The Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 No. 192

PART G Resistance to the passage of sound

Application and interpretation

48.—(1) Regulation 50 shall not apply to—

(a) an internal wall that contains a door;

(b) an internal wall that separates an en-suite toilet from the associated bedroom; or

(c) existing walls and floors in a building that is subject to material change of use.

(2) Regulation 51 applies only to corridors, stairwells, hallways or entrance halls that give access to a flat or to a room for residential purposes.

(3) Regulation 53—

(a) applies only where regulation 49 imposes a requirement; and

(b) shall not apply where the walls and floors are designed and constructed to comply with regulation 49 using design details approved by the Department.

(4) In this Part—

“Reverberation” means the persistence of sound in a space after the sound source has been stopped; and

“School building” means any building forming a school or part of a school.

Protection against sound from other parts of the building and from adjoining buildings

49.  A dwelling or room for residential purposes shall be designed and constructed in such a way so as to provide reasonable resistance to the passage of sound from other parts of the same building outside the dwelling or room for residential purposes and from adjoining buildings.

Protection against sound within a dwelling or room for residential purposes

50.  Within a dwelling or room for residential purposes reasonable resistance to the passage of airborne sound shall be provided by—

(a) internal walls that separate—

(i) a bedroom; and

(ii) a room containing a water closet,

from any other room; and

(b) all internal floors.

Reverberation in the common internal parts of buildings containing flats or rooms for residential purposes

51.  Any common internal part of a building that contains a flat or a room for residential purposes shall be designed and constructed in such a way as to limit reverberation around those common parts to a reasonable level.

Acoustic conditions in schools

52.  Each room or space in a school building shall be designed and constructed in such a way that it has—

(a) acoustic conditions; and

(b) reasonable resistance to the passage of sound,

appropriate to its intended use.

Sound insulation testing and notice of results

53.  Where this regulation applies, the person carrying out the work shall for the purposes of ensuring compliance with regulation 49—

(a) ensure that appropriate sound insulation testing is carried out in accordance with a procedure approved by the Department; and

(b) not more than 5 days after completion of the testing give a notice in writing to the district council stating the results of the sound insulation testing referred to in sub-paragraph (a).