 standards.

Anechoic chamber

BRE’s anechoic chamber can determine the sound power of small devices in accordance with the appropriate test standard (BS EN ISO 3744 or 3745), such as alarm sounders or other noise generating equipment. The anechoic chamber may also be used for measuring the sound power of small, domestic appliances (typically up to 1m³) and loudspeaker directivity in accordance with relevant test standards (Annex A, BS EN ISO 16283). The chamber benefits from integrated Unistrut supports, permanent turntable support and wide access doors.

HVAC Test Chamber

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) test chamber

BRE’s HVAC test chamber, which can be temperature and humidity conditioned, is used to measure sound power of building services equipment, such as heat pumps, in accordance with BS EN ISO 3743-1.

Bespoke experimental facilities

BRE has a well-established capability to develop experimental facilities and bespoke test set-ups to meet the specific requirements of customer testing and research.

Acoustic testing of “putty pads”

“Putty pads” and other proprietary switch and socket protection can be tested. This is in accordance with BS EN ISO 10140:2021 for Annex H of Robust Details Handbook and Approved Document E to the Building Regulations 2010.

Find out more about acoustic testing of putty pads

Recessed downlights testing

We carry out testing of recessed downlights to make sure that sound insulation¹ comply with Building Regulations.

¹ UKAS accredited (Lab No 0578)

View recessed downlights testing

Case study: Specwall introduced to the UK market following BRE testing

By commissioning BRE to test their system, Specwall have been able to successfully determine product performance and use this information to bring the benefits of the system to the UK market.

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Acoustics testing