🏗️ Laboratory measurement of sound insulation of building elements — application rules for specific products: size and mounting of the element in the test opening, boundary conditions, conditioning and operating conditions (lightweight walls, doors, windows, glazing and other products of Annexes A–K), PN-EN ISO 10140-1

Construction PN-EN ISO 10140-1

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. Scope from the PKN catalogue card of PN-EN ISO 10140-1:2021-10 (English version), in full (our translation): “This document specifies requirements for carrying out laboratory measurements of sound insulation of building elements and products, including detailed requirements for the preparation and mounting of the specimens and the measurement conditions. It also specifies gives the relevant evaluation parameters and additional information to be included in the report. The general procedures for airborne and impact sound insulation measurements are given in ISO 10140-2 and ISO 10140-3, respectively” (the doubled verb “specifies gives” — as on the card). We read the text in the sample of ISO 10140-1:2021 (the same edition is introduced by PN-EN ISO 10140-1:2021-10) from the cover to D.3 (mounting of glazing, qualification of the putty — up to the value for 2 000 Hz); we do not have the rest of Annex D or Annexes E–K.

ACCORDING TO THE TEXT OF ISO 10140-1:2021 (foreword, introduction, Clauses 1–5, Annexes A–C, D up to D.3). The standard was prepared by ISO/TC 43 “Acoustics”, SC 2 “Building acoustics”, together with CEN/TC 126 (Vienna Agreement); the third edition replaces ISO 10140-1:2016. Changes: references updated, D.4.2.1 (reference insulating glass units) edited, former G.6 “Additional information” removed, H.6.2.2 edited, rooflights added in Annex K. Introduction and Table 1 — structure of the series: Part 1 — rules for specific products (quantities measured, element size, boundary and mounting conditions, conditioning and operating conditions, additions to the report); Part 2 — measurement of airborne sound insulation; Part 3 — of impact sound insulation; Part 4 — measurement techniques (frequency range, microphone positions, pressure levels, averaging, background noise, reverberation time, loss factor, low frequencies, radiated power from velocity measurement); Part 5 — requirements for facilities and equipment (volumes, flanking transmission, laboratory loss factor, maximum achievable insulation, test openings, filler walls, loudspeakers, tapping machine, reference constructions). Products without a specific rule are tested according to Parts 2 and 3. Scope (1): requirements for laboratory measurements of sound insulation of building elements and products, including preparation and mounting of elements and operating and test conditions; evaluation quantities and information for the report. References (2): ISO 717-1, ISO 10140-2:2021, -3:2021, -4, -5:2021, ISO 12999-1, ISO 16940, EN 572-1, EN 572-2. Terms (3): none. General (4): general requirements for boundary conditions and mounting are in Parts 2, 3 and 5; specific ones — in Annexes A–K; when testing according to the series, this part shall always be checked and the relevant annex applied, and the basic conditions of Part 2 or 3 always apply. Structure of an annex (5): a) scope of the product, quantities measured, method; b) test element — size of the opening and element, number of elements; c) boundary and mounting conditions (filler wall, position, installation) — before installation; d) test and operating conditions (opening and closing, conditioning, curing, drying, loading, environmental conditions) — after installation; e) report; f) additional information. Annex A (normative) — walls, airborne sound: according to Part 2; applies to lightweight twin-leaf partitions (e.g. of gypsum boards); the quantity is the sound reduction index R as a function of frequency; opening for walls about 10 m²; both leaves are mounted on the same side of the acoustic break of the laboratory (otherwise the result tends to be higher); other mounting shall be fully described in the report; exception — e.g. walls of semi-detached houses with leaves on separate foundations. Annex B — doors (external and internal, including door sets): R; for most doors an opening smaller than 10 m², area S is the opening in the filler wall; lower edge of the opening near floor level, reproduction of conditions in the building, door operated normally; before testing opened and closed at least five times (breaking in the seals). Annex C — windows: recommended opening 1 250 mm × 1 500 mm (as the small test opening of Part 5), deviations allowed according to national practice, the opening may be staggered (ISO 10140-5:2021, Figure 3); niches on both sides of different depth, preferably 2:1; the gap of about 10–13 mm is filled with absorbent material (e.g. mineral wool) and sealed elastically on both sides or according to the manufacturer; the temperature in both rooms should be (20 ± 3) °C, the element is stored 24 h at the test temperature (especially laminated glass); an openable window — opened and closed at least five times before testing. Annex D — glazing: opening 1 250 mm × 1 500 mm ± 50 mm (preferably keeping the aspect ratio), staggered by 60–65 mm on both sides and at the top, pane in the smaller opening, opening according to ISO 10140-5:2021, 4.3.4; niches 2:1; a gap of about 10 mm between pane and reveal filled with putty; fixing with two wooden beads 25 mm × 25 mm, putty of about 5 mm between pane and bead, beads covering 12–15 mm of glass (a practical, reproducible solution, although not the mounting used in buildings). Qualification of the putty: a single float pane (density 2 500 kg/m³, E = 7 × 10⁴ MPa) of thickness (10 ± 0,3) mm and dimensions 1 230 mm × 1 480 mm, mounted with this putty, shall give in the one-third-octave bands 1 600–3 150 Hz, with the first measurement not later than 1 h after mounting, values within ± 2,0 dB, among others 1 600 Hz: R = 31,3 dB and 2 000 Hz: R = 35,6 dB (further values are not in the part we read).

STATUS (PKN catalogue cards as of 02.10.2026). The card of PN-EN ISO 10140-1:2021-10 (English version, published 18-10-2021, 68 pages, price group V) has no “Withdrawn” header: Sector of Construction and Building Structures, KT 253 Architectural Acoustics, ICS 91.120.20, “Introduces: EN ISO 10140-1:2021 [IDT], ISO 10140-1:2021 [IDT]”, “Replaces: PN-EN ISO 10140-1:2016-10 – English version”. The card of PN-EN ISO 10140-1:2016-10 has the “Withdrawn” header: withdrawal date 18-10-2021, “Replaced by: PN-EN ISO 10140-1:2021-10”; it itself replaced PN-EN ISO 10140-1:2011 with amendments A1:2012 and A2:2014-09. The PKN search engine (query “PN-EN ISO 10140-1”, 02.10.2026) shows the 2011 (with A1 and A2), 2016-10 and 2021-10 editions — all in the English version. What changed for the result: according to the foreword — reference insulating glass units (D.4.2.1), H.6.2.2 and rooflights in Annex K; for the other products the changes are editorial (references).

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database, data up to 17.09.2026, read 02.10.2026). The number 10140-1 appears in 17 records of 6 laboratories: AB 054, AB 818, AB 1054, AB 1162, AB 1241, AB 1271. In the current scopes on the PCA website (read 02.10.2026, issues from 25.02.2026 to 28.07.2026) AB 818, AB 1162 and AB 1271 cite the 2021-10 edition, AB 054, AB 1054 and AB 1241 — the designation alone without a date (in the English-language part of AB 1054 “EN ISO 10140-1:2021-10”); some entries carry the marking “N”. The “Laboratories” tab (“PN-EN ISO 10140-1”) shows the same 6 laboratories — checked with a query of the tab on the labcoda.pl production server on 02.10.2026.

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (PCA entries). “Airborne sound insulation” (building products, walls, external and internal doors, flat and curved glass panels, insulating glass units, ship panels), “Sound reduction index R in 1/3-octave bands” and “Element-normalized level difference” (AB 1271), “Reduction of impact sound” by floor coverings (AB 1162, AB 1271) and “Improvement of sound insulation” of linings (AB 1271). In 16 of 17 records PN-EN ISO 10140-2 or -3 stands next to it (often also Parts 4 and 5), in some the former standards of the PN-EN ISO 140 series (Parts 3, 6, 8, 10), and in some scopes the entry is described as “Assessment of performance”.

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. With mounting of lightweight walls: leaves on both sides of the acoustic break of the laboratory give higher insulation than leaves on one side (A.3, Note 1) — the result is then “better” but not comparable. With windows and glazing: the 2:1 niche ratio, the dimensions of the opening and the way the gap is filled change the result (C.3, D.2, D.3); a putty that has not passed qualification on the 10 mm pane can raise or lower R. With temperature: the insulation of laminated glass depends on temperature — a measurement without 24 h conditioning at (20 ± 3) °C can give a different result (C.4.1). With openable doors and windows: without opening and closing five times the seals are not “broken in” (B.4, C.4.2). With the part: this part contains no measurement procedure or formulae — there is no result without Part 2 or 3.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We do not have the rest of Annex D (remaining putty qualification values, D.4 with reference insulating glass units, report) or Annexes E–K (among others floors and coverings, small technical elements, rooflights) — so we give no requirements from these annexes.

Method principle

The building element is mounted in the test opening of an acoustic laboratory according to the annex for the product (size of the opening, position relative to the acoustic break, niches, filling of gaps, conditioning, preparation of moving parts), and then the airborne sound insulation is measured according to PN-EN ISO 10140-2 or the impact sound insulation according to PN-EN ISO 10140-3.

Applications

• Building products — lightweight walls, doors, windows, glazing and insulating glass units, panels, linings — laboratory sound insulation tests; 6 laboratories in PCA scopes
• Assessment of performance of building products (entries so described in the scopes of AB 1054, AB 1241, AB 1271)
• Comparison of products between laboratories thanks to uniform mounting (the purpose of Annexes A–D)

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-EN ISO 10140-1:2021-10 (wersja angielska; EN ISO 10140-1:2021 IDT, ISO 10140-1:2021 IDT)

Title (PL)

Akustyka — Pomiar laboratoryjny izolacyjności akustycznej elementów budowlanych — Część 1: Zasady stosowania dla określonych wyrobów

Title (EN)

Acoustics — Laboratory measurement of sound insulation of building elements — Part 1: Application rules for specific products

Step-by-step procedure

1. Choice of annex

   Check whether there is an annex A–K for the product; if not — test according to Part 2 or 3. PN-EN ISO 10140-1:2021-10 current (PKN cards as of 02.10.2026).

2. Element and opening

   Size of the opening and element according to the annex (walls about 10 m², windows and glazing 1 250 mm × 1 500 mm); number of elements.

3. Mounting

   Lightweight walls on one side of the acoustic break; windows and glazing with 2:1 niches, gaps filled and sealed; glazing with putty qualified according to D.3.

4. Conditioning and operating conditions

   Glazing and windows: (20 ± 3) °C in both rooms, element 24 h at the test temperature; openable doors and windows: at least five opening and closing cycles immediately before testing.

5. Measurement and report

   Measurement according to Part 2 (R) or 3; mounting other than in the annex — fully described in the report; single-number rating according to ISO 717-1 or -2.

Required equipment and apparatus

Health and safety (OHS)

• The standard contains no safety warnings in the part we read; mounting large glazing and doors in the test opening requires rules for handling heavy glass elements set by the laboratory
• TECHNICAL NOTE: a twin-leaf wall mounted across the acoustic break gives a higher, non-comparable result

Frequently asked questions