ROOM

ACOUSTICS

AR. PPANGILINAN
ROOM ACOUSTICS

an important aspect of architecture that

deals with the behavior of sound within
enclosed spaces

Wallace Sabine, the father of architectural

acoustics, is an American physicist who
conducted extensive research on the
acoustics of concert halls in the early 20th
century. He laid the foundation for modern-
day room acoustics and introduced the
concept of the reverberation time.
 CONTENT
01 SOUND REFLECTION

02 SOUND ABSORPTION

03 ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT

04 RESONANCE

05 SOUND TRANSMISSION

06 REVERBERATION TIME (RT60)

07 ACOUSTIC SOFTWARE
 REACTION OF SOUND TO SURFACES
Reflection Absorption Transmission
■ occurs when sound ■ occurs when sound waves are absorbed ■ occurs when sound
waves bounce off by surfaces such as carpets, curtains, and waves pass through
surfaces such as walls, acoustic panels surfaces such as
floors, and ceilings
windows and doors
■ This is the desired effect on noise or
unwanted sound
 SOUND REFLECTION

Surface Reaction When sound encounters a surface, such as a wall or

ceiling, some sound waves bounce off the surface and
travel back toward the source of the sound. This process is
known as reflection.
When a sound wave encounters a surface, some of the
energy from the wave is absorbed by the surface, while
some of the energy is reflected back into the room.

Sound Direction
The angle of reflection depends on the angle of
incidence, or the angle at which the sound wave hits the
surface.
The angle of incidence and the angle of reflection are
equal and opposite to each other, according to the law
of reflection.
 MATERIALS THAT REFLECT SOUND

concrete, steel/iron, parabolic disc,

masonry, aluminum, acoustic
marble, stainless mirrors,
glass steel ceiling clouds

Hard & Smooth Metal Surfaces Acoustic

Surfaces Reflectors
ACOUSTIC REFLECTORS
 SOUND ABSORPTION

Surface Absorption When sound waves encounter a surface, some of the

energy from the wave is absorbed by the surface.
It occurs when sound waves are converted into heat
energy as they interact with material.
The amount of absorption that occurs depends on the
characteristics of the material, such as its density,
porosity, and surface area..

When sound waves pass through a porous material, they Sound Dissipation
encounter a large number of small air pockets within
the material.
As the sound waves pass through these air pockets, the
friction between the air molecules and the fibers of the
material causes the sound waves to lose energy and
dissipate as heat.
 MATERIALS THAT ABSORB SOUND

fiberglass slotted,
carpets,
insulation, curved,
drapes, diffractal,
foam mineral
wool random

Soft & Porous Sound Diffusion Panels

Material Insulation
DIFFUSION PANELS
 ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT
absorption coefficient (a) =
sabins (unit)
The absorption coefficient of a
room is expressed as a fraction
between 0 and 1. unit = sabins
Absorption coefficient of 1
absorbs all sound energy;
Absorption coefficient of 0
reflects all sound energy.
It is calculated by comparing
sound energy absorbed versus
sound energy reflected by a
room's surfaces.
This involves playing a short burst
of sound in the room and
measuring how long it takes for
the sound to decay to a certain
level.
 THE SABINE FORMULA
■ The Sabine formula is
commonly used to calculate
the absorption coefficient of a
room based on the measured
reverberation time

■ WHERE:
A - total absorption coefficient of a room (expressed in sabins)
V - total volume of room (LxWxHt)
T - measured reverberation time
S - total surface area of room (floors + wall + ceiling)
 THE SABINE FORMULA
■ SAMPLE COMPUTATION:
Problem: A rectangular conference room has dimensions of 5 X 8 X 3 meters
(height). The room is furnished with carpeted floors, acoustic ceiling tiles, and
gypsum wallboard. A reverberation time measurement was taken, and the
resulting decay curve showed a reverberation time of 0.5 seconds. Calculate the
average absorption coefficient of the room.

■ WHERE:
A - total absorption coefficient of a
room (expressed in sabins)
V - total volume of room (LxWxHt)
T - measured reverberation time
S - total surface area of room (floors +
wall + ceiling)
 THE SABINE FORMULA
■ SAMPLE COMPUTATION:
Solution:
The total surface area of the room (S) can be calculated by adding up the
surface areas of each wall and the ceiling:

S = 2(5 x 3) + 2(8 x 3) + 5 x 8 = 94 sqm.

Substituting the values into the formula, we get:

A = (0.161 * 120) / (0.5 * 94) A = 0.427

Therefore, the average absorption coefficient of the conference room is 0.427.

This value indicates that about 43% of the sound energy that enters the room is
absorbed by the surfaces in the room.
 RESONANCE

When a material vibrates at a frequency that

matches the frequency of the sound wave, the
energy from the wave is transferred to the
material, causing it to vibrate as well.
This vibration causes the sound energy to be
dissipated as heat within the material.
Resonance can happen when a sound wave
encounters a hollow object, such as a guitar or
a room, which has a resonant frequency
determined by its size and shape.
Resonance can also occur in closed spaces,
such as rooms or chambers, where sound waves
bounce off the walls and interact with each
other.
 RESONANT FREQUENCIES OF
OBJECTS

Open E - 82 hZ
566 Hz Snare - 200 Hz
Bass - 50Hz High E - 330 Hz

WINE GLASS DRUMHEAD GUITAR STRING

 SOUND TRANSMISSION

Through a Barrier
the process by which sound waves travel from one
space to another through a physical barrier, such as
a wall, floor, or ceiling
The amount of sound transmission depends on the
properties of the barrier, as well as the frequency
and intensity of the sound waves.

To improve sound transmission within a space, sound Sound Isolation

isolation techniques can be employed to reduce the
amount of sound that is transmitted through walls,
floors, and ceilings.
This can include the use of sound-absorbing materials,
such as insulation or acoustic panels, as well as
building techniques such as double-walling and floating
floors.
STC (SOUND TRANSMISSION
CLASS) RATING
The rating system used to measure the
sound transmission characteristics of
building materials.
The STC rating is an important consideration
in building design and construction, as it
provides a standardized way to compare the
effectiveness of different materials in
reducing sound transmission.
A higher STC rating indicates a greater
reduction in sound transmission, with typical
ratings for building materials ranging from
around 25 for a standard wall to over 60 for
specialized soundproofing materials.
BARRIERS
MIN. STC RATING OF WALLS = 50 TO 55
STC (SOUND TRANSMISSION
CLASS) RATING The STC rating takes into account both
airborne sound, such as speech or music, and
impact sound, such as footfall or heavy
machinery.
The resulting STC rating is a single number
that indicates the effectiveness of the
material in reducing sound transmission
across a range of frequencies.

Materials with a higher STC rating may be

more effective in reducing sound
transmission, but they may also be more
expensive or difficult to install.
With a careful selection of materials with
appropriate STC ratings for a given
application, it is possible to create a
comfortable and acoustically pleasant
BARRIERS environment that meets the needs of the
occupants.
STC RATING OF WALL
ASSEMBLIES
Single layer of drywall on one side of wood studs (no insulation) - STC 32
Single layer of drywall on each side of wood studs (no insulation) - STC 35
Double layer of drywall on each side of wood studs (no insulation) - STC 45
Double layer of drywall on each side of metal studs (no insulation) - STC 47
Double layer of drywall on each side of steel studs with resilient channels
and insulation - STC 50+
8” thk. Masonry Wall – STC 50
12” Masonry Wall – STC 55-60
STC RATING OF FLOOR/CEILING
ASSEMBLIES
Single layer of 1/2" drywall on resilient channels with insulation - STC 45
Double layer of 1/2" drywall on resilient channels with insulation - STC 50
Concrete slab with suspended ceiling and insulation - STC 55
Concrete slab with suspended ceiling and double layer of drywall on
resilient channels - STC 60+
Concrete slab with resilient channel ceiling and insulation - STC 62+
 REVERBERATION TIME
AND ITS IMPORTANCE

Reverberation is a phenomenon
that occurs when sound waves
bounce around a room or
LINGERING
enclosed space, reflecting off
surfaces such as walls, ceilings,
and floors.
SOUND
These reflections cause the
sound to persist in the room
even after the initial sound
source has stopped producing
sound.
 REVERBERATION TIME AND ITS
IMPORTANCE

The amount of reverberation in a room is influenced by several factors, including

the size and shape of the room, the materials and surface finishes, and the
amount of sound-absorbing materials in the room.
A large, empty room with hard surfaces and few sound-absorbing materials will
have a longer reverberation time and more echoes than a small room with soft
surfaces and lots of sound-absorbing materials.
Reverberation time is a crucial factor in room acoustics. It refers to the time it
takes for sound to decay by 60 decibels after the source of sound is turned
off.
Rooms with shorter reverberation times are ideal for speech and music with a
high degree of articulation, while rooms with longer reverberation times are
preferred for music with a more resonant and immersive sound.
 CALCULATION OF RT60
RT60 (reverberation time) is a
measure of how long it takes
for sound to decay in a room
by 60 decibels
The calculation of RT60 is a method of
measuring the reverberation time of a
room.
The RT60 value is typically measured
in seconds and is used to determine
the appropriate level of acoustic
treatment required in a room to achieve
the desired reverberation time.
There are different methods for
calculating RT60 depending on the
type of space being measured and the
desired accuracy of the result.
In general, it is important to take into
account the size and shape of the
room, as well as any acoustic
treatments or materials that may affect
the sound.
RT60 TABLE (COMMERCIAL)
RT60 TABLE (RESIDENTIAL)
 RT60 COMPUTATION

■ The Sabine formula can be

used to calculate the initial
RT60 of a room

■ WHERE:
RT60 - Reverberation time (seconds)
A - total absorption coefficient of a room (sabins)
V - total volume of room (LxWxHt) - cu.m.
 RT60 COMPUTATION
■ SAMPLE COMPUTATION:
Problem: A music studio has a volume of 100 cubic meters and a total absorption
coefficient of 0.2. If the RT60 is desired to be 0.5 seconds, what is the necessary
amount of additional absorption needed?

■ WHERE:
RT60 - Reverberation time (seconds)
A - total absorption coefficient of a room (sabins)
V - total volume of room (LxWxHt) - cu.m.
 RT60 COMPUTATION
■ SAMPLE COMPUTATION:
Solution:
First, we can use the Sabine formula to calculate the initial RT60 of the room:

RT60 = (0.161 * V) / A

Substituting the values into the formula, we get:

RT60 = (0.161 * 100) / 0.2 RT60 = 80.5 seconds

So the initial RT60 of the room is 80.5 seconds.

 RT60 COMPUTATION
■ SAMPLE COMPUTATION:
Solution:
Next, we can use the formula for calculating additional absorption needed to
achieve a desired RT60:

Additional absorption = V * (0.161 / desired RT60 - 1 / A)

■ WHERE:

Additional Absorption - Area of material needed (sq.m.)

Desired RT60 - Desired Reverberation time (seconds)
A - total absorption coefficient of a room (sabins)
V - total volume of room (LxWxHt) - cu.m.
 RT60 COMPUTATION
■ SAMPLE COMPUTATION:
Solution:
Plugging in the values, we get:

Additional absorption = 100 * (0.161 / 0.5 - 1 / 0.2) Additional absorption = 129

square meters of additional absorption

So the necessary amount of additional absorption to achieve a desired RT60

of 0.5 seconds is 129 square meters.
 GROUP EXERCISE

PROBLEM #1 PROBLEM #2 PROBLEM #3

GIVEN: GIVEN:
GIVEN:
small auditorium 250 Classroom 150 cu.m.
music studio 6.0x4.0m
cu.m. Volume Ave. Absorption Coeff
height 2.5m
Reverberation time 1.5 (A) = 0.3
concrete floors seconds
bare concrete walls Desired RT60 = 0.6
walls = concrete (A=.03)
wooden ceiling seconds
ceiling = gypsum (A=0.6)
reverb. time 1.5secs

What should be the min.

Calculate how much
Calculate the average absorption coefficient of the
additional absorption is
absorption coefficient flooring to reduce the
reverberation time to 1 needed.
of the room.
second?
 ACOUSTIC SOFTWARE

Odeon EASE CATT INSUL

a comprehensive Enhanced Acoustic a software for predicting

a software or simulating sound transmission and
software acoustics Simulator for Engineers
and optimizing room insulation in buildings. It
modeling and analysis. (EASE) is a software for
acoustics, especially in can simulate the
It can simulate sound modeling and predicting
architectural design. It behavior of sound in
propagation, reflection, room acoustics. It has
offers a range of walls, floors, and ceilings,
absorption, and advanced features such
features for predicting and offers features for
diffusion in 3D spaces. as 3D modeling, ray
sound transmission, analyzing the effects of
tracing, and auralization
diffusion, and different materials and
to accurately simulate
absorption in various configurations on sound
the behavior of sound in
room types and transmission.
complex environments.
configurations.
END OF AR. PPANGILINAN

PRESENTATION
Understanding reverberation time in acoustics is
important for optimizing speech intelligibility,
music performance, and noise control in various
settings.