Technical Service Systems I (GSE366a) Acoustics and Illumination

TECHNICAL SERVICE SYSTEMS I LECTURE 4
Technical service systems I (GSE366a)

Acoustics and illumination
Lecture 4
1
Original lectures by: Dr.Samir El Banna
Prepared and presented by: Dr.Salwa El Gindi and Dr.El Mahdy ALY.
Common acoustical terminology:

Absorption coefficient:
Integer number between 0.00 and 1.00 will represent the total
percentage of sound energy absorbed by a material at a specific
frequency. A sound absorption coefficient of 0.00 indicates
complete reflection of sound; a sound absorption coefficient of
1.00 indicates complete absorption of sound. Concrete and
painted masonry, having absorption coefficients between 0.01
and 0.02 at most frequencies, are considered to be very sound-
reflective materials. Materials exhibiting a high degree of sound
absorption with coefficients above 0.90 include thick 4 in. (10
cm) or greater fiberglass insulation panels and certain suspended
acoustical ceiling tiles.
Ambient noise:
Average level of sound energy occurring within an architectural
environment at a specified time due to various noise sources in
and around the space. Also referred to as “background noise,” the
ambient sound level in most cases is determined by the output of
the mechanical system serving the room along with any other
equipment (copy machines, computers, etc.) that might be in
operation.
Dead room:
Dead room is a room containing a large amount of sound-
absorbing material.
2
Diffuse sound field:

Room in which sound waves travel equally in all directions and
the sound energy level is approximately constant throughout the
entire room volume except close to the boundaries of the room.
In such a room, it is difficult to identify the direction from which
a sound originates unless one is very close to the source.
Diffusive material:
Material in a room that causes sound waves hitting its surface to
be scattered in multiple directions. Examples of diffusive shapes
include convex or splayed walls and ceilings, coffers, columns,
and very ornate surfaces. Hard furniture and sound-absorbing
panels spaced at intervals along a reflective boundary surface
will also add diffusion to a room.
Flutter echo:
Rapid series of reflections usually created when a sound is
played between two hard and parallel room surfaces. Flutter echo
is often perceived as a “buzzing” or “ringing” sound and can be
detrimental (harmful) to the clarity or intelligibility (clearness) of
a sound. Simple solutions for eliminating this two surfaces,
adding sound absorptive materials to one or both surfaces, or
adding diffusive shaping to the surfaces.
Live room:
Is a Room containing very little sound absorbing materials.
3
Masking:
Acoustic condition in which the energy level of one sound source
is sufficiently greater than another is and impairs (weakening)
one’s ability to hear the lower level sound. Masking noise is
often related to the ambient noise level from the HVAC systems
or other continuously operating equipment in the space. The
presence of audible masking noise can be a positive attribute,
such as in an open-plan office where the noise might improve
speech privacy by preventing nearby conversations from being
intelligibly heard. Masking noise, however, can also create a
negative condition in a symphony concert hall where low-level
instrumental or vocal passages might not be clearly heard over
the ambient noise of the hall. For this reason, acoustic designers
of performance spaces strive (struggle) to achieve very low
(inaudible) ambient sound levels for good performance.
Reverberation time:
It is the amount of time taken at a specific frequency that a
sound in an enclosed space decrease by 60 decibels in level
after the source sound has stopped.
The reverberation time gives a listener the sense of the size,
liveness and warmth of a room. Reverberation time increases
proportionally with the cubic volume of the room and decreases
proportionally with the quantity of sound-absorbing surfaces in
the room.
Source and receiving room: Terms used in sound and
vibration isolation analysis to designate the room containing the
sound or vibration producing source (source room) and an
4
adjacent (receiving) room requiring that the source noise be

attenuated by the intervening partitions to a specified
Reverberation is sound reflecting off the floor, walls and ceiling
and builds up to a percentage of the direct sound, and is different
at all frequencies. Some rooms are absorbent at high
frequencies, but reverberant at low frequencies and vice
versa. As we move closer to the speakers, the direct sound gets
louder and clearer. As we move back from the speakers, direct
sound diminishes (inverse square law) but the reverberant sound
remains constant, and limits intelligibility.
ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS
REVERBERATION
The sound pressure amplitude is inversely proportional to the
distance, or, equivalently, that the SPL decreases by 6 dB per
distance doubling. As soon as a sound source is surrounded by
reflecting surfaces, however, there will be a multitude of
reflections. These reflections lead to diffuse field to be generated.
When a sound source is turned off, the sound pressure amplitude
(squared) falls off exponentially with time.
5
Definition of Reverberation Time (Rt60):

As defined by W.C. Sabine, Reverberation Time (RT) is the
time taken for a continuous sound within a room to decay by
60 dB after being switched off. Sabine carried out a
considerable amount of research in this area and arrived at an
empirical relationship between the volume of an auditorium, the
amount of absorptive material within it and a quantity that he
called the Reverberation Time.
Reverberation time (RT60) is time it takes for the sound

pressure level (SPL) to drop by 60 dB below the original level
after the sound source is turned off.
6
The ideal range of reverberation time for different

Halls:
 The following graph gives the optimum Reverberation time
for different Halls. In general, bigger spaces will have
longer reverberation times than smaller spaces
 The optimum reverbration time for an auditorium or room
of course depends upon its intended use. Around 2 seconds
is desirable for a medium-sized, general purpose
auditorium that is to be used for both speech and music. A
classroom should be much shorter, less than a second. And
a recording studio should minimize reverberation time.
 In most cases for clarity of recording. The reverberation
time is strongly influenced by the absorption coefficients of
the surfaces, but it is shown in the figure below the effect of
the room volume on the reverberation time.
7
Optimum RT for different types of halls:
Reverberation Time
.8 - 1.3 1.4 - 2.0 2.1 - 3.0 Optimum**
Speech Good Fair - Poor Unacceptable* 0.8 - 1.1
Contemporary Fair -
Fair Poor 1.2 - 1.4
music Good
Choral music Poor - Fair Fair - Good Good - Fair 1.8 - 2.0+
RT at different frequencies:
The auditoriums cited below are some of the most outstanding in
the world, and they show the consistent pattern of having
significantly longer reverberation times for low frequencies.
Auditorium RT(125Hz) RT(500 Hz) RT(2000 Hz)

Symphony Hall, Boston 2.2 1.8 1.7
Carnegie Hall, New York 1.8 1.8 1.6
Arie Crown Theatre, Chicago 2.2 1.7 1.4
Royal Festival Hall, London 1.4 1.5 1.4
Royal Albert Hall, London 3.4 2.6 2.2
Concertgebouw, Amsterdam 2.2 2.1 1.8
Kennedy Center, Washington 2.5 2.2 1.9
8
Some desirable acoustic requirements and how to

achieve it:
Desirable acoustic properties of the auditorium can be
contributed by its architecture . The desired properties at left are
correlated with the measurable parameters at right.
The desired properties The parameters to achieve

it.
1-Good projection of sound to Long enough reverberation
the rear of the enclosure. time.
2-Good clarity and articulation. Reverberation time not too
long.
3-Good balance of low and high Reverberation time for low
frequencies. frequencies is longer than
for high.
4-Even dispersion of sound. No large reflective surfaces
Absence of annoying echoes. or focusing of sound.
5-A feeling of closeness or Short delay between direct
presence. and first reflected sound.
9
Acoustic Considerations in Auditorium design:

Longer Reverberation Time for Low frequencies (the bass
problem):
This bass problem is a characteristic of the ear since the ear
shows progressively (increasingly) greater discrimination ‫ تميزز‬for
high frequencies .
This is one of the fundamental problems of auditorium acoustics .
This problem is partially overcome by designing the auditorium
so that its reverberation time for low frequencies is greater
than that for high frequencies . Actually, the longer
reverberation time for lows usually can be achieved, particularly
if a lot of wood is used in the construction since wood absorbs
high frequencies more than lows. However, some construction
types selectively absorb low frequencies and are to be avoided in
music Halls .Typical thin wood paneling on studs selectively
absorbs low frequencies and thus should be avoided in
auditoriums .
There are several other principles to consider. A few of the
more important considerations include reflections, loudness
(strength), clarity, warmth and intimacy.
 Reflections: Does the reflection of sound within the space

cause negative results such as an echo or a megaphone
effect? On the other hand, are reflective surfaces helping to
benefit sound distribution?
 Loudness: (strength): Is the volume of the sound loud
enough? Is it too loud? Alternatively, does it seem louder
than it would at the same distance outdoors?
10
 Clarity: Can I hear each of the various instruments clearly?

Can I understand what a solo vocalist; is singing, or what a
speaker is saying?
 Warmth: Is there a balance of sound throughout the various
frequencies? Or is the sound overpowered with too much
bass or too much treble?
 Intimacy: Do you feel like you are a part of the
performance? Alternatively, do you feel like the music or
speech is taking place in a separate environment?
How to Get Even Dispersion:
Sound is more pleasing if it is evenly dispersed, with no
prominent echoes, no significant "dead spots "or "live spots "in
the auditorium .This even dispersion is usually achieved by
avoiding any focusing surfaces and avoiding large flat areas
which reflect sound into the listing area .Sometimes it is
desirable to add some anti-focusing surfaces .
Reverberation time is affected by the size of the space and the
amount of reflective or absorptive surfaces within the space. A
space with highly absorptive surfaces will absorb the sound and
stop it from reflecting back into the space. This would yield a
space with a short reverberation time. Reflective surfaces will
reflect sound and will increase the reverberation time within a
space. In general, larger spaces have longer reverberation
times than smaller spaces. Therefore, a large space will
require more absorption to achieve the same reverberation
time as a smaller space.
Reverberation time can be calculated in the preliminary design
stage. This is very beneficial in determining how well a space
11
will function for its intended use and if more or less absorption is
needed within the space.
There are several formulas for calculating reverberation time, the
most common formula is the Sabine Formula, created by Wallace
Clement Sabine. The formula is based on the volume of the space
and the total amount of absorption within a space. The total
amount of absorption within a space is referred to as Sabin’s. It
is important to note that the absorption and surface area must be
considered for every material within a space in order to calculate
Sabin's.
Reverberation time can also be adjusted within an existing space.
Tests can be performed in a space to determine the existing
reverberation time. Absorptive materials can then be added to or
removed from a space to achieve the desired reverberation time.
Whenever possible it is highly advisable to consider
reverberation time and other aspects of acoustics in the design
stage. Making revisions to a space after the fact can be more
costly and compromise aesthetics.
12
Reverberation Time Calculations

The sabine’s equation:
The prediction of reverberation times in concert halls began with
the researches of Sabine 1900-1915 .His simple formula for
relating reverberation time directly to the volume of a room and
inversely to the absorbing power of the audience and other
surfaces and objects in the room has found widespread use.
Sabine found out, through systematic investigations, that the
reverberation time depended on the room volume and the
absorption characteristics of the room surfaces – and this became
the famous Sabine equation.
Where :
V is the volume, s is the area of wall element i
α is the absorption coefficient of wall element i.
13
The Erling equation:

Eyring discovered that the classical formula given by Sabine is
not fulfilled when there is considerable room absorption. Eyring
pointed out that Sabine’s formula is essentially a “live” room
formula and that the reverberation time is shape dependent. He
derived a form of the reverberation time equation, which is more
general than Sabine’s formula. Eyrling’s formula based on the
mean free path between reflections. The mean free path in an
enclosure characterized by a diffuse sound field is as follows:
In addition, the α, s are the sound absorption coefficients associated with

their corresponding areas.
Where: S = the total space surface area

∑ Si x αi= Α = the total surfaces absorption.
14
Solved Example 1:
A hall has the dimensions H, W, L equal 3× 6×10 m .The sound

absorption coefficient of walls is 0.05; the absorption coefficient of floor
material is 0.6, and the sound absorption coefficient of the ceiling is
0.15. All at 500 Hz. Calculate the average absorption coefficient of the
hall; also find the reverberation time using Sabin’s & Erling equations.
Assume there is no doors or windows.
Solution:
Hall dimension = 3 × 6 × 10 m
α1 of walls = 0.05 α2 of floor = 0.6 α3 of ceiling = 0.15
15
Solved example 2:
16
17
Solved example 3:
Reverberation Prediction
A room 8 m long, 4 m wide, and 2.8 m high contains four walls
faced with gypsum boards. The only exceptions to the wall area
are a glass window 1 m by 0.5 m and a Plywood - paneled door
2.2 m by 0.6 m. In addition the door has a gap underneath, 1.5
cm high. The ceiling is made of mineral wool tiles, and 180mm
air space, the floor is rubber floor tiles 6mm.
In order to estimate the reverberation time of the room at 500 Hz
we make use of the data in the Table . Predict the reverberation
time Rt .
Solution:
The absorption area (in m2) found as follows:
A = ΣSi αi = [2(8 × 2.8) + 2(4 × 2.8) − 2.2(0.6) − (0.015) (0.6) −
1.0(0.5)] × 0.05 + (2.2) (0.6) (0.2) + (0.015) (0.6) (1) + 1.0(0.5) (0.18) +
(4) (8) (0.83) + (4) (8) (0.1) = 33.391 m2.
Applying Sabin’s Equation:
Rt = 0.161 * Volume / Σα×s
Rt = 0.161 × (8 × 4 × 2.8) / 33.391 = 0.43 sec.
The gap at the bottom of the door is treated as a complete sound

absorber with a coefficient of unity. From the above estimated value of
the reverbration time of 0.43 s and a chamber volume of 89.6 m3, the
room may be suitable for use as a classroom.
18
Solved example 4:
A lecture hall has the dimension 10×15×30 m and a capacity of

800 audiences .The sound pressure level at 500 Hz when the hall
is empty is 90 dB . After the sound source was turned off, the
sound pressure level reduced to 70 dB after 0.4 seconds.
Calculate:
a- The reverberation time at 500 Hz.
b- Find the lowest resonance frequency.
c- What will be the reverberation time and the sound pressure
level when 600 audiences are present if the lecture hall chairs
type is Medium upholstered?
Table absorption coefficients of seating areas in concert halls for three

different degrees of upholstery,both empty and occupied.
Octave center 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000

frequency(Hz)
Heavily 0.70 0.76 0.81 0.84 0.84 0.81
upholstered chairs
unoccupied
Heavily 0.72 0.80 0.86 0.89 0.90 0.90
upholstered chairs
occupied
medium 0.54 0.62 0.68 0.70 0.68 0.66
upholstered chairs
unoccupied
Medium 0.62 0.72 0.80 0.83 0.84 0.85
upholstered chairs
occupied
Lightly 0.36 0.47 0.57 0.62 0.62 0.60
upholstered chairs
unoccupied
Lightly 0.51 0.64 0.75 0.80 0.82 0.83
upholstered chairs
occupied
19
Solution:
a- Since, Reverberation time is the time at which the SPL
decreases by 60 dB after turning off the source.
But SPL decreases in a time = 0.4 sec. by 90 – 70 = 20 dB.
To decrease the SPL by 60 dB, we need to terrible the time spent
to reach 20 dB.
RT = 0.4 × 3 =1.2 sec.
b) The lowest mode is the mode(1,0,0):
20
Solved example 5:
The noise level in an office is 72.5 dB. If the sum of the office surfaces sound
absorption units is 100 m2 . It is required to reduce the noise level to 62.3 dB
by using a sound absorption material with α = 0.86 . Find the required area
of this material.
21
22
Exercise 4:
1) The sketch shown

elevation section for an
orchestra shell at a
theatre is 40ft deep by
60 ft wide by 20 ft
high. The sides are
made of Brick painted,
top panels ceiling are
made of Metal deck 25 mm, and the stage floor is finished
with Marble. The 20 ft by 60 ft front end is completely open
to the large volume of the audience chamber. There is 2.2 ×
1.2 m door at right side wall. (All at 1000Hz)
Calculate:
i) The reverberation time within this shell. Use Sabin’s & Erling
equations.
ii) If a sound-absorbing tile, having a coefficient of 0.75 glued to
half-entire ceiling surface. What will be the reduced
reverberation time (Rt)? Use both Sabin’s & Erling equations.
23
2)A cinema hall with capacity of 1000 audience has the

dimensions of L×W×H = 45× 25×12m respectively .The walls
are painted, ceiling is a perforated aluminum strip, and floor is
covered with carpet .The hall has two doors each of 2×3 m; the
sound absorption coefficient of all materials Hall given the
following table. Calculate the RT for both 125 Hz & 2000 Hz,
when the hall occupied with 900 audience using both Sabin’s &
Erling.
Material Sound absorption coefficient

125 Hz 500 Hz
2000 Hz
0.01 0.2 0.04
Painted brick
Perforated aluminum strips 0.55 0.6 0.8
Carpet 0.18 0.4 0.5
Door 0.1 0.09 0.15
Sound absorption unit (m2)
Audience in seat 0.46 0.52 0.63
Seat 0.3 0.35 0.42
Calculate also the critical distance.
24
Exercise 5:
1- A coral hall has the dimension 8×16×32 m and a capacity

of 1200 audiences. The sound pressure level at 500 Hz
when the hall is empty is 90 dB. After the sound source
turned off, the sound pressure level reduced to 65 dB after
0.6 seconds.
a-Calculate reverberation time at 500 Hz.

b-Find the lowest resonance frequency.
c -What will be the reverberation time and the sound pressure
level when 950 audiences are present if the sound absorption unit
for each audience in chair is 0.6 m2 & the empty chair equal 0.4?
d-What will be the SPL in present of 1200 audiences?
e- Calculate the critical distance.
2- A lecture hall has the dimension 10×20×3 0 m and a capacity

of 800 audiences . The sound pressure level at 250 Hz when the
hall is empty is 85 dB. After the sound source turned off, the
sound pressure level reduced to 45 dB after 0.8 seconds.
a- Calculate reverberation time at 250 Hz, & what is the defect in

this hall.
b- What will be the reverberation time and the sound pressure
level when 500 audiences are present if the chairs type is heavily
upholstered? Find also RT using Erling equation for both cases.-
25
Absorption coefficients of common building materilas

finishes:
26
27
28
29
30

Technical Service Systems I (GSE366a) Acoustics and Illumination

Uploaded by

Document Informationclick to expand document information

Copyright:

Available Formats

Technical Service Systems I (GSE366a) Acoustics and Illumination

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Technical Service Systems I (GSE366a) Acoustics and Illumination

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

TECHNICAL SERVICE SYSTEMS I LECTURE 4

Technical service systems I (GSE366a)

Common acoustical terminology:

Diffuse sound field:

adjacent (receiving) room requiring that the source noise be

Definition of Reverberation Time (Rt60):

Reverberation time (RT60) is time it takes for the sound

The ideal range of reverberation time for different

Optimum RT for different types of halls:

.8 - 1.3 1.4 - 2.0 2.1 - 3.0 Optimum**

Speech Good Fair - Poor Unacceptable* 0.8 - 1.1

Auditorium RT(125Hz) RT(500 Hz) RT(2000 Hz)

Some desirable acoustic requirements and how to

The desired properties The parameters to achieve

Acoustic Considerations in Auditorium design:

 Reflections: Does the reflection of sound within the space

 Clarity: Can I hear each of the various instruments clearly?

Reverberation Time Calculations

The Erling equation:

In addition, the α, s are the sound absorption coefficients associated with

Where: S = the total space surface area

A hall has the dimensions H, W, L equal 3× 6×10 m .The sound

Applying Sabin’s Equation:

Rt = 0.161 * Volume / Σα×s

Rt = 0.161 × (8 × 4 × 2.8) / 33.391 = 0.43 sec.

The gap at the bottom of the door is treated as a complete sound

A lecture hall has the dimension 10×15×30 m and a capacity of

Table absorption coefficients of seating areas in concert halls for three

Octave center 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000

b) The lowest mode is the mode(1,0,0):

1) The sketch shown

2)A cinema hall with capacity of 1000 audience has the

Material Sound absorption coefficient

Calculate also the critical distance.

1- A coral hall has the dimension 8×16×32 m and a capacity

a-Calculate reverberation time at 500 Hz.

2- A lecture hall has the dimension 10×20×3 0 m and a capacity

a- Calculate reverberation time at 250 Hz, & what is the defect in

Absorption coefficients of common building materilas

You might also like