Soprema, an international manufacturer of waterproofing, insulation, acoustic and building envelope solutions, has officially launched its Acoustics in Education Whitepaper. Specifically tailored for specifiers, contractors and installers, this comprehensive guide tackles the critical role sound design plays in modern school construction and asset management.

Excessive noise and poor acoustic control can negatively affect speech intelligibility, concentration and the overall learning environment. From external traffic to internal chatter and impact sound from rain, elevated noise levels can affect student concentration and speech intelligibility within teaching spaces. This can create challenging teaching environments and may contribute to increased vocal effort for educators.

Soprema’s whitepaper breaks down these foundational pillars of sound control, exploring:

  • The Characteristics of Sound: How airborne and impact noise are transmitted through building structures.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Navigating mandatory acoustic standards in school environments, including requirement E4 of the Building Regulations, the School Standards, and the acoustic performance set out un BB93.
  • Practical Execution: Recommendations for achieving required ambient noise levels and reverberation times.

Acoustic specification in education requires a delicate balance: systems must deliver effective sound insulation performance without adding bulk or compromising on building safety. To address this, the whitepaper introduces materials like TECSOUNDÒ, a viscoelastic, high-density polymer-based membrane that contributes to sound insulation performance while adding minimal thickness to the construction build-up.

“Acoustic comfort in schools isn’t a luxury; it’s a fundamental requirement for effective learning,” comments Akos Sandor, acoustic market manager at Soprema.  “With this whitepaper, our goal is to give specifiers and installers the practical tools they need to meet relevant performance standards like BB93. Solutions such as TECSOUND can help designers achieve acoustic performance objectives while minimising the impact on build-up thickness. Product selection should always be considered alongside project-specific fire, acoustic and regulatory requirements.”

For more information and to download a copy of the whitepaper, please visit: https://www.soprema.co.uk/blog/whitepaper-acoustic-design-requirements-in-educational-buildings