Ponteland school

With acoustic performance and fire rating at the top of the agenda for the doors at a new education and leisure hub in Northumberland, more than 2,000 Norseal seals were specified to meet the requirements, including fire-rated acoustic drop seals for classroom doors.

Doorset manufacturer Bridgman IBC supplied more than 600 door sets for the new hub at Ponteland, which comprises a 52-place nursery, 420-pupil primary and 1,600-pupil secondary school, all on the same site alongside a state-of-the-art leisure centre, a café, sports bar and a library to serve not only the pupils but the whole local community. The development was designed by Faulkner Browns Architects and built by Kier Construction. The £43 million scheme is one of Northumberland County Council's largest-ever capital programmes.

The spec of the fire door and classroom door sets required different levels of acoustic ratings across the pieces. Norseal supplied Bridgman with NOR810 acoustic drop seals to meet the building’s 30, 35 and 41dB acoustic requirements, with the two companies working closely together to meet the demanding manufacturing schedule. “We work with Norseal because of the incredibly responsive customer service they offer. Our manufacturing schedule for this project was challenging, and we put pressure on Norseal to match it. They reacted positively every time, and the whole project went smoothly as a result,” says Bridgman’s Stewart Hind.

Comfortable sound levels are one of the primary conditions necessary for an effective learning environment. If there are background noises or a high decibel rating inside a classroom, students could struggle to hear adequately, or may find discomfort from straining to hear. It’s also easier to become distracted. As such, acoustic design is an essential aspect of regulations for school buildings: “Each room or other space in a school building shall be designed and constructed in such a way that it has the acoustic conditions and the insulation against disturbance by noise appropriate to its intended use.” These requirements within the Building Regulations apply specifically to teaching and learning spaces, where the permissible Upper limit for indoor ambient noise levels in a classroom, teaching area, or small group room is 35dBA for a new build and 40dBA for a refurbishment. However, consideration may also be given to adjoining areas that may impact learning environments, such as corridors or meeting areas.

NOR810 is a single-actuated bottom edge drop seal for acoustic and fire-rated timber door sets. It has been tested to one million cycles to all appropriate standards: compliant with BS 476-22, smoke tested in accordance with BS 476-31.1, and acoustically tested in accordance with BS EN ISO 10140-2. It is available in thirteen standard lengths, ranging from 320 mm to 1535mm. Should a non-standard size be required, Norseal can cut accurately to any length to order using Europe’s first custom-made drop seal cutting machine. The machine will cut any drop seal to the exact size required, ready for next-day delivery, without damaging it, and maintaining the fire, smoke, and acoustic integrity of the door. Every door seal cut to size by Norseal, using its new equipment, comes with a one million-cycle guarantee.