Architectural Acoustics

Building Utilities 3 – Acoustics and Lighting

Systems (Topic 3)
• HOW MAN HEARS SOUND
• DIRECTIONALITY OF SOUND SOURCES
• TYPES AND CLASSIFICATION OF SOUND
• RAY DIAGRAM AND SOUND PATHS

CONTENT OF TOPIC 3
• The hearing mechanism of man is divided in 3 parts:
1. External Ear
2. Middle Ear
3. Inner Ear

“HOW MAN HEARS SOUND”

1. External Ear – It
consist of an external
appendage, called the
pinna, and the ear
canal, which is closed
at the inner end by
the eardrum. The
outer ear is funnel
shaped and serves as
a sound gathering
input terminal to the
auditory system.
Sound Energy travels
through the auditory
canal (outer ear) and
sets in motion the
components of the
middle ear.

“HOW MAN HEARS SOUND”

2. Middle Ear – It
contains three tiny
bones or ossides
which transmits
vibration from the
eardrum to the inner
ear. These are the
hammer, anvil, and
stirrup, which
constitute a level
mechanism that
communicates the
vibration of the
drum to the entrance
of the inner ear.

“HOW MAN HEARS SOUND”

3. Inner Ear – The
inner contains fluids
and has two distinct
functions: 1.) the
maintenance of body
equilibrium,
accomplished by the
vetibular portion of
the ear, which is
made up principally
of three semicircular
canals; and 2.) the
perception of sound,
which is
accomplished by the
“cochlea” and its
associated apparatus.

“HOW MAN HEARS SOUND”

The cochlea is where
frequency recognition
is accomplished by
basilar membrane.
This membrane
resonates at one end at
about 20 Hz and the
other at 20 KHz,
giving the ear its
frequency range.

“HOW MAN HEARS SOUND”

• An important characteristic of a sound source is its
directionality, it is the way in which it distributes sound
in a region free from reflecting surfaces. For good
listening conditions, this characteristics must receive
special consideration in the placement of loudspeakers in
all sound-amplification systems.

Directionality of Sound
Sources
• Design Tip:
In order to predict and control the behaviour of
speech and music in auditoriums, theatres, music rooms,
and the like, it is necessary to know the physical properties
of speech and music.
The physical properties of speech differ
considerably from those of music; hence, it is to be
expected that the acoustical properties of speech rooms
should differ from those of music rooms.

Directionality of Sound
Sources
Types of Sound
1.) Speech 2.) Music 3.) Noise

Classification of Sound
1. Ordered Sound – a sound that follows a regular pattern.
2. Disordered Sound – irregular pattern, ex. Street noise

Types & Classifcation of

Sound
• Ideally, every listener in a lecture hall, theatre, or concert
hall should hear the speaker or performer with the same
degree of loudness and clarity.
• Since this is obviously impossible by direct path sound,
the essential design task is to plan methods for
reinforcing desirable reflections and minimizing and
controlling undesirable ones.

Ray Diagrams and Sound

Paths
a. Reflections – These occurs when sound hits a surface
that is neither predominantly absorptive nor sound
transparent at the specific frequency.

Ray Diagrams and Sound

Paths
b. Specular Reflections
– It occurs when
sound reflects off a
hard polished surface.
In ancient Greek and
Roman theaters, seats
were arranged on a
steep, conical surface
around the performer.

Ray Diagrams and Sound

Paths
c. Ray Diagrams – It is
a design procedure
for analysing
reflected sound
distribution
throughout a hall,
using the first
reflection only.

Ray Diagrams and Sound

Paths
d. Echoes/Reverberation – A clear echo is caused when
reflected sound at sufficient intensity reaches a listener
approximately 70 m/sec. This occurs whenever the
reflected sound path is more than 70 feet longer that the
direct path.

Ray Diagrams and Sound

Paths
e. Flutter – A flutter is
perceived as a
buzzing or clicking
sound, and it is
comprised of repeated
echoes traversing
back and forth
between two non-
absorbing parallel
(flat or concave)
surfaces.

Ray Diagrams and Sound

Paths
f. Focusing – Concave
domes, vaults, or wall
focus reflected sound
into certain areas of
rooms. This has
several disadvantages,
for example, it will
deprive some
reflection and cause
hot spots at other
audience positions.

Ray Diagrams and Sound

Paths
g. Diffusion – This is the
converse of focusing and
occurs primarily when
sound is reflected from
convex surfaces. A
diffusive surface does not
directly absorb or reflect
sound, but scatters it in
many directions. Recent
diffusor designs use
irregular surfaces based
on mathematical number
theory.

Ray Diagrams and Sound

Paths
• Creep – This
describes the
reflection of sound
along a curved
surface from a source
near the surface.