OFFICE

ACOUSTICS
Office acoustic design is a predictable activity
with an outcome which can be precisely
measured: ideally, an acoustic quality is achieved
which suits the use of the room, which makes us
feel comfortable and allows us to communicate
without any effort, and which we do not perceive
as too loud or too quiet
 INTRODUCTIO
N
A buildings in which all kinds of work
for an institution, company or firm is
carried out is characterized as an
office/commercial building.

The works carried out range from

auditing, records keeping, creative,
business or administrative. All, both
manual and computerized.
 ACOUSTICAL PROBLEMS IN OFFICE
BUILDINGS
Modern office buildings are often noisier than
older buildings due to the use of thinner and
more rigid forms of construction, harder
finishes, more austere furnishings and uses of
business machines.

Effective acoustical design can enhance the

ever changing workplace.

Modern employees are multitasking. They are

interacting with costumers, colleagues,
suppliers and working on computers all at the
same time. In such conditions, any extra noise
is quite irritating.

Noise has always been present in the

workplace, but changes in the tasks todays
employees perform and how they work make
noise more of a factor than in times past.
 REVERBERATION TIME

All general offices 1 sec. max.

Small private offices 0.75 sec. max.
Large offices 1.25 sec. max.
Canteens 1.25 sec. max.
Work spaces
Work spaces in an office are typically used for conventional office
activities such as reading, writing and computer work. There are nine
generic types of work space, each supporting different activities.

1.Open office 2.team space 3.cubical

Open office: An open work space for more than ten people, suitable
for activities which demand frequent communication or routine
activities which need relatively little concentration
Team space: A semi-enclosed work space for two to eight people;
suitable for teamwork which demands frequent internal
communication and a medium level of concentration
Cubicle: A semi-enclosed work space for one person, suitable for
activities which demand medium concentration and medium
interaction
Private office: An enclosed work space for one person, suitable
for activities which are confidential, demand a lot of concentration
or include many small meetings
Shared office: An enclosed work space for two or three people,
suitable for semi-concentrated work and collaborative work in
small groups
Team room: An enclosed work space for four to ten people;
suitable for teamwork which may be confidential and demands
frequent internal communication

Study booth: An enclosed work space for one person; suitable for
short-term activities which demand concentration or confidentiality
Work lounge: A lounge-like work space for two to six people;
suitable for short-term activities which demand collaboration
and/or allow impromptu interaction
Touch down: An open work space for one person; suitable for
short-term activities which require little concentration and low
interaction
Meeting spaces
Meeting spaces in an office are typically used interactive processes,
be it quick conversatiaons or intensive brainstorms. There are six
generic types of meeting space, each supporting different
activities.

Small meeting room: An enclosed meeting space for two to four

persons, suitable for both formal and informal interaction
Large meeting room: An enclosed meeting space for five to
twelve people, suitable for formal interaction
Small meeting space: An open or semi-open meeting space for
two to four persons; suitable for short, informal interaction

Large meeting space: An open or semi-open meeting space for five to

twelve people; suitable for short, informal interaction
Brainstorm room: An enclosed meeting space for five to twelve
people; suitable for brainstorming sessions and workshops
Meeting point: An open meeting point for two to four persons; suitable
for ad hoc, informal meetings
 acoustics
Acoustics By Design's services
regarding office acoustics include

architectural acoustics design

interior acoustics design

speech privacy design

noise control and vibration isolation

mechanical systems noise control and vibration

isolation .

REVERBERATION TIME

All general offices 1 SEC. max.

Small private offices 0.75 sec. max.
Large offices 1.25 sec. max.
 acoustics
sources of noise(outdoor)
Air craft noise
The low flying air-crafts add great deal
of noise.

Automobile noise
Noise from traffic i.e. engine noise
and horns of small trucks, cars, bikes
etc.
This type of noise can be augmented
by narrow streets and tall buildings,
which produce acanyonin which
traffic noise reverberates.
 acoustics
sources of noise(outdoor)

Noise from construction sites

The noise from the construction of
highways , city streets , and buildings is
a major contributor to the urban scene.

Noise from consumer products

Certain equipment , such as road
side speakers also contribute in
outdoor noise

Noise from railways

The noise from locomotive engines,
horns and whistles, and switching and
shunting operation in rail yards can
impact neighboring communities and
railroad workers.
 acoustics
sources of noise(indoor noise)

keyboards
Phones ringing clicking
The ink -jet
Printer
File drawers sliding
open then shut

Footsteps

Loud laughter from a Fax machines beeping

nearby team meeting

slamming of
doors
Two Characteristics of Office Noise

Transient Sounds A transient sound is short term; it

generally distracts a person's attention if the level is high
relative to the steady sound level (a rise of about 10 dB is a
common criterion). The distraction is further strengthened
if the sound has high information content, such as
conversation. People conversing with each other typically
create transient sound levels of 70 dB(A) in the immediate
vicinity.

Steady Sounds
Steady sounds are the background sounds; continuous,
generally unvarying, and long term. In offices, they are
mostly composed of sounds from the air handling system
or light fixtures. Good mechanical and electrical design
keeps such levels below 40 dB(A). Steady sounds can be
tonal or random. Light fixtures are primarily tonal while air
handling noise is random (it consists of many frequencies).
The General Effects of Noise on People in
Offices
Noise is defined as unwanted sound. Noise can be interpreted as anything from a dripping
faucet at home to an exceedingly loud workplace. This range of sound levels runs from those
that cause only annoyance to those that do physical damage. Managers of businesses
always have had a concern about the effect of the office environment on the health and
productivity of their employees; noise is one such concern.

Physical These are mechanical changes in a person, such as heating of the

skin, rupture of the eardrum, or vibration of the eyeballs or internal organs.
The continuous levels required to cause these changes are above 140 dB
and it takes a very special situation such as rocket noise to cause this
effect.
Physiological These are biological changes in a person, such as
elevation of blood pressure, hearing loss, or stress. Levels in the
workplace of 80 dB(A), or more, during 8 hours per day over a working
lifetime of exposure puts people at risk for moderate hearing loss. This is
a very high level and long term exposure that does not occur in the
typical office. The lowest level at which a physiological effect was near 70
dB
Psychological These effects are mental changes in a person due to
exposure to noise, manifested most often by annoyance. Such effects
can occur at any sound level. Dripping faucets in the home may create
annoyance at sound levels of 25 dB, while sound levels of 120 dB
caused by a passing ambulance may elicit the same response.
 Acoustical conditions in Office buildings (ref. by
NBC)
Site conditions

o Room demanding quite conditions

should be placed on the quite side of the
site.
o Room should also not planned on the
street level.
o Office rooms should not be planned on
enclosed yards used for parking.

Open office plan

o Use of acoustical ceiling is required.

o Partial height barriers are required between
work spaces.
o Light fixtures can reflect sound and make
ceilings less absorbent. Both the light fixture
type and placement are important.
o Type writers, printers should be
quite in themselves and placed
further apart from work space,
also partially covered with sound
absorbing panels.

o Too many screens, panel-

surrounded work stations, or
solid furniture elements can be
harmful. Screens and panels
should have sound absorbing
surfaces not so much to block
transmission (a purpose which
they cannot effectively serve).

o If office teaming areas co-exist

with open plan workstations, full-
height demountable walls or
substantially higher divider panels
(80" or more) should be use.
Banking Halls

It is required to avoid high reflective ceiling.

Application of sound absorbent material on ceiling ,
screens and near by walls.
Resilient flooring is also required.

Public Offices

Noise may be minimized by using

Resilient flooring.
Sound absorbent ceiling is required.
Heavy full height screens are required
between the public places and clerical
spaces.
Circulation Spaces

The effective length of corridors

should be restricted by providing
swing doors at regular intervals.
Hard floor finishes should be avoided.
Sound absorbent ceiling in corridors
is recommended.
Stair case and lifts should be isolated.
WHAT IS SOUND MASKING ?

Sound masking is the addition of natural or

artificial sound into an environment to cover up
unwanted sound by using auditory masking.

A sound masking system basically consists of a

series of loudspeakers installed in a grid-like
pattern in the ceiling, as well as a method of
controlling their zoning and output.

It eliminates awareness of pre-existing sounds in a

given area and can make a work environment more
comfortable, while creating speech privacy so
workers can better concentrate and be more
productive.

Sound masking systems are special audio systems

that create spatially uniform sound levels. The
uniformity can be used to integrate cost effective
music and paging into a system.
WHERE IS SOUND MASKING USED ?
Sound masking is used in any workspace to reduce distractions and
improve productivity. By speech privacy or speech confidentiality .
The most typical installations are open office plans, private offices, and
public spaces

REASONS AND BENEFITS OF SOUND MASKING

Our Sound masking offersconfidentiallyandspeech privacy.

Anywhere people need privacy, or to protect their conversations from
being overheard by others.

Sound masking can reduce employee stress, mental fatigue, burn-out,

and potentially lower turnover.

Sound masking can raise productivy1535%.

TheABCofSuccessfulSoundMasking

One of the most effective methods by which to achieve effective speech privacy or to improve
concentration in the workplace is by the careful design and application of three key elements which
can be referred to as the 'ABC of successful sound masking:

Absorb
Absorb sound within a space by the use
of high performance Armstrong acoustic
ceilings, carpet and soft furnishing,
therefore reducing sound reflective areas.

Block
Block sound transmission between
spaces with a combination of high
quality performance ceilings and
effective wall and furniture design and
layout.

Cover
Cover intruding or sensitive speech /
sound using an evenly distributed,
unobtrusive Sound Masking system to
meet the desired privacy level.
Absorbing Materials
Carpet
Soft ceiling tile
Rigid foam
people

Reflecting Materials
Masonry
Wood smooth panels
Smooth concrete
Glass
Reflective Surfaces

Hard, massive, non-porous surfaces, such as

plaster, masonry, glass and concrete, absorb
generally less than 5% of the energy of striking
sound waves and reflect the rest. Such materials
more absorption coefficients of .05 or less.

Absorptive Surfaces:
Porous materials such as acoustical tile, carpets,
draperies and furniture are primarily absorptive.
They permit the penetration of sound waves and
are capable of absorbing most of the sound energy.
These materials may have absorption coefficients
approaching 1.00(one sabin per sq. ft.).
 Impact Sound
Impact Isolation
If the surface receiving the impact, such as a
floor, can be isolated from the structure, the
impact sound will not be transmitted. Likewise,
if the structure can be isolated from the ceiling
below, the impact sound will be restricted from
traveling into the room below.
Isolation of the ceiling of the receiving room
can be accomplished with resilient mounting
of the drywall panels or lath. This still allows
some sound from above to enter the structure
and travel to other rooms.

Resilient subflooring materials such as insulation board and underlayment

compounds are effective, as is heavy carpet over thick under pad. A
Combination of these methods is necessary to produce ideal attenuation of
impact noise.Other sources of structure-borne sound, such as motors, flushing
toilets, dishwashers, garbage disposals, blowers, and plumbing, can be isolated
from the structure by resilient mounting procedures.
WALL PANELLING

staggered 2x3 studs on a single sill plate,

with alternate studs connected to opposite
diaphragms

double row of studs on separate sill plates

 2x4 studs with one diaphragm attached
through sound deadening board.

2x4 studs with one diaphragm attached

by means of resilient channels
 Flanking Paths

Some of the most common flanking paths are supplied by

plumbing pipes,
air ducts and
electrical conduit rigidly connected between the floor and ceiling.

Continuous walls between floors, columns or any other continuous structural elements will act as flanking paths for impact sound. In fact,
any rigid connection between the two diaphragms will effectively transmit impact sound.
Flanking Paths
 Sound Control
Negative impacts
Flanking Paths
Electrical Boxes
Especially back-to-back
HVAC
Perimeter Seals
Doors
Other penetrations

Example: Back-to-back
electrical boxes 50 STC
 Sound Seal
2 Layers
5/8 Gypsum
STC 53 Board

Insulation

Sound Path

STC 29
Unsealed
Sound Seal

2 Layers
5/8 Gypsum
STC 53 Board

Insulation

Acoustical
Sealant
Sound Path

STC 29
Unsealed
Sound Seal

2 Layers
5/8 Gypsum
Board
STC 53
Insulation
Acoustical
Sealant

Sealed
Sound Control Usually the
How to achieve Sound Attenuation Dimension of the
Increase STC by: Framing 3 5/8
Isolation
De-coupling

Absorption

Mass 65 dB 15 dB

Insulation
RC-1 or resilient channel fiberglass
Drywall or engineered panel to absorb
sound energy
50 STC
Case Study II :
Office of RED FM, South Asia FM Limited, 2nd Floor,
NikhileshPalace, Ashok Marg,Lucknow

Optimum Dimension of Recording

Room : (3mX3.5m).

Closed double glass window between

the recording studios.

Gypsum panels on walls with layer of

cotton cloth and foam below.

Gypsum boards used in false ceiling.

Heavy doors provided at the entrance

of recording studio wing also in every
recording room with rubber gasket
fixed to the door frame.

Floor Finish was wooden.

900mm Wooden skirting was

provided.
OFFICE PLAN
Recording Studio & Recording & Reception
Reception : Studios:

Gypsum Panels on Walls.

Gypsum Panels on
Ceiling.

Glass Fixed With a

rubber and foam
layering at the edges.

Furniture and Flooring

was of wood.

Carpet at some places on

the floor.
Office area and Details:

Staff Cabins separated

by Gypsum & Wooden
partitions.

Curtains were Used on

every Exterior Window
pane.

Glass as shown were

ceased with foam and
 Material Used Average Average
weight Sound
(Kg/m.sq.) Reduction
(dB)
3.0 mm Glass Sheet 9.5 25
10 mm Gypsum 10 25
Plasterboard
Closed Window with 9.5 each 40
double 3.0 mm glass,
150 mm appart.
Case Study 1 Architecture Office