Arc 407 - Acoustics
Arc 407 - Acoustics
Arc 407 - Acoustics
Introduction to Sound
• Sound is produced when an object is set into vibration and is perceived when the
eardrum is set into vibration by the variations in air pressure outside the ear.
• The simplest kind of sound is the pure tone (produced by a vibrating body) for which
the graph of air pressure plotted against time produces a sine wave.
Sinu
Sinusoidal Variation of air pressure at a point due to a pure tone
Facts to note
• There is not yet a perfect understanding of all factors determining sound quality
• Noise is defined as any unwanted sound
• Many acoustic problems can be reduced/removed from the point of initial design
• Openings (doors and windows) affect sound quality
• Sound insulators are expensive and mitigating poor acoustics after design may not
always yield the desired effects.
Fundamental Acoustics
Qualities/Characteristics of Sound
• Sound Pressure Level- Measured in decibels (dB) and can be defied as the root mean
square of variation in air pressure due to sound.
• Sound Power Level- Measured in Watts and is a derivative of sound pressure level. It is
dependent on the distance, orientation, sound power level of the source and amount
of acoustical absorption.
• Frequency- measured in Hertz and formerly called cycles per second. Humans
perceive sound in a range between 20Hz and 20,000Hz. Sounds that are either Ultra-
high in frequency or ultra-low are imperceptible to the human ear.
Extracted from METRIC PLANNING HANDBOOK; Compiled by David Adler
• Reverberation time- measured in seconds; is defined as the time take for any sound to
decay, reduce, or fall in level by 60dB.
Where
T= time (seconds)
0.16= constant
Sα = Total surface absorption (m2)
V= volume of space (m3)
X= coefficient of sound attenuation in air
In the event that the total surface absorption of several materials within a space is to be
calculated, the Sα becomes a summation of all surface absorptions of materials present
Aim
The aim of design for acoustic comfort is to eliminate or restrict noise interferences in any
space.
Design Recommendations
Design recommendations can be observed in the following areas
• Preferred Dimensions/Form
• Openings (Doors and Windows)
• Floors, Walls and Ceilings
• Barriers
• Enclosures
Preferred Dimensions/Form
o Preferred forms that with careful design can be successful acoustically are:
-Traditional forms (rectangles)
-Horse shoe
-Fan shape
Note:
-Unconventional forms introduce the risk of intolerable defects that prove difficult to correct.
-There is little evidence for ideal proportions for conventional forms
-Large rooms are difficult to fill with sound
-Small rooms have the problem of their dimensions being comparable to wavelengths of
speech/music
Barriers
Dwarf walls plant barriers are more psychological than effective. Their effectiveness is
dependent on the frequency of sound
Enclosures
Enclosures
Enclosures for machines and stationary equipment should have
Few openings, as openings reduce the sound suppression characteristics of a space
Should have insulation installed