ARCHITECTURAL

SERVICES

SUBMITTED BY :-
Pawan Sharma
SEM. : VIII SEC. : B
ROLL NO. : 1632781040
NOISE AND ITS REMEDIES FOR VARIOUS
BUILDINGS
 WHAT IS NOISE ?
Noise is unwanted sound judged to be unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing.
Noise is indistinguishable from sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air
or water.
The difference arises when the brain receives and perceives a sound.
Acoustic noise is any sound in the acoustic domain, either deliberate (e.g., music or speech)
or unintended.

SOURCES OF NOISE
The most common sources of noise in a building are :-
• Externally generated noise from outside the site such as traffic, trains, aeroplanes,
neighbours and schools.
• Externally generated noise from within the site such as wind on the building , rain on the
roof, heat pumps and water pumps.
• Internally generated noise such as loud conversations, washing machines, stereos,
televisions and air conditioners. Impact of noise through the structures such as
footsteps.
ACOUSTICAL TREATMENT FOR VARIOUS BUILDINGS
Different buildings have different design requirements according to its purpose and so
requires different acoustical treatments depending on the type of noise created and the
purpose of the building.
LECTURE HALLS
Acoustic considerations :-
• Speech intelligibility and rhetoric must be in focus in lecture halls.
• Ideal acoustic conditions are ensured by creating a sonorous room – a rich sound
environment with a hint of resonance.
• Furthermore, good sound diffusion is necessary in order to spread the consonants to the
audience.
Acoustic design :-
• Recommended reverberation time is 1 second.
• the NC level should not exceed 25 to 30.
• The front wall and ceilings can be reflective, enabling sound to reach everyone.
• Absorptive material on the back and side walls will help reduce the reverberation
time and unwanted reflections.
• If possible, try to avoid parallel surfaces, which can cause flutter echoes.
• Consider splaying or canting the sidewalls.
• Lecture halls must be fitted with sound reflecting elements above the speaker.
• In addition, it is important to enable the sound to be angled so that it can reach the
audience.
• The ceiling can be created as a separate shape that prevents the sound from
being reflected back to the speaker.
• Walls should have a Sound Transmission Coefficient (STC) rating of not less than
50.
• Walls must extend to the floor above or to the roof construction, and not stop at
the ceiling.
• Ceilings should be sloped or stepped and primarily of a hard surface.
• Acoustical treatment for the ceiling, if required, should be installed around the
perimeter of the sides and rear in the form of a ‘U’ with the front and middle
sections of hard surfaced , sound reflectant materials.
• Acoustical treatment normally will not exceed 40-50% of the ceiling surface.
• Partial wall-surface treatments should be considered as an alternative to ceiling
treatment.
• The back wall may need to be 50-100% covered with acoustical absorption
materials.
CLASSROOMS
Acoustic considerations :-
• in a class room, it is important to ensure good speech and listening comfort.
• the most important aspect in achieving listening comfort is the audibility and clarity of
consonants.
• this is due to the fact that comprehension of speech is dependent on consonants.
• in addition, interfering noise must be reduced so that it does not drown or ”mask” the
relevant sound.
• speech comfort is ensured by creating a sense of reverb in order for the rhetoric effects to
be used.
• if too much sound is absorbed, the rhetoric effects of the speech will disappear.
• if too little sound is absorbed, the noise will impede the listening comfort.
Acoustic design :-
• rectangular room, 50 to 70 m². ceiling height max. 3 m.
• room dimension may not be close to or exceed 1:2.
• Ceiling: Acoustic materials with sound absorbing and diffusing properties, as well as a
small amount of reflection. The acoustical tile should be arranged in the form of a ‘U’ around
the perimeter of the room , with the opening at the front and rest of the ceiling a hard
material such as gypsum board or plaster.
• Walls: Sound absorbing materials with diffusion characteristics. Walls must extend to the
floor above or to the roof construction, and not stop at the ceiling. Higher STC ratings and
special wall construction details must be included whenever classrooms are located to ,
adjacent, or below restrooms, mechanical rooms, elevator shafts, athletic facilities , or other
sources of high noise levels or where the classroom function generates a significant amount
of noise. Concrete masonry units may be used, but may have to be covered with another
finish in order to provide proper acoustical treatment. Sound levels as generated by
mechanical systems or other ambient noise measured at all points in a classroom at 4 feet
above the floor must have a Noise Criterion (NC) rating of not more than 35.
OPEN OFFICES
Acoustic considerations :-
• Open plan offices are best suitable for employees with related work
functions and the occupations requiring visual and verbal contact.
• The most important acoustic measure is sound separation.
• The interior fit-out plays therefore an important acoustic role.
• In addition, personal relations have a decisive influence of the
perception of sound versus noise.
• It is thus in some cases required to plan the fit-out on a more
individual level.
Acoustic design :-
• It is important to create discontinuous ceiling and wall surfaces, both
as structures, inclinations or curves.
• Hard surfaced elements that reflect sound should be avoided or equipped with sound
absorbers.
• Alternatively, the groups should be separated by room dividing elements, stretching
from the ceiling to the floor.
CONCERT HALLS
• The reverberation time will depend on what type of concert is performed.
• For classical or orchestral music, a higher reverberation time would be
appropriate (approximately 2 sec), for a rock concert, a lower reverberation
time would be appropriate (approximately 1 sec).
• It is vital to control the reflections from the back wall. If not, the presentation
could reflect off the back wall and "slap back" to the presenter(s). This won't
necessarily impact the audience, but could be disastrous and distracting for
the people on stage. Because of this, it's usually necessary to splay or tilt the
back wall to avoid slap back. A concave back wall could compound this
problem. If not, it's imperative that it be treated with absorptive material.
• Control the reverberation time on the stage. Ideally, the reverberation time in
the stage area should be the same as in the house. Since the stage area might
have a higher ceiling than the rest of the auditorium, more absorptive materials
might be required in this area. Frequently, the back wall of the stage, and
possibly one or two of the side walls, is treated with an acoustically absorptive
material, typically black in color.
• Beware of potential noise impact to your space from exterior sources and/or
excessive HVAC noise. In the design, the NC level should not exceed 25 to 35. When
specifying NC, specify an actual rating, such as NC 30, rather than a range, such as
NC 30-35. Although specifying a lower number will ensure minimal background noise,
it might be cost prohibitive to achieve.
CINEMA HALLS
• Recommended reverberation time: 0.8-1.2 seconds.
• Background noise levels should be kept to a minimum. Three primary potential noise sources
are mechanical equipment (HVAC), noise from adjacent theatres and lobby, and outdoor noise.
• HVAC noise, which is often overlooked, can negatively impact the usability of a space. To help
protect your design, the NC level should not exceed 30 to 35. When specifying NC, specify an
actual rating, such as NC 30, rather than a range, such as NC 30-35.
• Noise from the lobby area can be disruptive. Be sure openings such as doorways are properly
sealed. Consider a vestibule door system.
• Excessive room length should be avoided.
• Beware of potential outdoor noise impacting your space.
• A common, and often ineffective, practice is to use absorptive materials only on the back wall
of a cinema. Primary concern should be given to the audience. Although absorption on the
back wall might be necessary, the critical areas are the side walls. Walls, except possibly those
closest to the screen, should be absorptive.
AUDITORIUMS
• Recommended reverberation time is 1.0-1.5 seconds (might be higher for some
auditoriums).
• Although the seating area will provide absorption, thereby reducing the reverberation time,
absorptive materials are to be added to the other surfaces within the space.
• It is vital to control the reflections from the back wall. If not, the presentation could reflect
off the back wall and "slap back" to the presenter(s). This won't necessarily impact the
audience, but could be disastrous and distracting for the people on stage. Because of this,
it's usually necessary to treat the back wall with an absorptive material. A concave back
wall could compound this problem. If not, it's imperative that it be treated with absorptive
material.
• Splay or use irregular surfaces on the walls to avoid flutter echoes. Parallel reflective
surfaces can allow sound to "ricochet" back and forth between the surfaces. This
potentially annoying condition is referred to as standing wave or flutter echo. It is avoided
by constructing non-parallel surfaces or by adding absorptive materials to the surface(s).
• Control the reverberation time on the stage. Ideally, the reverberation time in
the stage area should be the same as in the house. Since the stage area might
have a higher ceiling than the rest of the auditorium, more absorptive
materials might be required in this area. Frequently, the back wall of the stage,
and possibly one or two of the side walls, is treated with an acoustically
absorptive material, typically black in color.
• Remember the space will be less absorptive when only half full, since the
audience itself is absorptive. By using absorptive seating areas, the
reverberation time will remain more consistent regardless of the audience size.
• Noise from the lobby area can be disruptive. Be sure openings such as
doorways are properly sealed. Consider a vestibule door system.
• Persons seated deep under a balcony might experience auditory distortion. To
avoid this, the balcony should be no deeper than twice its height. Ideally, the
balcony should not be any deeper than its height.
SEMINAR ROOMS
For Acoustic Treatment in conference halls and Seminar halls three basic
steps kept in mind.
1. Sound isolation to avoid noise disturbance and to achieve good speech
privacy.
2. Room finishes to create an acoustical environment conducive to
discussion over the length of long boardroom tables.
3. HVAC system noise control to reduce background noise and further
provide for discussions over those long tables.
A conference room is designed for two acoustic purposes:-
• Confine sound within the walls so people on the outside cannot hear what is
said inside.
• Create a good environment for conversations, both those made within and
those made through a speakerphone or similar.
This means that the walls are thick and rigid – not letting much sound through
and thus the sound is trapped inside in the form of echoes or reverberations.
• These echoes pollute the acoustic environment on the inside and must
therefore be eliminated – something which is best done by sound absorption.
• Since the conversation that created these echoes consists of both high and
low frequencies then the echoes also consists of both high and low frequencies.
• Because of this both high and low frequencies alike need to be removed, or
absorbed, and preferably equally much of each.
• Aim for having at least 15% of the wall surface covered with panels for the
best result (if there are no other acoustic improvements).
• The best way is to either have them on all walls or on two walls out of four -
this way there is no room for echoes to bounce back and forth.
 RESIDENCES
SOURCES OF NOICE :- Noise transmission through floor/ceiling assemblies,
adjacent party walls between neighbouring units or windows.
MEASURES :- There are two methods that can readily be employed to
reduce the noise penetration to outdoor amenity spaces.
1. Construction of a barrier to the noise at a logical location relative to the
space being protected. For example a solid fence around a yard or a
solid one side gazebo to protect patio etc.
2. Local application of sound absorbing surfaces can be used to reduce
outdoor noise. This involves installation of an acoustical panel to absorb
sound that might otherwise be reflected back to the listener. Typically,
the only outdoor surface that can be treated are the soffits of any roof
overhangs extending over a patio or balcony.
 HOTELS
SOURCES OF NOISE :- There are various possible sources of noise in hotel rooms. These
include noise and vibrations from nightclubs and bars within the hotel; noise from nearby
restaurants; noise from guests in adjacent rooms such as excessive snoring and overly
loud televisions; noise disturbances and footsteps in corridors; external noise from roads,
rail and traffic outside the hotel; and air-conditioning noise and vibration.

MEASURES :- Some effective methods to reducing noise in hotels include:

• Insulate walls and floors better
• Install noise dampening wall panels and ceilings tiles
• Make use of soundproof windows and curtains
• Install doors that don't slam loudly
• Using resilient channel in walls to improve sound isolation. If there are items such as
headboards and artwork mounted against the walls however, this will be less effective,
requiring other measures such as increased mass, increased air space and double or
staggered stud walls.
• Sealing all air gaps and wall perimeters with an acoustic sealant.
• Avoiding the placement of back-to-back outlets in party walls. If unavoidable, putty pads should be installed
at the back of the outlets.
• Isolating all elevator infrastructure from the building structure.
• Using double-glazed windows to block out exterior noise.
• Planning spaces effectively (eg. No guest rooms under function rooms).

HOSPITALS
SOURCES OF NOISE :- Overhead pagers, cell phones and telephones, human speech, medical equipment's,
squeaky carts, clattering trays, patient noise, caregiver speech etc.
MEASURES :-
 OFFICES
SOURCES OF NOISE :- The main sources of noise can be categorized as
follows :-
a) Ambient background noise
b) Noise from external sources; and
c) Occupational noise.

The sources of office occupational noise include:

a) Conversations in adjacent offices;
b) Typewriters;
c) Office machines;
d) Footsteps, voices, slamming of doors in corridors, etc.;
e) Telephone conversations; and
f) Heating and ventilating plant.
1. Windows – In terms of outdoor noise, windows are the acoustical weak link in the
building envelope. In settings where outdoor noise is an issue, their placement, number,
confi- guration, and operability must all be considered for noise management. sound-
insulating windows

1. Ducts – Most ducts transmit sound very effectively, so their layout—particularly of

return ducts—can affect speech privacy. Sound attenuation boxes can be placed
behind return grilles, reducing sound transmission without affecting airfl ow. Acoustic
consultants like to use mineral fiberboard for both ducts and sound attenuation boxes
because of their sound-absorbing properties, but this preference must be balanced
against indoor-air-quality considerations of these materials.

2. Walls – Full-height walls for private offi ces need to block sound, so the Sound
Transmission Class rating of the wall is paramount. Bear in mind that the real sound-
blocking ability of a wall assembly will only be as good as the weakest component.
The contribution to sound transmission of even small gaps is significant, and the
airtightness of an enclosed room for sound control must often be balanced against air-
quality concerns.

3. Flanking Paths – Staggered electrical outlets, depicted here, represent just one of
many room details that deal with flanking paths in sound transmission. The greater the
need for sound control or privacy, the more attention must be paid to all pathways of
sound transmission. Another common flanking path is controlled in this room with
ceiling gypsum wallboard mounted on steel resilient channel (in lieu of a ceiling tile
system in common with the rest of the office).
5.Office Machinery – The location, degree of enclosure, and noise rating of the equipment all affect
office noise levels. Relying on office equipment and machinery to mask speech is problematic
because of the inexact match of frequencies and the equipment’s intermittent operation (particularly
Energy Star™ equipment that partially shuts down).

6.Layout – The location of specific work activities, direction of an occupant’s activity in relation to
barriers, distance between work stations, and even location of a water cooler can affect ambient noise
levels, the intelligibility of conversations, and ultimately office productivity. In large buildings with
several floors and widely varying uses or levels of noise production, structure-borne sound
transmission must be added to airborne considerations.

7.Floor coverings – Commercial floor coverings do little to control airborne sound but are effective in
reducing structure-borne sound. A carpet pad further reduces structure-borne and impact noise but
has almost no effect on airborne sound. Note that structure-borne sound transmission could be
reduced by the raised floor system depicted here if an appropriate mounting system is utilized.

8.Ceilings – Sound absorption is the most important acoustical property of ceiling materials, as
represented by the Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) rating. Ceiling tiles or other ceiling surfaces with
an NRC of 0.9 or higher represent highly absorptive material.

9.Sound-Masking System – In an open office floor plan, a Room Criteria of between 35 and 45 dB will
render most speech unintelligible. Active sound-masking systems achieve this level of unobtrusive
background noise with just the right combination of frequencies and lack of pattern. Active sound-
masking systems typically consist of an array of speakers mounted just above the ceiling grid facing
up so that sound is refl ected off the surface above.
10. Panel Partitions – This is typically the least important component of good office
acoustics but the one most often discussed. A good panel (one with adequate NRC and
STC ratings) can at best fine-tune overall office performance, but only when used in the
right configuration—at least 5 feet (1.5 m) in height and no more than 3 inches (76 mm) off
the floor. Bear in mind that materials covering the panel’s surface significantly affect its
acoustical performance and that other design and material features of the space are
almost certain to dominate the space’s acoustic performance.
CONSTRUCTIONAL MEASURES FOR
SOUND INSULATION OF BUILDING
 CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS FOR SOUND INSULATION
There are a number of specialty materials available for sound control. 
These are designed to provide strategic advantages over traditional
materials, and are designed for use in situations where controlling sound or
noise levels is of great concern. Many of these materials can be used during
an initial build or installed at a later date, if the situation necessitates it.
Some common examples are listed here:-
 MINERAL-FIBER INSULATION :- It is a special, denser type of insulation
that can be used to improve a room’s level of soundproofing. Its density is
much higher compared to traditional fiberglass insulation, which makes it
far more effective at stopping the transmission of sound from one room
to another. Mineral-fiber insulation also has a much higher burning point
than standard fiberglass insulation, as well as a lower rate of moisture
absorption.
 RESILIENT CHANNELS :- These are pieces of metal made in a special shape that
gypsum board or any type of drywall can be attached to in order to minimize sound
transmission.  One side of the resilient channel is attached to the stud, and the drywall
is attached to the other side.  Drywall that is isolated from framing in this manner will
transmit far less sound than drywall mounted directly to studs.
 DENSE VINYL SOUND BARRIER :- Sheets of these barriers are available for covering flat
surfaces. The sheets are flame-retardant, and easy to install with plastic-cap nails
or staples, or one can use trowel-applied, multi-purpose vinyl flooring adhesive.  They are
also available with an adhesive backing for even easier installation.  These coverings
are safe, inexpensive, and easy to work with.  They can be cut with a standard utility
knife or scissors.
 CONSTRUCTIONAL MEASURES FOR SOUND INSULATION

1. WALLS AND PARTITIONS

2. FLOORS AND CEILINGS
3. WINDOWS AND DOORS
4. INSULATING SANITARY FITTINGS
5. MACHINE MOUNTING OR
INSULATION OF MACHINERY
HOLLOW MASONARY WALL CONSTRUCTION
Use of cavity partitions reduce the level of sound entering from the one side to the other.
A cavity wall is composed of two or more layers separated by an airspace. The airspace
makes a more effective sound insulator than a single wall of equal weight, leading to cost
savings.
Increasing the width of the airspace results in wall acting as an effective sound insulator.
A three-inch airspace provides significant noise reduction, but increasing the spacing to
six inches can reduce noise levels by an additional 5 dBA. Extremely wide air spaces are
difficult to design.
COMPOSITE MASONARY WALL CONSTRUCTION

These type of construction increase the mass

and stiffness of the wall.
In general, the denser the wall material, the
more it will reduce noise. Thus, concrete walls
are better insulators than wood walls of equal
thickness. Increasing the thickness of a wall is
another way to increase mass and improve
sound insulation. Doubling the thickness of a
partition can result in as much as a 6 dB
reduction in sound.
 However, the costs of construction tend to
limit the feasibility of large increases in wall
mass.
The relative stiffness of the wall material can
influence its sound attenuation value. Care
must be taken to avoid wall constructions that
can vibrate at audible frequencies and
transmit exterior sounds.
 FLOORS AND CEILINGS :-

The objective of floors and ceilings construction should be to offer adequate insulation
against impact sound.
The objective can be met by the following constructional measures :-

 USE OF RESILIENT SURFACE MATERIAL ON FLOORS :-

By this method, insulation against impact noises to an extent of 5 to 10dB over a bare
concrete floors can be obtained.

 PROVIDING A FLOATING FLOOR CONSTRUCTION :-

The principle underlying the construction of a floating floor is its insulation from any other
part of structure.
Floating floor construction can be adopted for both CONCRETE as well as WOODEN floor.
 CONCRETE FLOOR
It is of five types :-
a. Concrete Floor with Floating Concrete Screed.
b. Concrete Floating Wood Raft.
c. Concrete Floor with Suspended Ceiling and Soft Floor Finish or
Covering.
d. Concrete Floor with Light Weight Concrete Screed and Soft Floor Finish
or covering.
e. Heavy Concrete Floor With a soft Floor Finish or Covering.
 WOODEN FLOOR
It is of two types :-
Type 1. When Supporting walls are 10cm thick or less.
Type 2. When Supporting Walls are 20cm thick or more.
We can also use of Suspended-ceiling with Air- space.
 INTERIOR SPACES
Overall interior noise levels can be reduced by the extensive use of thick, heavy carpeting,
drapes, wall hangings, and acoustical ceiling tiles.
These materials absorb sound. They cannot prevent noise from coming through the walls,
but they can reduce overall sound levels by reducing sound reverberations.
 DOORS :- Acoustically, doors are even weaker than windows, and more difficult to treat.
Any door will reduce the insulation value of the surrounding wall.
To strengthen a door against noise, the hollow core door can be replaced by a heavier solid
core door that is well sealed and is relatively inexpensive.
An increased sound insulation value can be achieved if gasketed stops or drop bar
threshold closers are installed at the bottom edge of the door.
The alternative solution to doors is to eliminate them whenever possible from the severely
impacted walls and place them in more shielded walls.
 WINDOWS :- The first step in reducing unwanted sound is to close and
seal the windows. The greatest amount of sound insulation can be
achieved if windows are permanently sealed.
The smaller the windows, the greater the transmission loss of the total
partition of which the window is a part. Reducing the window size is a
technique that is used because (a) it precludes the cost of expensive
acoustical windows, and (b) it saves money by cutting down the use of glass.
If ordinary windows are insufficient in reducing noise impacts in spite of
sealing techniques, then thicker glass can be installed. In addition, this glass
can be laminated with a tough transparent plastic which is both noise and
shatter resistant.
To further insure isolation of noise between double-glazed panes, the panes
could be of different thicknesses, different weights, and slightly non-parallel
to each other. This prevents acoustical coupling and resonance of sound
waves.
 INSULATING SANITARY FITTINGS :- For improved insulation, water-closets should not
be fixed above a living room or next to a bed room unless the latter is well-insulated, as
for example by cup-boards etc.
 MACHINE MOUNTINGS OR INSULATION OF MACHINERY :- The machines or
mechanical equipment create vibrations is an adjoining building and are transmitted
further away as structure-borne sound, the machines should be insulated by resting
them on resilient supports or mountings such as steel springs, rubber, cork etc.
BUILDING ORIENTATION
The orientation of buildings or activities on a site affects the impact of noise, and the
building or activity area may be oriented in such a way as to reduce this impact.
Noise impacts can be severe for rooms facing the roadway since they are closest to the
noise source. The noise impact may also be great for rooms perpendicular to the roadway
because because a) the noise pattern can be more annoying in perpendicular rooms and b)
windows on perpendicular walls do not reduce noise as effectively as those on parallel
walls because of the angle of the sound.
Road noise can be more annoying in perpendicular rooms because it is more extreme when
it suddenly comes in and out of earshot as the traffic passes around the side of the building,
rather than rising and falling in a continuous sound, as it would if the room were parallel to
passing vehicles.
Whether the noise impact is greater on the perpendicular or the parallel wall will depend on
the specific individual conditions. Once the most severely impacted wall or walls are
determined, noise impacts may be minimized by reducing or eliminating windows from
these walls.

PARKING GARAGE TO
SHEILD RESIDENTIAL AREA
 PROPERTIES OF GOOD ACOUSTICAL MATERIALS
According to classic acoustics theory there are five requirements which,
when met, result in good acoustics:

1. APPROPRIATE REVERBERATION TIME :- It depends on the size of the

room. W. Furrer’s recommendations can be used in rooms which are
between 200 and 20,000 cubic meters. Unless it concerns a concert hall
for classical music, the reverberation time must in so as far as possible
be the same throughout the entire frequency range.
2. UNIFORM SOUND DISTRIBUTION :- It is important in large rooms and
halls, where the sound must be able to be heard equally well everywhere.
It is important to take sound distribution into account in the architecture.
A variation of max. ±5 db anywhere in the room is an appropriate
requirement.
3. APPROPRIATE SOUND LEVEL :- For normal conversation is 60-65 db, and
in a busy street 70-85 db. In large gatherings, a public address system in
a dampened room can be used to ensure an appropriate sound level.
4. NO ECHO OR FLUTTER ECHOES :- It must occur for the acoustics to be
good. It is easy to prevent echo by installing a little sound-absorbing
material on the wall. 
5. Appropriate, low background noise is one of the most important
acoustic criteria – especially in concert halls and theatres. In a room,
the background noise may come from technical installations or
ventilation systems.
In addition, ensuring that the sound field in the room is diffuse is another
fundamental rule. This can be achieved by distributing the sound absorbers
on several non-parallel surfaces, by avoiding spherical, cuboid or cylinder
shapes in for the room and by using as many sound-spreading elements as
possible. In addition, it must be ensured that control rooms, listening rooms
and cinemas in particular are built up symmetrically around a vertical plane
bisecting the central space.