ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS

DAY 2

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 Content
1. Criteria in Acoustical Design
2. Acoustical Characteristics:
Liveness
Intimacy
Fullness
Clarity
Warmth
Brilliance
Texture
Blend
Ensemble
3. Problems in Acoustical Design
4. EXERCISES
4. Optimizing Reverberation Time

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 Reverberation Time

In a more reflective room, it will take longer for the sound to die away and the room
is said to be 'live'.
In a very absorbent room, the sound will die away quickly and the room will be
described as acoustically 'dead'.
Reverberation time is defined as the time for the sound to die away to a level 60
decibels or (1/1,000,000) below its original level.

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Ideal Reverberation Times

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 Problems in Acoustical Design
The following acoustical problems must be avoided:
Focusing of sound
Echoes
Shadows
Resonances
External noise

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 Calculation of Reverberation Time
An approximate formula for the reverberation time, TR is given below:

V
TR  55.2
SA
V = Volume of the room in cubic feet, S = speed of sound in ft/s, A = absorption in sabin.

V
TR  0.050
A
A  a1 A1  a2 A2  a3 A3  a4 A4  .......
0.050V
TR  .
a1 A1  a 2 A2  a3 A3  a 4 A4  ......

A1, A2,…are the areas of the various types of absorbing surfaces, and
a1, a2, … are the absorption coefficients of the respective surfaces.
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Absorption Coefficients
0.050V
TR  .
a1 A1  a 2 A2  a3 A3  a 4 A4  ......

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 Acoustical Ceiling Panels

Over the audience and over the stage, ceiling clouds and
panels produce balanced and blended sounds for a variety
of venues, resulting in a rich, directed sound that the
discriminating audiences have come to expect.

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 Sound Absorption
Absorption coefficient

α = Iα/Ii

α=absorption coefficient
Iα=sound power intensity absorbed (w/cm2)
Ii=sound power impinging on material (w/cm2)

1.0 is total absorption

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Absorption coefficients

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 Sabine formula
Absorption

A =S α
A = total absorption (sabins)
S = surface area (ft2 or m2)
α = absorption coefficient

sabins (m2)= 10.76 sabins (sf)

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 Sound Absorption
Total Absorption

Σα = S1α1 + S2α2 + S3α3 +…+Snαn

or

ΣA = A1 + A2 + A3 +…+An

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Sound Absorption

Average
Absorption

αavg= ΣA/S

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 Ray diagrams

Trace the reflection paths to and from adjoining

surfaces

angle of incidence = angle of reflection

I R

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Sound reflection

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The relevance of Acoustical Shadows

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Reflection in
enclosed spaces

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 Reverberation
Persistence of sound after source has ceased

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 Reverberation Time
Period of time required for a 60 db drop after sound source
stops

TR= K x V/ΣA

TR: reverberation time (seconds)

K: 0.05 (English) (0.049 in SR-6) or 0.16 (metric)
V: volume (ft3 or m3)
ΣA: total room absorption, sabins (ft2 or m2)

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 Noise reduction
• There is always some noise existing in an enclosure
• It is first necessary to reduce existing noise levels
• This technique the called Noise reduction
• It is necessary to reduce Noise at least by 10dB which is
usually upper limit
• NR = 10 log A (after)/ A (before)

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 Exercise 1 – Noise reduction

• A rectangular room measuring 20mX10mX6m with highly

reflective surfaces (αwalls= 0.05, αfloor= 0.03, αceiling= 0.03) is
found to be quite noisy. Determine Noise reduction if -
• Case1: ceiling treated with a sound absorptive material (αceiling=
0.65)
• Case2: if upper part of walls, 4m high treated with sound
absorptive material (αwalls= 0.57)

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Reverberation Time

ft3x1000
3.5 35.0 350

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 Reverberation Time
Calculated for “center band frequencies”

125 250 500 1000 2000 4000

Pay specific attention to 125 hz and 500 hz

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 Reverberation Example
Compile data
– Material Absorption
Coefficient
– Material Surface Area

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 Reverberation Example
ft3x1000
3.5 35.0 350

Compare to
requirements
and adjust

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 Auditorium Design

Room Acoustics

Noise Control Sound System

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 Auditorium Design Factors

Audience Size
Range of Performance Activities
Audience Sophistication

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 Auditorium Design Parameters
1. Audience Size (floor area): 6-8sf/seat

2. Reverberation (volume):
Motion Picture Theatre 100 cf/seat
Lecture Hall 100 cf/seat
Music Room/Auditorium 200-250 cf/seat
Symphony Hall 200-300 cf/seat
Choral Rehearsal 350 cf/seat
Band Rehearsal 500 cf/seat
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 Auditorium Design Parameters

3. Ceiling Height= Volume/Floor Area

4. Typical Dimensions
L:W:H = 2H:1.5H:H
Determine acceptable width (80-120’)
Determine length (L = SF/Width)
If Length ≥120’, use balcony

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 Auditorium Design Parameters

5. Stage opening:

40-50’ wide x 25’ high

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 Auditorium Design Parameters
6. Shape Walls and Ceilings

a) source is 5’ from stage front, 5’ above

stage floor

b) trace reflectances from back wall, side

walls, and ceiling @ 40-60’ from stage

40’ 60’

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Auditorium
Design
Example

Given data

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Reverberation Time
ft3x1000
3.5 35.0 350

492,480 ft3

TR=1.5 seconds

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 Auditorium
Design
Example

Given data

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 Auditorium
Design
Example

Given data

SR-6: p.116, F.5-12

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Auditorium
Design
Example

Area takeoffs

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Auditorium Design Example

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Auditorium Design Example
Absorption
Coefficients

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Auditorium Design Example
Compute absorption
Compute reverberation

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Auditorium Design Example

Compute TR 500 for given data:

TR=0.049 x V/ ΣA
=0.049 x 492,480/12,538
=1.92 seconds

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Auditorium Design Example

Compute absorption needed for volume:

TR=1.5 seconds

ΣA=0.049 x V/TR
=0.049 x 492,480/1.5
=16,088 sabins

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Auditorium
Design
Example

Adjust to
meet
absorption

Add
acoustical
tile on walls

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Auditorium
Design
Example

Determine
acoustical
tile area

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Auditorium Design Example
Determine acoustical tile area

Sabins design 16,088

- Sabins given 12,538
Sabins short 3,550

Translate to area of acoustical tile

Sabins/Δα=3,550/0.67= 5,299 sf

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Auditorium
Design
Example

Add 5,299 sf
of acoustical
tile on walls

Recompute
TR500

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Auditorium Design Example
Recompute TR-500 for revised data:
TR-500=0.049 x V/ ΣA
=0.049 x 492,480/16,088
=1.5 seconds

Compute TR-125 for revised data:

TR-125=0.049 x V/ ΣA
=0.049 x 492,480/9,593
=2.52 seconds
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Auditorium Design Example

Compare TR-500 with TR-125 :

TR-125/TR-500=2.52/1.5= 1.68

Ratio should be
1.6-1.85
to offset hearing
deficiency

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Auditorium
Design
Example

Check final
conditions

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 Sound Absorbents
• Filling Material:
• Trapped air
• Perforated panels (Gypsum Sheets,
Perforated Metal panels)
• Slag wool
• Rock wool • Slotted panels
• Glass wool • Resonant panels (Slit Resonators or
• Quilt Blankets Helmholtz resonators, Cavity Resonators)
• Asphalt, Bitumen mats
• Textured panels (rough surfaces)
• Asbestos Fibers
• Compressed paper Boards
• Foamed Plastic, PU foam
• Compressed wood wool
• Mineral Wool sheets
• Surfacing Material:
• Perforated Gypsum sheets
• Perforated Fiber Boards
• Soft boards
• Acoustic Plaster, Textured surfaces
• Acoustical paints
• Fabric like Muslin, quilt, Glazed Cloth
• Carpets (Piled)
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BEHAVIOR OF SOUND & ITS EFFECTS (Absorption)
Sound Insulation of double
walls

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Acoustical wall
treatment detail

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Acoustical wall panels
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Gypsum board wall assembly
with resilient channels

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Control of flanking transmission through a
plenum by extending the partition up to the
floor or roof
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Control of flanking transmission with an uninterrupted plenum 59
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Sound
Systems

Check final
conditions

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 Liveness and Intimacy
Liveness: A room is said to be “live” when the reverberation time is longer
than the average for similar rooms.

Intimacy: Refers to how close the performing group sounds to the listener.
Intimacy is achieved whenever the first reflected sound reaches the listener
less than about 20 m/s after the direct sound.

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Fullness and Clarity

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Warmth

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Brilliance

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Texture

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 Blend and Ensemble
Blend:
Blend refers to the mixing of the sound from all the instruments of the orchestra or
ensemble throughout the audience.
Proper blend is achieved by mixing the sound from various instruments and voices
on the stage before distributing to the audience.

Ensemble:
Ensemble refers to the ability of the members of the performing group to hear each
other during performance, enhancing the ability of the players to play together
effectively.

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Review

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