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Robust Details: Part
E of the Building Regulations -
Resistance to the Passage of Sound.
This affects
all new buildings containing separate dwellings
- such as blocks of flats as well as new school
buildings. These regulations do not affect detached
dwellings or commercial premises.
A not-for-profit Government sponsored organisation
called Robust
Details Limited has been set up to vet
construction details BEFORE building starts
on attached domestic buildings. Its purpose
is to avoid the need for Pre-completion Sound
Testing (PCT) of blocks of flats and attached
domestic buildings. Registering and
building in accordance with Robust Details
avoids the risk and uncertainty of remedial
action being required on completed floor or
wall constructions.
The builder must first decide upon which published
Robust Details he will use for each plot and
then register each plot with Robust Details
Ltd. Registration currently costs £30 +VAT
per plot. The builder then receives 2 copies
of a Purchase Statement with a unique registration
number together with a Checklist and a Completion
Certificate. He must lodge the Purchase Statement
with Building Control before work starts to avoid
the necessity of pre-competion testing (even
though he is using Robust Details) and he must
use the checklist to ensure work is carried out
according to the Robust Detail specification
he has registered. After building work is completed
he can then sign the Compliance Certificate for
each plot and pass this to Building Control if
requested.
The cost of the Robust Detailing Handbook is
now £65 and includes checklists and guidance
on application.
This organisation does not vet detailing of commercial buildings or
buildings with flats over offices or shops. The Government has not introduced
the equivalent Robust Details for commercial buildings yet. Robust Details
Limited say, however, a builder can use their detailing scheme in any commercial
premises because they exceed the requirements - but the building still needs
the tests from a UKAS or ANC approved tester.
Note: A critical issue is that failure
to meet the performance standards may mean very costly reconstructive work
and in some cases built-in components such as kitchen layouts and staircases
will no longer fit the reduced internal dimensions. In addition, new buildings
cannot be insured if they do not meet Building Regulations
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