Acoustic study for activity licenses in Andalusia

Article updated on July 24, 2020

To open a business it is necessary to be in possession of a license that authorizes and confirms that your activity is authorized by the competent bodies.

It has been shown that noise considerably decreases people’s quality of life and that is why silence is considered a fundamental right.

Commercial premises with noisy activity such as bars, nightclubs or gyms are exposed to complaints when they exceed the limits established in environmental quality.

Get an activity license in Andalusia

In the case of activities that generate high levels of noise, obtaining the license requires the work of a specialized company such as Prolisur Acústica, since certifications, tests and technical procedures are necessary that should be well tied and safe.

In addition to the acoustic certificate, to obtain the activity license your business must:

• Fill out the municipal form
• Photocopy of ID
• Plans and location of the premises
• Title deed or rental agreement
• Technical study of the activity completed and signed by an accredited technician

What is an acoustic study?

It is a document that sets out the corrective measures to be implemented in a business or activity so that all noise quality and prevention standards are met.

The ideal is to do it in the adaptation phase of the space where the activity is carried out, to reduce costs using the most sophisticated techniques. This way, you won’t have to redo anything.

Once the study has been carried out, the same authorized company issues a valid Acoustic Certificate indicating the results of the measurements.

Acoustic Regulations in Andalusia

The minimum acoustic conditions required in buildings within the Andalusian Autonomous Community are detailed in Royal Decree 6/2012. It indicates that the acoustic qualities may be verified before the granting of the first occupation, forcing compliance.

Installations of noisy nature

For those buildings that generate high levels of noise (sound pressure levels greater than 80 dBA in buildings that include habitable spaces), a minimum insulation that complies with the established limitations will be required:

• Public establishments and recreational activities of public attendance , without sound or audiovisual reproduction or amplification equipment,, as well as enclosures that house noisy equipment or machinery, that generate sound emission levels less than or equal to 85 dBA.
  • Airborne noise insulation with respect to adjoining or adjacent protected rooms (DnTA (dBA)) >= 60
  • Airborne noise insulation from the outside environment through enclosures (DA = D + C (dBA)) _
• Public establishments and recreational activities of public attendance, with sound or audiovisual reproduction or amplification equipment with a sound emission level less than or equal to 90 dBA, or premises that locate noisy, equipment or machinery, that generate sound emission levels greater than 85 dBA.
  • Airborne noise insulation with respect to adjoining or adjacent protected rooms (DnTA (dBA))* >= 65
  • Airborne noise insulation with respect to the outside environment through enclosures (DA = D + C (dBA)) >= 40
• Public establishments and public recreational activities, with sound or audiovisual reproduction or amplification equipment ,,which generate sound emission levels greater than 90 dBA , and in all cases when they have live performances or concerts with live music..
  • Airborne noise insulation with respect to adjoining or adjacent protected rooms (DnTA (dBA)) >= 75
  • Airborne noise insulation from the outside environment through enclosures (DA = D + C (dBA)) >= 55

* DnTA: standardized difference in levels, weighted A, between interior enclosures.
DA :airborne noise insulation index with respect to the outside environment.
D: level difference corrected for background noise.
C: spectral adaptation term to pink noise, weighted A.

What will require a City Council in Andalusia?

The city council will require the following from the promoter or individual:

• Previous acoustic measurements to determine ambient sound levels (day, afternoon and night)
• Acoustic memory DB-HR Protection against noise of the Technical Building Code justifying the suitability of the projected acoustic insulation
• Study that guarantees compliance with the objectives of acoustic quality in the interior space that are applicable to them

Who can perform the acoustic measurements?

Only competent technical personnel who form part of the Building Quality Control Laboratory that has implemented the UNE-EN ISO 17025:2005 standard.

Acoustic Certificate Expiration

If the place of activity has undergone any modification that puts the corrective measures at risk or the activity has been changed, you must request a new study.

The reason is that construction and conditioning materials can suffer alterations and deterioration and it is necessary to ensure that they continue to be useful.

If you have purchased or rented the premises, you must ensure that you have a valid certificate.

The important step of Acoustic Adaptation

When it comes to reducing noise in interior spaces, it must be taken into account that adequate acoustic conditioning is essential to control reverberations and reflections of sounds derived from sound sources within the space that ensures the functionality of the different environments.

This requires specific technology and the experience of a specialized engineer. At Prolisur we use the most precise tools and the most qualified personnel to provide solutions according to the needs and starting budget.

Our experts offer a diagnosis taking into account the corresponding specific regulations but also the real needs and the most interesting possibilities for optimizing results.

Reverberation time

The reverberation time is the time required for the intensity of a sound to decrease to one millionth of its initial value or, which is the same, for the sound intensity level to decrease 60 decibels below the initial value of the sound.

The construction elements, surface finishes and coatings that delimit the classrooms, conference rooms, dining rooms, restaurants or other dependencies that require the same conditions of intelligibility , will have acoustic absorption (reverberation time in empty rooms whose volume is less than 350 m3, not will be greater than 0.7 s*; reverberation time in empty rooms, but including the total number of seats, whose volume is less than 350 m3, will not be greater than 0.5 s; reverberation time in restaurants, bars, canteens empty or similar shall not be greater than 0.9 s.

*Measurements according to UNE-EN ISO-3382.

In the premises where impact noise originates, it must be guaranteed that they do not exceed the limit of 40 dBA during daytime hours and 35 dBA at nighttime of the L Aeq 10s, and the limit of 45 dBA during daytime hours and 40 dBA at nighttime in the rest of the habitable spaces.

Special acoustic insulation

By law, it is not allowed to grant construction licenses for houses, hospitals or educational/cultural centers, when the acoustic quality objectives are not met, unless they are to be located:

• In areas of special acoustic protection
• In acoustically saturated areas
• In areas of special acoustic situation.

The City Councils can grant new construction licenses, even when the buildings are located in areas of acoustic sensitivity, but with stricter qualities.

The fact of obtaining an acoustic certification to carry out your activity with full rights, legally protects you in case of complaints from neighbors. In addition, it will increase the value of your premises with low cost.