Acoustic implications of changes in Façade Cladding Regulations

Acoustic implications of changes in Façade Cladding Regulations

In the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, the Government banned the use of combustible materials in external facades of buildings higher than 18m. This ban has been in effect since 2018. More recent Government regulation amendments included banning these materials for buildings above 11m in height. The latest amendments include the following:

• Attachments: the legislation will include curtains and slats of solar shading devices within the ban’s scope, with a limited exemption for ground floor awnings.

• Exemptions: the legislation will amend the list of materials exempted from the combustible materials ban to include fibre optic cables and insulation up to 300mm from ground level. It will also provide an 18-month temporary relaxation for cavity trays in all forms of construction.

• Metal Composite Materials: the legislation will introduce a complete ban on the use of the type of composite metal material that was used on Grenfell Tower (composite metal material with an unmodified polyethene core) in the external walls of all new buildings and buildings undergoing building works, regardless of height or use.

• Performance requirements: the legislation will update the classification that materials must meet to comply with the combustible materials ban to the current version and allows the top layer of a balcony floor to meet the required standard using the horizontal-testing equivalent of the existing standard (which requires materials to be tested vertically).

• The building types included within the ban: the legislation will bring hotels, hostels, and boarding houses within scope.

The changes in legislation for façade cladding mean banning nearly all combustible materials, including plastic, timber cladding, and high-pressure laminates, on facades of residential buildings over 11m.

But this also means that many Local Authorities will also need to ensure that the sound insulation properties of replacement cladding aren’t compromised and that remediated facades provide the same or improved levels of sound insulation as the original cladding.

Working with PDA Acoustic Consultants

Construction companies tasked with upgrading external building facades to meet new Government regulations will benefit from working with PDA. Our team has worked on a number of façade cladding schemes and has acoustically modelled the existing and proposed façade systems to ensure no downgrade in the sound insulation performance of the buildings due to the remedial work undertaken.

Our insights will help ensure that upgraded façade materials used in refit projects are fit for the purpose of controlling noise within residential flats and tower blocks. Façade cladding not only helps to improve external building aesthetics but also reduces external noise sources that can cause distress and sleep disturbance to residents.

We can work with building refurbishment teams to provide acoustic assessments, including recording internal ambient noise levels, internal sound insulation and room acoustics. With regards to replacement façade cladding, we can assess noise ingress from external sources such as road traffic, rail traffic, and aircraft and industrial noise sources.

Contact Us

PDA has the necessary tools and experience to undertake detailed design of the sound insulation of different constructions within a building to control sound transmission between spaces sufficiently.

PDA’s services include:

• Environmental noise assessment surveys
• Significant experience with BS4142:2014, BS8233:2014 and WHO Guidelines for Community Noise
• Outline assessments and initial options
• Considerable experience in the modelling of sound propagation
• Noise control design and project management
• Technical support for negotiation with Local Authorities
• Commissioning Survey of the completed development

Do not hesitate to contact us for more information about our services. We are happy to answer any questions you have and discuss the soundproofing requirements in your façade replacement project.