Inter-Floor Noise Standards for Multi-Family Housing and Officetels Tightened to 49 dB or Lower

Administrative notice on amendment to run Nov. 6-26
Quality standards for floor cushioning materials also to be established

Standards for blocking inter-floor noise in multi-family housing and officetels, among other buildings, will be tightened to 49 dB or lower.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on November 5 that it would issue an administrative notice from November 6 through 26 on a partial amendment to the “Standards for Floor Impact Sound Insulation Structures to Prevent Noise.”

The standards will apply to multi-family housing subject to the Building Act, apartment buildings with fewer than 30 households, and officetels, among other buildings. These buildings have been subject to relatively less stringent inter-floor noise standards than apartment buildings covered by the Housing Act.

The amendment would lower the limit for “heavy-weight impact noise,” such as the sound of children running, from 50 dB to 49 dB or lower. It would also tighten the limit for “light-weight impact noise,” such as the sound of a small object falling, from 58 dB to 49 dB or lower. The lower the figure, the less noise is transmitted through the floor to the unit below.

New quality standards will also be established for cushioning materials that absorb floor impacts. Builders can choose between an approved floor system that has undergone performance testing and a standard floor system that complies with the announced standards. A standard floor structure does not require separate performance testing if it is constructed according to the prescribed standards.

Lee Jincheol, director general of housing policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, “This amendment is expected to improve the residential environments of multi-family housing and officetels, which have been relatively vulnerable to floor impact noise. We will continue to improve related systems to create pleasant residential environments that people can experience firsthand.”

The full text of the amendment is available on the ministry’s website under “Policy Materials - Laws and Regulations - Legislative and Administrative Notices.” Comments can be submitted by mail or through the website.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.