This is a secure-facility standards decision guide—not a general acoustics standards catalog. Start with the project’s governing security authority and specified acceptance evidence, then identify which acoustic and RF measurement procedures can support that decision. The entries below lead to official publications and project-specific planning information. The applicable contract, authority direction, edition and project-specific acceptance criteria always control. A measurement standard does not, by itself, establish a universal pass/fail threshold.
Start with the project decision—not the standard number
Secure-facility projects rarely need every document in this library. Identify the question being answered, the party authorized to accept the evidence, and the relevant construction stage. This is distinct from OSAT’s wider acoustic standards catalog, which is organized by measurement discipline.
| Project decision | First reference to check | Evidence to define |
|---|---|---|
| Is this SCIF/SAPF design or construction subject to a specific security requirement? | Applicable ICD/ICS, technical specification, contract and authority direction | Required boundaries, acoustic or RF criteria, and decision authority |
| Is the installed acoustic perimeter ready for verification? | Sound Group requirements and the contract-specified field method | Test locations, operating conditions, reported metric and acceptance threshold |
| Will an RF enclosure meet its assigned shielding criterion? | Project shielding schedule plus applicable IEEE measurement method and edition | Frequency ranges, attenuation thresholds, interfaces and detectable measurement limits |
| Does a failed door, seam or penetration require retesting? | Original acceptance plan and approved repair/retest direction | Defect location, corrective scope, repeat coverage and retained records |
Important separation: A security directive can define the requirement; a measurement standard can define how to obtain evidence; a designated authority decides acceptance. They are not interchangeable. An RF shielding-effectiveness report is not a TEMPEST certification, and a field acoustic rating is not a substitute for all SCIF/SAPF security requirements.
For a broader catalog of acoustic test standards outside secure facilities, consult the OSAT Acoustic Standards Directory. This SCIFTesting guide concentrates on secure-facility decisions and coordination.
SCIF and SAPF security requirements
- ICD 705 — Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities
Intelligence Community directive governing SCIF policy. The linked ODNI publication includes the 2024 technical amendment.
- ICS 705-01 and ICS 705-02 — physical/technical security and accreditation
ODNI reference library for the security standards and accreditation/reciprocal-use framework. Select the applicable standard from the official index.
- IC Technical Specifications for SCIFs, Version 1.5.1
Publicly released technical construction and management specifications; confirm the applicable version and controlling authority’s direction for each project.
- DoD SCIF/SAPF planning, design and construction guidance
Whole Building Design Guide’s current SCIF/SAPF supplemental guidance (UFS 4-010-05). Check project applicability and referenced criteria.
RF shielding and electromagnetic verification
- IEEE 299 — shielding effectiveness measurement
Publisher record for IEEE 299-2006, covering electromagnetic shielding effectiveness measurement of larger enclosures. IEEE marks this edition inactive-reserved; confirm contractual edition.
- IEEE P299 — revision project
Active revision project, not an issued standard. Useful for edition awareness, but not a substitute for the edition specified by the contract.
- SCIF Testing: IEEE 299 methods explained
Our technical overview of measurement planning, practical limits, frequency range, and reporting.
Architectural acoustics and doors
- ASTM E336 — airborne sound attenuation between rooms
Field method that includes noise reduction, NIC, NNIC, and ASTC in defined conditions; the metrics are not interchangeable.
- ASTM E2964 — normalized insertion loss of doors
Field test method for evaluating certain installed doors and reporting door transmission class (DTC).
- ASTM E966 — facade sound attenuation
Field guidance for evaluating sound attenuation through building facades and facade elements.
- ASTM building acoustics and construction standards catalog
Official publisher catalog for additional methods, including laboratory sound transmission and related building-acoustics testing.
Broader government building criteria
- UFC 3-450-01 — Noise and Vibration Control
DoD design criteria for noise and vibration control of building mechanical and related systems; special mission requirements can supersede general guidance.
- Whole Building Design Guide — DoD criteria collection
Publisher-hosted starting point for applicable Unified Facilities Criteria and related facilities guidance.
How to use this reference library
Review the governing authority and project documents first, then identify the measurement procedure and required criterion. ASTM and IEEE publications may require a license or purchase; these links point to official publisher records rather than unauthorized reproductions. Some publicly released government documents may not reflect the latest controlling project direction. Confirm the exact referenced edition before testing.
For related planning guidance, see RF shielding pre-mobilization checklist, independent verification readiness, and acoustic versus RF leakage. Submit only unclassified information through the inquiry form.