Say "Acoustical treatment!", and most people will respond with "Sound absorber". Ask "How much?" and the response is "It depends!". This problem, addressed by Wallace C. Sabine 100 years ago is still with us. We have come a long way since then with plenty of data on contemporary products which can be installed according to room use, size and original finish. Interior design of any acoustical space be it an auditorium, studio, meeting room or office needs special attention. Modern "acoustical" prose centers on sound systems, A/V and telecommunications. Yet, no successful new or renovated building can be produced without applying the fundamentals of interior sound control. The two main issues are mechanical noise and sound reflection ("reverberation"). Schematically, the first requires the mechanical engineer to design the HVAC noise to be suitably low (see Sound Advice 1:3). The second requires the interior designer to provide adequate interior room absorption. This is achieved with materials with materials with an NRC value from 0.6 to 0.95. NRC is the sound absorption coefficient averaged over the speech frequency range of 250Hz - 2,000Hz. Acoustical ceiling tile is usually adequate for non critical spaces such as offices. For critical spaces such as large meeting rooms, dining areas, auditoriums, or teleconferencing rooms, sound absorption area and location are adjusted to achieve the reverberation time that suits the room use (speech, music, etc.). The prescribed sound absorbing panels and tiles are then strategically distributed over the walls, ceiling and possibly the floor to enhance intelligibility and sound diffusion.  If
you have acoustical or noise control design problems you would like to
discuss, feel free to call or FAX us any time. Campanella
Associates For more information on... Angelo J.
Campanella, P.E., Ph.D. (Principal) Home Last updated 23-Nov-2005. Web Site by Point & Click Software, Inc. |