Architectural Acoustics

Lecture_9
4basic requirement` for good hearing

• The reason for considering the presence of sound in a building or in an external area is to
ensure that the space will enable occupants to perceive and understand sound.
• To create a building or an external area in which conditions for good hearing exist, four
requirements of the environment must be met which includes__

a) There must be a quiet background.

• Noise levels must be low enough so that they will not interfere with the hearing of useful
sounds.
• Establishing a permissible level for background noise requires thinking about a number of
factors_
• First_ what is the nature of the activity in which the occupant is engaged?
• Second_ how distant is the occupant from the sound source?
• Third_ what length of time does the occupant have to hear the sound?
• Forth_ what is the spectral character of the sound?
• Sounds that an occupant will wish to hear should substantially more powerful than any
noise that is present.
4basic requirement` for good hearing

b)The sound sources in the occupied space must be adequately loud.

• Thus any source of useful sound must generate sufficient energy so that a listener can easily
hear sounds emanating from the source.
• Of course, the source should not the too loud, making it offensive to the listener.
• To ensure that the source will be perceived as having adequate loudness, the source must
produce enough energy, the transmission path between the source and the receiver must
be unconstrained and as short as possible, and the listener should have a satisfactory
hearing capacity.
• If one of these three needs is likely to be unsatisfied, then one or both of the other needs may
require more enhancement.
4basic requirement` for good hearing

c) There must be good distribution of sound transmitted out from the

source and into the space.
• Basically to ensure that sound is well distributed in a space, sound energy should reach into all
occupied areas of the space.
• As many sources project sound energy directionally each source should be placed to ensure that
the direct sound will reach the listener via an uninterrupted line-of-sight.
• Additionally, to reinforce this direct sound, reflecting surfaces should guide some of the sound
energy towards the listener.
• The optimum sound energy distribution for any given space will depend on the activity for which
the space is used.
4basic requirement` for good hearing

d)There should be an appropriate separation of successive sounds,

and yet a proper blending of these sounds.
• A fundamental characteristic of sound is that it is temporal: sound exists across time.
• Further, sound will often change over time.
• Both speech and music has properties that distinguish it from other sounds.
• But these components also will have accustomed linkages to the other sounds ( established
either by tradition or by habituation).
• So, to hear speech or music and to understand either , a listener must be able to recognize the
message components separately and also to recognize how these components are associated with
one another.
• The specific physical features of a space should enhance the appropriate separation and
blending of these components.
 General vocabulary of noise
` control strategies

• When a building (or external) space is to be created and a noise source is expected to be present, a
number of procedures can employed to limit the loudness of the noise. These 9 procedures may be
applied singly or in combination.

First_
• Consider the noise source as the starting point of the problem, the easiest solution is simply to
eliminate the source or move it elsewhere.
• This step can be performed if the source is a nonessential device whose absence would not affect
whatever activity occurs in that space.
• For example, if the noise of a electric typewriter might intrude upon work activities in an office, then
removing the typewriter and setting it up in another space could offer quick solution.
 General vocabulary of noise
` control strategies

Second
• However if the source cannot be eliminated or moved, then the second noise control step could
be to improve its operation.
• If the noise source involves continuously moving parts that emit squeaks, rattles, whines or
knocks, then lubricating moving parts, replacing defective elements, or tightening loose components
may overcome its noisiness.
• With a typewriter, the principal noise created
results from a typing element striking the paper
held on the platen.
• To reduce this noise a moveable plastic cover
can be fitted over the cavity in which the platen
and typing element reside, keeping the noise
from reaching the surrounding environment.
 General vocabulary of noise
` control strategies

Third
• The third approach to noise reduction is to isolate a noise source by enclosing it.
• Using an enclosure to surround the source will reduce the amount of airborne noise energy that can
pass from the source to some nearby person.
• For example if a typewriter and its operator can be placed in a small fully enclosed office complete
with an operable door, then the noise that travels from the machine to other office workers can be
substantially reduced
 General vocabulary of noise
` control strategies
Forth
• To increase the amount of noise reduction that the enclosure will provide, a fourth step can be taken
is to apply absorbing materials to the inside surfaces of the enclosure.
• These materials will absorb some of the energy from the noise source, decreasing the amount of
noise that could pass beyond the enclosure.
General vocabulary of noise
` control strategies

Fifth
• A fifth noise control option involves the provision of an enclosure in which
occupants of a noisy space can enter to escape the noise.
• Thus, instead of building an enclosure to surround a single noisy source, here it is
suggested creating an enclosure that will essentially comprise a relatively ‘noise free’
zone.
• This latter approach is warranted when several noise source exist in a space and
constructing separate noise enclosure for each of these sources would be too costly.
• Rather supplying a single noise free shelter for the occupants would likely be a
much less expensive alternative.
 General vocabulary of noise
` control strategies

Sixth
• A six control procedure is the provision of absorbing materials in the spaces that the receiver
occupies.
• When a noise source is enclosed and the source from the receiver, placing absorbing materials in
the receiver’s space will reduce the amount of the noise energy reaching the receiver.
• Similarly when the source is enclosed and there is ready passage of airborne noise from the source
to the receiver, installing absorbing materials in the space can reduce the amount of noise energy
reaching the receiver.
• However enclosing the source and then placing the absorption in the space containing the receiver
will nearly always provide substantially better separation than if the source is left unenclosed and
absorption is placed on surfaces of the space which the source and the receiver share.
General vocabulary of noise
` control strategies

Seven
• A seven noise control strategy applies masking sound (or noise) to override the noise
from the source.
• The intent is to lessen the amount of noise energy emanating from source, rather to
make the source noise indistinguishable.
• Example of these procedure are often used in open-plan (or landscape) offices or
shopping centers.
• This technique is most suitably employed in spaces where a high background noise is
permissible and will not conflict with activities that commonly occur in these spaces.
 General vocabulary of noise
` control strategies

Eight
• An eight strategy for noise control involves the wearing of ear coverings or ear plugs by the receiver.
• In environments with high ambient noise levels, often it will be easier to treat the occupant(s) rather than
the noise sources or the environment.
• Such is often true in industrial plants where noise is a by-product of manufacturing
or other processes.
• In these settings, because noise will emanate from many sources that can not
all be individually or multiply enclosed, neither the source not the transmission
paths can be controlled.
• Hence workers are encouraged to wear hearing protectors.
• One problem _is speech communication between the workers.
 General vocabulary of noise
` control strategies

Nine
• The ninth and last strategy for providing noise control is to substantially increase the distance
between the source and a receiver.
• This technique is generally useful only in an open (or free) field, where enclosing surfaces will not
reflect sound waves (because the surfaces are widely separated).

• All of these nine control devices and strategies can be used singly or in various combinations.
General vocabulary of noise control strategies
General vocabulary of noise control strategies
General vocabulary of noise control strategies
General vocabulary of noise control strategies