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Building Safety Act: Overcoming Gateway 2 and Residential Acoustics Challenges
Since the introduction of the Building Safety Act in 2022, acoustics has emerged as a topic of significant scrutiny and an area where robust understanding of both the regulations and the technical challenges is required to achieve approval. This article sets out a few recurring challenges our clients have encountered and what the solutions were to pass the Gateway 2 process.
Flexibility and alternative solutions
Gateway 2 requires co-ordination between multiple technical disciplines and design aspirations such that it is not always possible to achieve compliance by familiar, textbook means (e.g. to-the-letter compliance with guidance in the Approved Documents). We have therefore assisted our clients to achieve approval by developing and defending solutions which comply with the Functional Requirements via novel engineered solutions.
A common example is a shift in our clients’ designs away from including absorptive ceiling systems in corridors to a more practical and cheaper ceiling type. In those cases, we have successfully negotiated compliance with Building Regulations Requirement E3 using various other solutions based on our clients’ requirements and design considerations.
Robust evidence of compliance
A key principle of the Building Safety Act and Gateway 2 process is that compliance cannot simply be claimed – evidence needs to be provided which clearly demonstrates that the building will be compliant with the Building Regulations once constructed.
As a consultancy which provides both testing and design services, we have a large archive of test results showing Part E compliance for a wide range of building designs. This means that we do not have to entirely rely on manufacturers’ claimed acoustic performance data, Approved Document Guidance or desktop calculations. This can enable significant value-engineering opportunities or assist with achieving compliance for unusual designs where they are required to avoid clashes with other technical disciplines.
Competency and Gateway 2 processes
The BSA requires each consultant and designer to demonstrate that they are suitably competent and qualified to provide their assessments. This means that only companies with enough experience and technical capability are allowed to assist on BSA relevant projects and where competency cannot be sufficiently demonstrated this could lead to significant delays in the approval process.
It is also important to understand that the best practices for processes, documents and procedures required from a design team are regularly evolving and subject to the discretion of the Principal Designer, therefore consultants cannot rely on templated responses and must fully understand the Regulations and technical disciplines being applied.
Cass Allen has supported our clients in over 30 Gateway 2 submissions with many full approvals so far and all Approved Document E queries addressed successfully. We therefore have a robust suite of documents and evidence with a proven track record of approval to demonstrate our competence as required under the Act.
If you would like to discuss how we can support your developments, whether for Part E compliance, Gateway 2 submission or broader acoustic design, please get in touch. We would be very happy to help.
Article by Neil Morgan, Associate Director
