SOUND

ABSORBING
MATERIALS

GROUP 1
AR142P - A431
OUTLINE SLIDE NO.
RATING OF SOUND-ABSORBING MATERIALS 5
TYPES OF SOUND-ABSORBING MATERIALS 10
POROUS OR FIBROUS MATERIALS 12
PANEL OR MEMBRANE ABSORBERS 18
VOLUME ABSORBERS 26
SCREENS AND PERFORATED PANELS AS ABSORBERS 34
MOUNTING CONDITIONS 42
ACOUSTICAL TILE CEILING 52
ACOUSTICAL PLASTER AND DRAPERIES 53
AUDIENCE AND AIR ABSORPTION IN HALLS 55
 ALL MATERIALS ABSORB SOUND AT SOME DEGREE

WOOD CARPET FIBER GLASS FOAM CEILING TILES

SOUND ABSORBING MATERIALS

“ ACOUSTICAL MATERIALS”

MAIN PURPOSE IS TO ABSORB SOUND

REDUCE NOISE IN INTERIOR SPACES

( UNWANTED/ EXCESSIVE SOUND, ECHO, REVERB)
RATING OF SOUND- ABSORBING MATERIALS

HOW MUCH SOUND AN OBJECT/MATERIAL CAN ABSORB

EFFECTIVESS IS RATED THROUGH ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT

VARIES ON THE ANGLE OF

INCIDENCE OF SOUND
SOUND STRIKES THE SURFACE FROM
ALL ANGLES ALMOST EQUALLY IN
MOST ROOMS

“ RANDOM INCIDENCE
ANGLE THE SOUND STRIKES MATERIAL SURFACE ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT”
RANDOM INCIDENCE ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT
REFERRED TO AS ABSORPTION COEFFECIENT (a) OF A MATERIAL

ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT AVERAGED OVER ALL ANGLES OF INCIDENCE

HOW EFFECTIVE A MATERIAL/SURFACE ABSORB SOUND WHEN SOUND

WAVES HIT FROM VARIOUS DIRECTIONS
VARIES WITH FREQUENCY OF SOUND

IN DESIGNING SPACES THAT CONTROL NOISE LEVELS:

MATERIALS WITH GOOD RANDOM INCIDENCE

ABSORPTION TO REDUCE UNWANTED/ EXCESSIVE
SOUND
 ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS
CONCERNED WITH THE (a) 6 OCTAVES
125 HZ 2 HZ
250 HZ 4 HZ
500 HZ
1 HZ

RATING OF SOUND- ABSORBING MATERIALS

AVERAGE
NOISE
UNIT OF SOUND ABSORPTION
REDUCTION
ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT OF A
COEFFICIENT
ROOM
NOISE REDUCTION COEFFICIENT
(NRC) MEASURES HOW EFFECTIVE THE
MATERIAL/SURFACE IS AT ABSORBING
SOUND WITHIN AN ENVIRONMENT

(a)+ (a)+(a)
----------------
no. of (a)
(NRC) = AVERAGE VALUE OF ABSORPTION COEFFICIENTS OVER
THE NUMBER OF VALUES
UNIT OF SOUND ABSORPTION AVERAGE ABSORPTION
COEFFICIENT OF A ROOM
SOUND ABSORPTION MATERIAL
HOW MUCH SOUND IS ABSORBED OR "SOAKED
HOW MUCH SOUND A MATERIAL CAN ABSORB
UP" BY ALL THE SURFACES AND MATERIALS
INSIDE THAT ROOM.

PRODUCT OF THE SURFACE AREA OF AN OBSERVER &

AND ITS ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT TOTAL ABSORPTION OF ROOM BOUNDARY DIVIDED BY
A= Sa THE SURFACE AREA OF THE ROOM BOUNDARIES
S1a1+ S2a2+S3a3... EA
(A)- “ SABIN”- UNIT OF SOUND ABSORPTION named ---------------------- = --------
after acoustician Wallace Clement Sabine S1+S2+S3... ES

THE MORE SABIN A MATERIAL HAS, THE BETTER IT IS

AT ABSORBING
TYPES OF SOUND ABSORBING
MATERIALS

3 TYPES

POROUS ABSORBERS
PANEL OR MEMBRANE
ABSORBERS
VOLUME ABSORBERS
 TYPES OF SOUND
ABSORBING MATERIALS

POROUS or FIBROUS PANEL or MEMBRANE VOLUME

Porous or fibrous absorbers are A panel absorber consists of a flat panel The acoustical block consists of a concrete
any materials with a porous that is arranged in front of an enclosed air masonry unit with a long narrow slot in
surface. volume that acts as the panel or membrane each cell.
absorber.
 POROUS OR FIBROUS
MATERIALS
it is any material whose surface is porous

FUNCTION:
to treat acoustic problems, in cavity walls and noisy environments to
reduce noise and in rooms to reduce reverberation.

Carpet Fiberglass Acoustic Sheet Mineral Wool Acoustic Sheet Mineral Fiber Acoustic Sheet Acoustic Foam
 POROUS OR FIBROUS
MATERIALS
HOW DOES IT WORK?
They all absorb sound energy as they damp the oscillation of the air particles by friction.

The Effectiveness of a Porous material depends on its:

Flow Resistance - defined as the degree of difficulty by which the air will flow
through the material

Sound absorbtion coefficient - (α)

 POROUS OR FIBROUS
MATERIALS
Factors affecting sound absorbtion coefficient (α):

Surface finish
Material composition
Material thickness
Incident sound frequency

Method of mounting
POROUS OR FIBROUS
MATERIALS
Thickness of Porous Absorber and the
Value of (α)
The value of (α) for a porous absorber increases with the
thickness of the absorber

The porous absorber absorbs sound by

converting the kinetic energy of air particle
vibration into heat
 POROUS OR FIBROUS
MATERIALS
Applications of Porous Absorbers

The effectiveness of sound absorbtion depends in how the material is

applied.
By suspending the absorbers, they are brought closer to the sound source
which improves the effectiveness
Suspended barriers can be used with different arrangements

a few alternative arrangements of suspended baffles in plan

POROUS OR FIBROUS
MATERIALS
 PANEL OR MEMBRANE
ABSORBERS
A panel absorber consists of a flat panel that is arranged in
front of an enclosed air volume. The air volume then acts as
a panel absorber or a membrane absorber.

WOOD GYPSUM PVC/PLASTIC WOODEN METAL

PANELS BOARD PANELS BOARD PANELS
PANEL OR MEMBRANE
ABSORBERS
Panel absorbers are non-rigid, non-porous materials that
are placed over an airspace that vibrates in a flexural mode
in response to sound pressure exerted by adjacent air
molecules.

FUNCTION:
eliminate any back noise and
echoes
control reverberation/vibration
of walls or structures
HOW DOES IT WORK?
When a sound wave falls on such a
panel, it sets the panel into vibration.
Since the panel is never fully elastic, it Sound
loses some energy by damping
DAMPING
A measure of the resistance of
a vibratory system to sustain
Sound
vibrations.

Reduce
Damping =
Vibrations
Panel Absorber
HOW ARE THEY RELATED?
1 PANEL ABSORBER 2 MASS-SPRING ASSEMBLY

The panel's vibration is influenced Loses energy due to damping forces and
by damping forces gradually stops oscillating after the exciting
force is withdrawn

Panel = Mass Small depth of air = stiffer spring (thin cushion)

Air space = Spring Greater depth = supple spring (thicker cushion)
1 PANEL ABSORBER
Damping is provided by the medium and
at its edge fixing
All materials have internal damping
Panels used in buildings:
Steel and Aluminum have Low-Internal
damping compared to Plywood and
Gypsum Board
Lead has the Highest-Internal Damping
2 MASS-SPRING ASSEMBLY
Damping is caused by the viscosity of the
medium.
Viscosity: the resistance of a fluid (liquid or
gas) to a change in shape or movement
The more viscous, the greater the energy
loss by damping
Damping also exists within the material of
the spring
 FORMULA
Resonant Frequency Resonant Frequency of a
of a panel: panel: (U.S. System of Units)

1,900 170
f res= √md
f res= √md

where m is the mass of panel in kg/m^2 and d where m is in lb/ft^2 and d is in inches.
is the air space behind the panel in millimeters.

The absorption coefficient of a panel absorber rarely

Max. value of Absorption
= Resonant Frequency exceeds 0.3. Due to the vibrations of the panel, which
coefficient (a) of a panel make it act as a sound radiator
 Effects of a Porous Material in
Air Cavity
The Porous Material increases the absorption
coefficient of the panel absorber since it
introduces damping.

The thickness of porous material must

be at least two-thirds of the cavity
depth

The most commonly used porous material is

fiberglass or mineral wool.
 Applications of Panel
Absorbers
Does not function the same a porous absorber Usually applied as: Floors
because it has a low value of absorption Glazing
Interior Drywall Construction
efficiency. Glass Windows
Thin wood paneling over
Gypsum board partitions
eliminate any back noise and echoes by framing
Other large surfaces capable
controlling reverberation Lightweight impervious
of resonating in response to
works best at absorbing low frequencies ceilings / suspended reflectors
sound

Commonly used in:

music practice rooms

rehearsal rooms
orchestra platforms
 VOLUME ABSORBERS
This type of absorber consists
of a volume of air connected to the general atmosphere through a
small volume of air called the neck.
 Volume Absorbers Helmholtz Resonator
A volume absorber is similar to
A Helmholtz resonator or Helmholtz
an open bottle where the volume of air in the
oscillator is a container of gas
bottle is connected to
(usually air) with an open hole (or
the outside atmosphere through the air in the
neck or port).
bottle's neck.
The air in the body of a guitar acts
almost like a Helmholtz resonator.
An ocarina is a slightly more
complicated example, because for
the higher notes it has several
holes.
The vibration here is due to the
'springiness' of air: when you
compress a volume of air, its
pressure increases and it tends to
expand back to its original volume.
That an open bottle has a resonant
frequency can be verified by
blowing across its neck. The bottle
will always produce the same pitch
of sound regardless of who blows
across it and how it is blown.
Usually, the resonant frequency of
a bottle lies in the low frequency
region, and is given by the
following expressions.
where S is the cross-sectional area
of the neck, v is the volume of the
neck, and V is the volume of the
body of the bottle; all dimensions
are in millimeters.
The most commonly used volume
absorber is a slotted concrete masonry
unit, more commonly referred to as an
acoustical block. The acoustical block
consists of a concrete masonry unit with
a long narrow slot in each cell.
The slot functions as the neck and the
cell space as the interior of the bottle. For
a cell to function as a bottle, the cell
cavity must be closed.
Therefore, unlike a normal concrete block
in which the cells are open on both sides,
the cells in an acoustical block are closed
on one side. The blocks are laid in a wall
with their closed sides facing up

Since the resonant frequency of an acoustical

block depends on the volume (v) and the surface
area of slots (S), it can be varied (by an octave
or so) by changing the width of the slot, its
height and its profile.
Septum and Porous Material The sound absorption property of
in a Volume Absorber acoustical blocks can be improved
by adding a metal divider (referred
to as metal septum) in each cell.
which divides the cell space into two
parts, The metal septum improves
high frequency absorption of the
block
The absorption property of a volume
absorber is further improved by
adding a porous material (usually
fiberglass or mineral wool) in the
neck of the absorber.
Applications of Volume
Absorber

The use of volume absorbers in

buildings is an extremely old concept
dating back to Greek and Roman
empires. Large bronze jars containing
enclosed volumes of air (the Greek
eceia) were commonly used in Greek
and Roman open air theaters.
Applications of Volume
Absorber

Acoustical blocks for Volume

Absorption are used extensively for
noise control in manufacturing
spaces, school gymnasiums, air
conditioning rooms, swimming
pools, skating rinks, test facilities,
auditoriums, etc.
The acoustical block of Figure 4.22 is
particularly suitable for load bearing
wall applications since it consists of two
twin cells. The cells at the back are
open at the top and bottom, like the
normal units, so that they can be
grouted and reinforced if required. The
slotted cells in the front part of the block
are closed at the top surface in order to
function as resonators.

As stated previously, the maximum

sound absorption of a sound block lies
in the low frequency region- in the 125
or 250 octave. Approximate frequency-
a relationships of an 8 in. thick unit with
and without fibrous fillers are shown in
Figure 4.23.
 SCREENS AND PERFORATED PANELS AS
ABSORBERS
PURPOSE IS LIGHTING AND AESTHETICS BUT MOST USED FOR
ACOUSTICS AND SOUND CONTROL

PROVIDES A PROTECTIVE BUT ACOUSTICALLY TRANSPARENT

SCREEN OVER A POROUS ABSORBER

BEHAVES AS A LARGE ENSEMBLE OF CAVITY

RESONATORS - WHEN SPACED FROM A SUBSTRATE

ACTS AS AN ABSORBER AS ITS

OWN RIGHT

SELDOM USED ALONE

SCREENS AND PERFORATED PANELS AS
ABSORBERS
SAME CONCEPT AS THE VOLUME
ABSORBER WHEREIN THE MASS OF
THE AIR IN THE NECK OSCILLATES
BACK AND FORTH

AIR IN THE NECK IS THE MAS

AND THE AIR IN THE BODY IS
THE SPRING

SOUND ENERGY
DISSIPITATES AS HEAT DUE
TO FRICTION LOSS
SCREENS AND PERFORATED PANELS AS
ABSORBERS
HIGH FREQUENCY BUT
NEEDS HIGH ABSORPTION
COEFFICIENT

HIGH FREQUENCY BUT

DOES NOT NEED HIGH
ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT
USES OF SCREENS AND PERFORATED
PANELS

REHEARSAL SPACE MEDIA ROOM RECORDING STUDIO

 DOES IT
DOES SIZE HOW DOES IT
REALLY
MATTER? WORK?
WORK?
YES! YES! PERFORATION
THEY REDUCE THE MATTERS
DIFFERENT SIZE AMOUNT OFF THE LARGER THE
PERFORATIONS SOUND WAVES OPEN AREA
IMPACT THE THAT ARE PERCENTAGE, THE
NRC VALUE REFLECTED OFF BETTER THE
SURFACE WALLS ABILITY THE
AND CEILINGS PRODUCT CAN
ABSORB NOISE
POPULAR TYPES OF PERFORATION SHAPE OR
HOLE SHAPES
ROUND SQUARE RECTANGULAR SLOT

MATERIALS
TIMBER MEDIUM-DENSITY FIBREBOARD
PLASTERBOARD CEMENT
FIBRE CEMENT ALUMINUM AND STEEL
 POPULAR TYPES OF PERFORATION SHAPE OR
HOLE SHAPES
PERFORATION SIZE
CAN BE CUSTOMIZED
PERFORATION
DESIGN CAN BE
CUSTOMIZED
COMBINATION OF
PERFORATION SIZE
IS ALLOWED
POPULAR TYPES OF PERFORATION SHAPE OR
HOLE SHAPES
 MOUNTING CONDITIONS

SINCE A CAVITY SPACE BEHIND THE ABSORBER ALTERS ITS

ABOSRPTION COEFFICIENT, THE ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT OF A
MATERIAL DEPENDS ON HOW IT IS MOUNTED
 MOUNTING CONDITIONS

A B C D E G H I K
9 TYPES OF MOUNTING CONDITIONS

PREFABRICATED PRODUCTS
A B C D E
DRAPERY
G H
SPRAY-ON OR TROWEL
I
OFFICE SCREENS
K
EXAMPLES OF PREFABRICATED PRODUCTS
 MOUNTING CONDITIONS
TYPE A TYPE B
 MOUNTING CONDITIONS

TYPE D
TYPE C
 MOUNTING CONDITIONS

TYPE E IS FOR ACOUSTICAL

CEILINGS
TYPE E

400MM (16") COMMON

PLENUM DEPTH
ABSORPTION PROPERTIES
DO NOT CHANGE WHEN
PLENUM DEPTH EXCEEDS
400MM
 TYPE I
SPRAYED-ON OR TROWEL

2 TYPES OF MATERIAL USED

IN THIS SOUND CONTROL
APPLICATION
ONE TYPE CONSISTING OF
PLASTER MADE WITH
VERMICULITE OR PERLITE
AGGREGATE
A COATING OF MINERAL
FIBER MIXED WITH AN
ADHESIVE
 TYPE I
SPRAYED-ON OR TROWEL
VERMICULITE OR PERLITE AGGREGATE
 TYPE I
SPRAYED-ON OR TROWEL

MINERAL FIBER MIXED WITH AN ADHESIVE

 SPRAYED-ON OR TROWEL
BRANDS

SPRAYTEX LIMPIT SPRAY VIBDAMP (TROWEL)

HOTELS, OFFICES AND RESIDENCES
THEATRES, CONVENTION HALLS,
RADIO STATIONS
VISCO-ELASTIC MATERIALS TO THE
SURFACE
*OTHER VARAINT
(TROWEL AND SPRAY)
WATERBASED; USED TO TREAT
VIBRATING METALS, WOOD, GLASS,
CERAMIC AND MOST PLASTIC
SURFACES
 ACOUSTICAL CEILING TILE
Characteristics:
CEILING TILE TEXTURES

Made of fibrous material

Absorbs sound similar to porous and panel absorbers due to a large air
space (plenum) above the ceiling.
Application:
Installed on an aluminum supporting framework suspended from the floor
or roof.

Treatment & Maintenance:

In-service painting of ceiling tiles will alter their absorption characteristics.
Improve their absorption by exposing the fibers through piercing, fissuring, or
scoring the surface of tiles.

SUSPENDED CEILING
 ACOUSTICAL PLASTER
Acoustic plaster works by absorbing airborne noise and stopping the sound
energy from travelling through the wall.

TROWELING

Uses Characteristics Application

Used in situations where Made up of a lightweight, porous or The plaster mix is usually sprayed
prefabricated sound-absorbing fibrous material mixed with a binder on a rigid substrate, but if necessary
products are not suitable. it can be troweled in place.
DRAPERIES Uses:
Concert halls, broadcasting or recording
studios

Characteristics:
Has a very low sound absorption
Convenient way of changing the amount of
the total absorption in the room

Application:
Heavy, tightly woven material with a large
amount of gathering for effective sound
absorption
Hung with space behind them to improve low-
frequency absorption.
 TWO SOURCES OF ABSORPTION IN HALLS

AIR ABSORPTION

The air also absorbs sound, but air absorption is

significant only at high frequencies -2,000 Hz and
above.

Adding air absorption to your space can make

all the difference.

This will also help lessen the echo and

reverberation within the room.

It will also mprove speech intelligibility and

overall clarity.
 AUDIENCE ABSORPTION

The largest contributor to the total absorption.

Nearly 75% of the halls total absorbtion is the provided

by the audience.

Two ways to quantify the absorption inside the halls:

Per seat

Square meter (per square foot)

of the floor over which the audience is seated.

 AUDIENCE ABSORPTION

FACTORS AFFECTING AUDIENCE ABSORPTION

Type of upholstery on seats

Type of dress worn by the

audience

Floor slope
 KEYPOINTS
POROUS PANEL VOLUME
ABSORBERS ABSORBERS ABSORBERS

FIRE RATED STRUCTURAL

WALL - SOUND ABSORPTION
THANK YOU