Acoustical Investigation & Research Organisation · est. 1958
An independent acoustic consultancy and UKAS-accredited test house in Hemel Hempstead. We measure sound in our own laboratory, in buildings and in the environment.
1.0 Scope
AIRO is a fully independent acoustic consultancy and test house specialising in acoustics, noise and vibration. Nothing on this page is a sample result — it is what we are equipped and accredited to measure.
The company was incorporated in 1958 and within a year opened the first fully equipped, independent commercial acoustics laboratory in Britain.
For over sixty years AIRO has assisted architects, developers, manufacturers, government institutions and the public. All of our technical staff are experienced professionals who can provide a wide range of consultancy services and measurement services.
2.0 Services
Each service has its own page, its own standards, and its own place — the laboratory, the site, or the design desk.
BS EN ISO 10140-2 · BS EN ISO 354 · BS EN ISO 3744 · BS EN 1793 · BS 4142 · BS 8233 · BS 6472 · BS 5228 · CRTN · DMRB · NPPF · ADE
The full matrix of developments, noise sources and standards AIRO works to is on the Services Matrix page. laboratory site desk
3.0 Laboratory · 4.0 Field
This is the distinction that decides what you are buying. A product can be taken to a laboratory and compared with another product. A building has to be measured where it stands, against the regulations that apply to it.
In the laboratory
The room is controlled, so one product can be compared fairly with another — for a specification, for product development, or for published technical data.
AIRO is a UKAS accredited testing laboratory No. 0483 for a range of these tests. The measurements covered are those listed in the schedule of accreditation — see the laboratory page.
On site
Measured in the building that will be occupied, against the regulations that apply to it — and in the places where noise actually becomes a problem.
5.0 Calibration
Accreditation attaches to the tests and calibrations listed in each schedule — not to a company in general, and not to every service on this page.
UKAS accredited testing laboratory
0483
Laboratory-based testing at Hemel Hempstead: airborne and impact sound insulation, impact improvement, sound absorption, equipment noise emission and traffic noise barriers. The measurements covered are those listed in the schedule of accreditation.
Laboratory testingUKAS accredited calibration
4554
Calibration of tapping machines — the instrument that generates the impact in a standard impact sound insulation test. The calibration scope is defined by the schedule that carries this number.
Tapping-machine calibrationIf a test is not on a schedule, it is not accredited. Check the schedule rather than assuming the number covers everything listed above.
6.0 Evidence
AIRO won two awards at the ANC Acoustics Awards 2023: Vibration Prediction and Control, and Small Consultancy: The Patrick Shortt Award, given for the best overall project across all categories by a small consultancy. They were presented at the ANC Annual Conference on 20 September 2023 in Birmingham.
The vibration award was for measuring and assessing vibration entering residential properties across London — typically directly over or near an Underground line — and for the collaborative design of tailored systems to reduce groundborne noise from the trains.
Read the awards page“This project has changed the perception of what can be achieved and given control to residents on what is acceptable with a solution that can be tailored to each property.”
ANC Acoustics Awards 2023 citation
7.0 Contact
A single test on a wall sample, a pre-completion package across a development, or a noise problem that has already been built. Start with a phone call.
Hemel Hempstead office
AIRO LtdEnquiries
Tel. 01442 247146
airo@airo.co.uk