Architectural Acoustics

Lecture_o8
 Means of noise control

• For the point of view of a building which is to be designed, it is useful to distinguish_

a. External Noises
b. Internal Noises

For external noise

• Against external noise the following means of protection are available to the designer_
1. Distance
2. Avoiding zones of directional sound
3. Screening
4. Planning: using non noise-sensitive parts of the building as barriers
5. Positioning of openings away from the noise source
6. Noise insulating building envelope
For internal noise

• Against noises generated within building the designer can take the following steps_
1. Reduction at source
2. Enclosing and isolating the source, or use of absorbent screens.
3. Planning: separating noisy spaces from quiet ones, placing indifferent areas in between.
4. Placing noisy equipment in the most massive part of the building (could be in the
basement)
5. Reduce impact of noises by covering surfaces with resilient materials.
6. Reduce noises in the space where it is generated by absorbent.
7. Reduce airborne sound transmission by airtight and noise insulating construction.
8. Reduce structureborne sound transmission by discontinuity.
 Distance

• If a site is given, on which the positioning of a building is subject to the designer’s choice and there
is a noise source to one side of the site (e.g. a busy road), it will be advisable to place the building as
far from the noise source as possible.
• As we already know, that every doubling the distance will reduce the noise level by 6dB.
• For example, if 65dB is measured at the boundary, 5m from the centre of the road (the road), it will
reduce to __
• 59dB at 10m
• 53dB at 20m
• 47dB at 40m

• Which is quite acceptable even in residential area.

 Avoiding directional sound source

• Some source are strongly directional.

• It may occur that there is a band of
maximum noise across the site,
(particularly if it is a large site), either due
to such directional sources or to the
funneling effect of local topography.
• Its existence can be discovered by a
‘noise climate’ survey of the site.
• Building should be placed away from
such noise bands.
 Screening
• The screening effect of walls, fences plantation
belts, etc can be utilized to reduce the noise
reaching the building.
• These should be positioned in such a way as to fit
in with any advantageous effects of local
topography.
• As a general rule it can be established that a
given barrier will be__
1. Most effective when it is as near to
the source as possible.
2. the second best position would be
near the building which is to be protected.
3. it would be least effective half a way
between the source and the building.
• Screening can rarely be relied on as a positive
means of noise protection but it will help to
ameliorate (make better) an otherwise critical
situation.
Screening

• Broken line indicates the same degree of diffraction.

• Best position for barrier: nearest to the source
• Worst position: half-way between source and listener.
Types of Measurement
Planning
• External noises can be controlled by planning in two ways__

•Separating areas which are not noise sensitive, where noise would not cause
a disturbance, and placing them on the side of the building (possibly in the separate block
or wing) nearest to the noise source.
•Thus the areas of block would provide screening and protection to be more critical
areas.

•Positioning or orienting the major openings away from the noise source.
•Usually in the external envelope of a building the openings (doors and particularly
b
windows) are the weakest points for noise penetration.
•So it is logical to place them in the least exposed positions
•Furthermore the plan shape can be so adjusted as to provide protection or screening
from the sides.
•Possibly special elements( wing-walls and screens) can be introduced to provide
additional sideways protection.
Noise reduction at source
• Airborne sound emitted by a source can be tackled most readily near the source.
• It the actual situation permits this, the source could be surrounded or covered by an insulating
enclosure, e.g. a machine could be covered by a box.
• The box should be of massive construction, with absorbent lining on the inside, to prevent the
build-up of reverberant noise level.
• It could be removable for access to the machine, or if larger, it could be door.
• It usage of machine does not permit enclosure and a simple screen may reduce the noise
emission.
Reduction within a space
• Noise in the space where the source is located can be divided into two components__
Direct noise
Reverberant noise
• Direct noise can be reduced by__
• placing a screen between the source and the listener.
• The closer the screen is to the source, the better the result will be.
• Reverberant cant be reduced by using absorbent materials on critical surface of the room.
• Absorbent qualities of different materials vary with the frequency.
• Four basic type of absorbent can be distinguished_
1. Porous absorbents_ best in the higher frequencies
2. Membrane absorbents_ best in low frequencies
3. Resonant absorbers_ can be tuned to a very narrow band of any frequencies
4. Perforated panel absorbents_ a combination of resonant and porous absorbers, best in
medium frequencies, can be tuned to some extent by variation of hole size, shape and
spacing and of backing material and space.