STN 73 0532 Noise Protection Standard
Slovak standard setting required sound insulation values for partitions between rooms and for the building envelope, including windows and doors.
STN 73 0532 is the Slovak technical standard that sets the required sound insulation values for partitions between rooms and for the external envelope of a building, including its windows and doors. The current part, STN 73 0532-2: 2024 (Akustika, Hodnotenie zvukovoizolačných vlastností budov a stavebných konštrukcií, Časť 2: Požiadavky), was published in October 2024. Designers use it to check whether a building meets its noise protection requirements, covering both airborne sound and impact sound.
What does STN 73 0532 cover?
The standard gives required values for two groups of elements. The first is the partitions between rooms, such as walls and floor structures inside the building. The second is the external envelope, its parts, and the windows and doors built into it. The required values depend on the type of building, the function of the room, and the noise coming from the neighbouring space.
The standard also sets design principles for residential and civic buildings from the point of view of building acoustics. It relies on the measurement series STN EN ISO 16283 and STN EN ISO 10140, and on the single-number quantities defined in STN EN ISO 717-1 and STN EN ISO 717-2. Its Annex A describes the acoustic properties behind the basic technical requirement for conformity assessment of construction products. Annex D explains terms used in sound insulation assessment, and Annex E gives a simplified way to estimate corrections for flanking paths.
Which edition is current, and what changed in 2024?
The current edition is the 2024 version. It replaces STN 73 0532 of January 2013 in full. Compared with its predecessor, the 2024 edition makes the following changes:
| Area | Change in the 2024 edition |
|---|---|
| Required values | Values for partitions between rooms are updated, and the tables are split by building type. |
| Commercial premises | Required values are introduced for sound insulation between rooms in commercial premises. |
| Dwelling living rooms | Living rooms in a flat must meet the weighted values R'w and DnT,w at the same time. |
| Doors | The required values are clarified to apply to doors after they are built into the building. |
| Flanking paths | Examples of corrections for flanking transmission are added for airborne and impact sound, and a detailed assessment of flanking paths is recommended. |
| Classes | Classes are introduced for increased required values of sound insulation between rooms. The window sound insulation classes are abolished. |
The new classes give a designer a defined target above the baseline requirement. A stricter level can then be specified by reference to the standard, instead of being described in custom wording for each project.
Does STN 73 0532 apply to family houses?
Yes. The scope names family houses explicitly, including detached, terraced and other types and groupings of family houses. The table below summarises the building types the standard covers.
| Building type | Covered by the standard |
|---|---|
| Family houses | Yes, detached, terraced and other groupings |
| Apartment buildings | Yes, including extensions and additions that create new flats |
| Civic buildings | Yes, such as hotels, hospitals, schools and offices |
| Residential parts of buildings with another use | Yes |
| Alterations of existing buildings | Applied appropriately, with the aim of reaching the higher required values |
How is compliance with STN 73 0532 demonstrated?
Unless the standard states otherwise, compliance with its required values is shown by measurement. The measured result is compared with the required value. The test uses measurements in third-octave bands under the STN EN ISO 16283 and STN EN ISO 10140 series, and the band results are converted into single-number values under STN EN ISO 717-1 and STN EN ISO 717-2. It is these single-number values that are compared with the requirements of the standard.
A test protocol often includes a statement on reproducibility or measurement uncertainty. The standard treats this as useful supplementary information only, and says it has no effect on the assessment of the element. The weighted value from the test is always compared directly with the required value.
If the standard does not give a required value for the exact situation, its values may be used only for functionally similar buildings and protected spaces. A value should not be stretched to a case it does not describe.
Why do flanking paths matter for the assessment?
Sound rarely travels only through the partition being tested. It also passes along flanking paths through the connected walls, floors, ceilings and facades. The 2024 edition gives examples of corrections for flanking transmission and recommends a detailed assessment of flanking paths when evaluating partitions and external elements. Annex E sets out a simplified procedure for the correction, and it is an informative annex rather than a binding part of the requirements.
How does STN 73 0532 differ from STN 73 0540?
The two standards answer different questions. STN 73 0540 sets thermotechnical requirements for the building envelope, which means heat retention and energy performance. STN 73 0532 sets sound insulation requirements. A design can satisfy one and fail the other, because heat and sound are checked with different quantities and different measurements.
Where do outdoor noise sources such as heat pump units fit in?
Outdoor equipment such as heat pump units falls under a different regime. The permissible levels of noise in the environment are set by decree 549/2007 Z. z. on permissible noise, infrasound and vibration values in the environment, not by STN 73 0532. The standard concerns how much sound reaches the inside of a building from neighbouring rooms and through the envelope.
When a site is exposed to road or railway noise, the external load is usually assessed in a noise study before the envelope is designed. The noise study and STN 73 0532 answer different parts of the same question.
What are the common misconceptions about STN 73 0532?
The first misconception is that a laboratory value on a product datasheet proves compliance in a building. The requirements are tied to measurements of the built element, under the STN EN ISO 16283 series, and for doors to values after installation. A product value is a starting point for design, not the final proof.
The second misconception is that family houses are outside the standard. The scope names them explicitly. The third is that the measurement uncertainty statement can decide the result. The standard says that statement does not change the assessment.
Frequently asked questions
- Is STN 73 0532 the current sound insulation standard in Slovakia?
- The current part is STN 73 0532-2: 2024, published in October 2024. It replaces the January 2013 edition in full, so the older edition should not be used as the reference for new work.
- Does STN 73 0532 apply to family houses?
- Yes. Its scope names detached, terraced and other groupings of family houses explicitly, alongside apartment buildings and civic buildings.
- How is compliance with STN 73 0532 shown?
- Unless the standard says otherwise, compliance is shown by measurement in the built element. The single-number value from the test is compared with the required value in the standard.
- What new classes does the 2024 edition introduce?
- The 2024 edition introduces classes for increased required values of sound insulation between rooms, giving designers a defined target above the baseline. The window sound insulation classes were abolished.
- Does STN 73 0532 limit noise from heat pump units?
- No. Noise emitted into the environment is governed by decree 549/2007 Z. z., while STN 73 0532 covers sound insulation between rooms and through the building envelope.