Recent field studies shown that up to 30% of heat loss within attached or semi-detached dwellings can occur via party cavity walls. Proposed changes to UK Building Regulations' Approved Document Part L (ADL) and SAP 2009 encourage the use of effective edge sealing and/or mineral wool infilling to combat this heat loss. Similarly, increasingly stringent sound insulation criteria is being applied to new-build housing through the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) for private and social housing, encouraging the use of deeper wall/floor systems and/or additional isolation systems between dwellings. As such, a dual purpose cavity edge seal and vertical flanking-transmission isolation membrane was developed to address both issues simultaneously. Following successful laboratory trials, the membrane has been installed at masonry and timber frame new-build field sites, due for completion in April 2010. Identically constructed cavity party walls with a) effective edge-sealing only, b) mineral wool infill only and c) mineral wool infill and edge-sealing were constructed for comparison. Following a description of the product development background and field trial methodology, this paper will compare these options using cost-benefit analysis in addition to airborne and impact sound insulation, thermographic imaging and air-tightness results.
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