2

AR-407
Building Services-III
Assignment-5

Submieed By-
Mohd Nazeef Khan
B.Arch. 4th Yezr(SFS)
2

Q .1 Explain with the help of diagram, absorption, reflection & transmission criteria of
sound?
Ans- Absorption
When a sound wave strikes one of the surfaces of a room, some of the sound energy is
reflected back into the room and some penetrates the surface. Parts of the sound wave
energy are absorbed by conversion to heat energy in the material, while the rest is
transmitted through. The level of energy converted to heat energy depends on the sound
absorbing properties of the material. absorption refers to the process by which a material,
structure, or object takes in sound energy when sound waves are encountered, as opposed
to reflecting the energy. Part of the absorbed energy is transformed into heat and part is
transmitted through the absorbing body. The energy transformed into heat is said to have
been 'lost'.

Reflection
As sound waves leave one medium and enter another, such as an air borne wave in a room
reaching a brick wall, the wave will undergo certain characteristics.  A portion of the wave
will attempt to pass through the medium, while the balance of the wave will reflect back off
the wall.   Sound Wave Reflection occurs with that portion of the energy that stays contained
to within the room.   Sound Transmission occurs with that portion of the energy that is able to
transmit through the wall.

Transmission
As a sound wave travels across a room and touches a wall, a reflective wave is produced
that will reintroduce a portion of that wave back into the room. The balance of the original
sound will attempt to pass through the wall to the adjoining room. The energy that survives
this transfer is called Sound Transmission. The energy that is returned to the original
medium is called Sound Reflection.
2
2

Q .2 Explain the terms?

a. Rarefaction
Ans When a slinky is jerked to and forth, two phenomena take place simultaneously.
First, the coils come closer to each other while; on the other hand; some of the
adjacent coils go farther from each other . when coils go farther from each other is
called rarefaction.

b. Decibel
Ans dB is a logarithmic value that expresses difference and not absolute values.
• A corresponding reference scale is required .
• For sound, sound-pressure level (SPL) is used as the reference scale (dB SPL) .
• The threshold of hearing (0 dB SPL) is used as the reference or zero point .

c. Reverberation
Ans The time it takes for reflected sound to die down by 60 decibels from the cessation
of the original sound signal (measured in seconds).

Reverberation is dependent only on the volume of a space and the acoustically absorptive
quality of the room’s finishes. Hard surfaced rooms will have a longer reverberation time
than rooms finished with sound absorbing materials.
d. Flanking
Ans Flanking sound (or flanking noise) is sound that transmits between spaces indirectly, going
over or around, rather than directly through the main separating element. This can allow sound to
transmit between spaces even though the main separating element itself
provides good insulation. A common example of flanking is sound transmitted between
2

two spaces through a floor void (or even a floating screed) that runs under the
separating partition, even though the partition provides good acoustic insulation preventing the
direct transmission of sound.

e. Transmission loss

Ans
When sound is transmitted from source or origin to the adjoining room/ area,
reduction in sound intensity takes place.
•This is known as transmission loss (TM)
•Measured in decibels (dB)
2

Q .3 Name any three acoustical materials for each of the following along with their
application and suitability .

a. FLOORING
1. Acoustical-Board:  acoustic flooring boards are used to reduce airborne and impact floor
sound through separating floors between adjacent properties such as houses, flats, offices,
etc.
acoustic boards are laid on top of existing timber floorboard construction in a staggered bond
pattern with all the joints glued. The perimeter is isolated using an isolated tape.

APPLICATION :
can be used as a Flooring Underlayment or as a Damping Layer between Studs and
Gypsum ,Schools, Apartments Buildings, Townhouses
2. VINYL TILE
especially luxury vinyl tile (LVT) installed with a sound-insulating underlayment, is a
great resilient flooring option used for sound treatment. It is selected by many
facilities due to its design versatility, durability and relatively low maintenance costs.

APPLICATION :use in commercial building such as industry , offices , shop etc.

3. WPC FLOORING
Although the ‘W’ in WPC stands for wood, this type of flooring doesn’t actually
contain wood in the traditional sense. It is, however, a composite material that is
made up of a combination of wood flour or fibers and heated thermoplastic resins.
Together, these materials surpass other conventional types of flooring pertaining to
care, durability, and water resistance. WPC is typically comprised of the following
four layers
2

APPLICATION : COMMERCIAL BUILDING

b. WALLS
1 . acoustic foam board : The acoustic tiles are offered in a large variety of patterns, designs,
colours and facings.
features
• No Fiberglass-Non-Fibrous
• Moisture Resistant-Indoor-Outdoor
• Impact Resistant
• Light Weight Ceiling Tiles

APPLICATION

Gymnasiums, Auditoriums, Classrooms, Swimming Pools, Ice Arenas, Clean Rooms, Food Processing
Plants, Food Prep Areas, Cafeterias & Restaurants etc.

acoustical blankets : These blankets are great for rooms where there are a lot of
hard surfaces without much furniture. When sound is able to freely bounce around
from floor to walls to ceiling and back, the sound is amplified by quite a lot.Adding a
soundproofing blanket to at least one of these hard surfaces will be almost like a
speedbump for the sound. It will slow it down by ensuring that it can’t bounce around
and get louder.

APPLICATION

Used as an economical, effective noise barrier and sound absorber to enclose many types of noise
sources or work areas. The curtains can be custom fabricated to almost any application. Can be used
in exterior applications, waste water treatment facilities, industrial, commercial & residential
applications.

4. panel absorber : referred to as “Membrane Absorbers”. Impervious material installed in a

solid backing but separated from it by an air space.  Unlike sound panel treatments, which are
designed to attack the “path” of reflecting sound waves inside a room, these sound blanket
systems are designed to attack the “source” of the original sound and literally “block” the
noise from releasing into the room.

APPLICATION : Auditoriums ,Bars and restaurants , Conference rooms , Gymnasiums ,

Home and office spaces , Hotels , Libraries , Museums , Schools , Studios , Theaters.

CEILINGS

acoustic board : Acoustic boards are sound absorbing panels placed on walls or ceilings to
control and reduce noise, eliminate slap echo and control comb filtering in a room. The objective is
to enhance the properties of sound by improving sound quality with sound absorbing panels.
APPLICATION
used in auditoriums, halls, seminar rooms, libraries, courts and wherever sound insulation is
needed. Acoustic boards are also used in speaker boxes.
2

acoustic hanger : a system of fiber-board panels that are wrapped with insulation and are
hung freely using wire or rope.
APPLICATION : auditorium , theatre , club etc.
acoustic tiles : Sound absorbing ceiling tiles are the most common. Absorptive Ceiling Tiles help
to reduce the reverberation reflecting within a space. Our selection of ceiling tiles provides higher
absorption ratings over traditional ceiling tiles to maximize sound control. Many of our ceiling tiles
are manufactured with a high-density fiberglass board

APPLICATION : widely used in Auditorium, Multiplexes, Home Theatre , Lecture Hall, Library,
Gymnasium, Hospital, School, Shopping centre , Office building, , IT Sector, Airports, Recording
Studio, Conference Hall, Lecturer Hall, , BPO’s, Offices etc.
2

Q .4 Explain with sketches – Echo, Dead Points, Sound foci, Sound Shadow, Long
Delayed Reflection
Ans ECHO

A repetition of sound produced by the reflection of sound waves from a wall, mountain, or
other obstructing surface.
An echo is a reflection of sound . typical examples are the echo produced by the bottom of a
wall , by a building , or by the walls of an enclosed room and an empty room .a true echo is a
single reflection of the sound source.

Dead Points

This defect is an outcome of the formation of sound foci. Because of high concentration of the
of reflected sound at spot foci, there is deficiency of reflected sound at some other points.
These points are known as dead spots, where sound intensity is so low that is insufficient for
hearing.
 This defect can be remove by Installation of suitable diffuser and reflectors so that
there is even distribution of the sound in the hall.

SOUND FOCI
2

Reflecting concave surfaces cause concentration of the reflected sound wave at certain spot,
creating a sound of large intensity. These spots are called sound foci.

SOUND SHADOW

The phenomenon caused by the obstruction or absorption of a sound wave by an object is its
path is called a sonic or sound shadow. This is perceived as a reduction in amplitude or volume.
The effect will be greatest when the sound source, the absorbing object and the person hearing
the sound are all aligned.
The sonic shadow is the region which does not receive the direct sound as the head is blocking
the vibration As humans are binaural (have two ears), the head creates a sonic shadow for the
ear further away from the sound source.

LONG DELAYED REFLECTION

Long delayed reflection comes from the back wall or side walls . it helps in reducing the noise
which is comes from exterior .the interior noise is unable to go outside.
2

Q .5 An auditorium is observed to have a Reverberation time of 2.0. Its dimensions are

7m X 15m X 30m. What is the average Absorptivity of the surfaces in the auditorium?
Ans reverberation time (RT) = 2s
Length = 7M
Breadth = 15M
Height = 30M
V = LXBXH = 7 X 15 X 30 = 3150
RT = 0.16 V/Se
2 = .16 x 7 x 15 x 30/total absorptivity
Total absorptivity = 252
2

Q .6 What is Architectural acoustics ? What are general Acoustical defects in a

Auditorium and what are its solutions explain with sketches?
Ans Architectural acoustics is the science of controlling sound inbuilding. Embraces all aspects
of acoustical design for all types of architectural spaces, in order to optimize environments for
many functions,including business, recreation, learning, worship, communication,broadcasting
and entertainment. The first application of architectural acoustics was in the design of : •Opera
houses •Concert halls •Auditoriums •Radio and television studios •Classrooms, etc

Acoustical defects in a auditorium are :

 Formation of echoes
 reverberation
 Sound foci
 Dead spots
 Insufficient loudness
 Exterior noise

Reverberation : it is the persistence of sound in the enclosed space , after the source of
sound has stopped.

Reverberant sound is the reflected sound , as a result of improper absorption. The

reverberation time can be controlled by the suitable choice of building materials and
furnishing materials.
to control reverberation, thx cover the rear wall of the auditorium with thick, absorptive material
which prevents the direct sound of the screen speakers from reflecting into the seating area. thx
also requires the placement of absorptive materials on the sidewalls, down to the audience’s ear
level which reduces sidewall reflections.
with acoustic panelling acoustic panelling controls reverberation, or echo effect, in a thx certified
cinema.
2

Without acoustic paneling sound bounces off the walls without acoustic paneling, interfering with
the movie’s soundtrack.
Formation of echoes : An echo is produced when the reflected sound wave reaches the ear
just when the original sound from the same source has been already heard.

 Thus there is repetition of sound.

 The sensation of sound persists for 1/10th of a second after the source has
ceased.
This defect can be removed by selecting proper shape of the hall .by providing rough and
porous interior surfaces to disperse the energy of echoes.

Sound foci : Some times shape of the hall makes sound waves to concentrate in some
particular areas of hall creating a sound of large quality.

this defects can be removed by ,

 Geometrical designed shapes of the interior , faces including ceilings
 Provided highly absorbent materials on focusing area .

Dead spots : This defect is the out come of formation of sound foci.
 Because of high concentration of reflected sound at sound foci , there is deficiency of
related sound at some other points.
 These spots are known as dead spots where sound intensity is so low that it is
insufficient for hearing.
2

This defect can be removed by suitably placing diffusers and reflectors.

 Right proportions of internal spaces.

this defects can be improved by
 Installation of suitable diffuser so that there is even distribution of sound in the audi .
Insufficient loudness : this defects can be removed by :

 Provide the hard reflecting surface near the source .

 By adjusting the absorption of the hall so as to get the optimum time of
reverberations
 When the length of the hall is more , it may be desirable to install a loudspeaker of
proper spaces .
Exterior noise : External noises from vehicles , traffic engines , factories , machines etc. may
enter the hall either through the openings or even through walls and other structural
elements having improper sound insulation.

this defect can be improved by :

 Proper planning of the hall with respect to the surrounding .

 Proper sound insulation of the exterior wall.
2

Q .7 How would you improve the general acoustics for a lecture room? Explain with
Sketches

Ans Sound must transfer from the lecturer to the student as be as strong as possible no
matter where the students are seated. Sound weakens as it travels in line with  the inverse
square law. This law states that “the intensity is reduced by a factor of four and the sound
level falls by 6 dB when the speaker to receiver distance is doubled”.
2

This is why distances between students and teachers should be kept short wherever
possible with no obstructions between them. Since sound that is heard by the student 50
milliseconds after the initial noise is made is likely to be disturbing, it’s vital to avoid
obstacles for the sound where ever possible.

lecture theatres, this can be managed by including acoustically absorbent materials  on the
2

rear walls to absorb the sound where late reflections are likely to take place. Lecture
theatres can also include control room windows to move reflections of sound away so that
students are free to learn.
Sound that’s focused by domes or barrel vaults can cause echoes and reflections as seen in
the image above .An acoustically well-designed room will maximise the levels of speech
intelligibility even if there are large numbers of students in the room. However, it may be
necessary to include speech reinforcement systems to improve the sound in certain cases,
such as when quieter speakers are carrying out classes or during student presentations.
These systems improve the volume of direct sound so that it can be easily heard by all,
especially those at the back without losing the natural flow of the lecturer’s speech. This
maximises speech intelligibility.

Loudspeakers can be distributed in the walls and ceiling at high levels such as along walls
and on columns. In large halls these speakers should have natural time delay considered
before they are installed so that distant receivers are factored into the layout. These may
require electronic compensation to adjust the output to be correct when sound is made.

Specialist acoustic consultants sound be consulted when designing sound reinforcement

systems because of the nature of the field. If the systems are incorrect for the space, there is
a risk that speech intelligibility will be hindered rather than helped.