1.

2 ACOUSTIC SYSTEM

1.2.1 Theory

Acoustics is the interdisciplinary science that offers with the learn about of all
mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids consisting of subjects such as vibration,
sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an
acoustician while any one working in the field of acoustics technology may
additionally be known as an acoustical engineer. The utility of acoustics in science is
called acoustical engineering. There is regularly much overlap and interplay between
the pursuits of acousticians and acoustical engineers. Acoustics is the science involved
with the production, control, transmission, reception, and consequences of sound. Its
origins started with the learn about of mechanical vibrations and the radiation of these
vibrations thru mechanical waves, and nonetheless continues today. Research used to
be accomplished to appear into the many factors of the imperative physical strategies
concerned in waves and sound and into possible functions of these tactics in
contemporary life. The find out about of sound waves additionally lead to bodily ideas
that can be applied to the find out about of all waves. Applications of acoustic science
include track and the study of geologic, atmospheric, and underwater phenomena.
Psychoacoustics, the find out about of the bodily consequences of sound on organic
systems, has been of activity considering that Pythagoras first heard the sounds of
vibrating strings and of hammers hitting anvils in the sixth century BC, however the
software of modern-day ultrasonic technological know-how has solely these days
furnished some of the most exciting traits in medicine. The ear itself is some other
biological instrument dedicated to receiving sure wave vibrations and deciphering
them as sound.

The decibel A filter was used in a room area measurement. dBA roughly corresponds
to the inverse of the 40 dB (at 1 KHz) equal-loudness curve for the human ear. The
sound stage meter is less sensitive to very excessive and low frequencies by using this
filter. Measurement made with this scale are expressed as dBA. The data was compare
with BS EN ISO 3382-2:2008, Acoustics Measurement of room acoustic parameters.
Figure 1.1 : Recommended Noise Criterion and Equivalent Sound Level dBA value

Figure 1.2 : Recommended Reverberation Time

 Figure 1.3 : One Third-Octave-Band Centre Frequency

2.0 OBJECTIVES

2.1 Objective for Acoustic System Testing

1. To determine the background noise in the office room.

2. To determine the reverberation time at the office romm.
3. To determine the acoustic intensity and to measure the sound pressure level,
but does not necessarily determine levels of sound in relation to tolerance of
the human ear.
3.0 METHODOLOGY

3.1 SOUND TEST

3.1.1 Procedure

1. Decide the number of measurement points (3 points).

2. Design a suitable grid or matrix for the measurements.
3. Perform noise measurements for the room when noise made in the building at
the time of the test.

3.1.2 Equipment

Sound
Source Laptop

Microphone
Amplifier

Tripod

Figure 2.1 : Equipment

 Figure 2.2 : Setting up equipment

3.1.3 Precaution When Recording Background Noise

1. All doors should be fully fitted and closed.

2. There should be no noise during the test other than from the testing
equipment.
3. The test plots and adjacent areas within the building should be quiet for the
duration of the test.
4. No work should be carried out or noise made in the building at the time of the
test.

Layout Plan
Microphone

Sound Source
4.0 DATA AND ANALYSIS

4.1 Background Noise

Table 4.1 shows the data for the background noise measured in the office room. From
the data, the value for Noise Criterion (NC) is 45 dB. For office room, the
recommended NC should be in the range between 35 to 40 Db. The value for NC
obtained is greater than the recommended value. The value is different from the
recommended value because it is affected by the outside noise at the office area such
as vehicle sound.

Table 4.1 : Noise Criterion and Equivalent Sound Level

Frequency f, Background A-weighting A-weighting
factor (dB) Sound Pressure
(Hz) noise (Octave),
(dBA)
dB

63 47.1 -26.2 20.9

125 48.0 -16.2 31.8

250 45.2 -8.7 36.5

500 40.7 -3.2 37.5

1000 41.9 0 41.9

2000 39.3 1.2 40.5

4000 38.4 1.0 39.4

NC 45
Figure 4.1 show the value of the background noise in the office room from the test
conducted. The value of the background noise is 47.14 Db. For office room, the
recommended equivalent sound pressure level for background noise should be in the
range between 45 to 50 Db. From the result, the value of the background noise is in
the range of the equivalent sound pressure level.

[ID 129] NC 45 Hz ;dB 63 47.140

100

90

80

NC-70
70
NC-65

NC-60
60
NC-55

NC-50
50
NC-45

NC-40
40
NC-35

NC-30
30
NC-25

NC-20
20
NC-15

10
NC-0
0
63 125 250 500 1k 2k 4k 8k

Figure 4.1 : NC and Db value

4.2 Reverberberation Time (RT)

Table 4.2 shows the value for reverberation time for each point in the study area. The
equipment was set up until 14 points and the reading was measured for three times to
obtain the average value.
 Table 4.2 : Value for reverberation time
Point Number Reverberation Time, RT (sec)
of Trial 125Hz 250Hz 500Hz 1kHz 2kHz 4kHz
1st 0.18 1.65 1.34 1.22 1.00 0.95
1 2nd 0.14 1.01 1.39 1.33 1.15 0.93
3rd 0.24 0.95 1.44 1.31 1.18 0.91
Average 0.19 1.20 1.39 1.29 1.11 0.93
1st 0.39 1.17 1.22 1.27 1.02 0.89
2 2nd 0.24 1.50 1.32 1.34 1.02 0.92
3rd 0 0.98 1.37 1.46 1.12 0.92
Average 0.21 1.22 1.30 1.36 1.05 0.91
1st 0.22 1.06 1.57 1.41 1.07 1.01
3 2nd 1.76 1.53 1.54 1.34 1.00 0.95
3rd 0.76 1.07 1.49 1.56 1.15 1.03
Average 0.91 1.22 1.53 1.44 1.07 1.00
1st 0.00 1.15 1.61 1.46 1.20 1.04
4 2nd 0.00 1.19 1.35 1.48 1.20 0.96
3rd 0.00 1.19 1.42 1.58 1.32 1.02
Average 0.00 1.18 1.46 1.51 1.24 1.01
1st 5.02 2.13 1.37 1.32 1.26 0.87
5 2nd 0.25 1.56 1.34 1.15 1.16 0.92
3rd 1.05 3.95 1.43 1.47 1.26 0.96
Average 2.11 2.55 1.38 1.31 1.23 0.92
1st 0.17 1.39 1.65 1.41 1.11 0.89
6 2nd 0.00 1.15 1.48 1.13 1.09 0.89
3rd 0.00 1.28 1.44 1.21 1.11 0.87
Average 0.06 1.27 1.52 1.25 1.10 0.88
1st 0.00 1.21 1.77 1.43 1.39 0.98
7 2nd 0.00 0.93 1.93 1.49 1.39 1.11
3rd 0.00 2.05 2.25 1.30 1.35 1.06
Average 0.00 1.40 1.98 1.41 1.38 1.05
8 1st 0.00 1.57 1.98 1.62 1.38 1.00
 2nd 0.00 1.46 2.00 1.59 1.35 1.12
3rd 0.00 0.71 2.81 1.52 1.23 1.19
Average 0.00 1.25 2.26 1.58 1.32 1.10
1st 0.00 0.81 1.32 1.59 1.13 0.96
9 2nd 0.00 0.48 1.62 1.63 1.15 0.96
3rd 0.29 0.81 1.87 1.54 1.17 1.71
Average 0.10 0.7 1.60 1.59 1.15 1.21
1st 0.00 0.80 1.01 1.47 1.13 0.97
10 2nd 0.00 1.15 1.17 1.39 1.26 0.97
3rd 0.00 0.68 1.56 1.69 1.26 1.61
Average 0.00 0.88 1.25 1.52 1.22 1.18
1st 1.64 0.85 1.58 1.23 1.29 1.29
11 2nd 0.00 2.84 1.33 1.49 1.12 0.99
3rd 0.00 1.66 0.99 1.07 1.24 0.92
Average 0.55 1.78 1.30 1.26 1.22 1.07
1st 0.22 1.42 2.01 1.41 1.25 1.37
12 2nd 0.00 0.59 1.54 1.52 1.09 0.94
3rd 0.00 2.55 1.24 0.95 1.06 0.99
Average 0.07 1.52 1.60 1.29 1.13 1.10
1st 0.00 1.40 1.50 1.35 1.12 0.85
13 2nd 0.60 1.22 2.27 1.41 1.07 0.99
3rd 0.00 1.20 1.41 1.49 1.20 0.93
Average 0.20 1.27 1.73 1.42 1.13 0.92
1st 0.00 1.31 1.95 1.41 1.13 0.95
14 2nd 0.57 1.64 0.57 1.57 1.09 1.05
3rd 0.00 2.35 1.56 1.24 1.14 1.05
Average 0.19 1.77 1.36 1.41 1.12 1.02

Table 4.3 : Average reverberation time, RT (sec)

Reverberation Time, RT (sec)
Point
125Hz 250Hz 500Hz 1kHz 2kHz 4kHz
1 0.19 1.20 1.39 1.29 1.11 0.93
 2 0.21 1.22 1.30 1.36 1.05 0.91
3 0.91 1.22 1.53 1.44 1.07 1.00
4 0.00 1.18 1.46 1.51 1.24 1.01
5 2.11 2.55 1.38 1.31 1.23 0.92
6 0.06 1.27 1.52 1.25 1.10 0.88
7 0.00 1.40 1.98 1.41 1.38 1.05
8 0.00 1.25 2.26 1.58 1.32 1.10
9 0.10 0.7 1.60 1.59 1.15 1.21
10 0.00 0.88 1.25 1.52 1.22 1.18
11 0.55 1.78 1.30 1.26 1.22 1.07
12 0.07 1.52 1.60 1.29 1.13 1.10
13 0.20 1.27 1.73 1.42 1.13 0.92
14 0.19 1.77 1.36 1.41 1.12 1.02
Average 0.33 1.37 1.55 1.40 1.18 1.02
1.14

The average reverberation time for the study area is 1.14 sec. The recommended RT
for the office room is below and equal to 0.6 sec from BS EN ISO 3382-2:2008. It
indicates that the RT in the office room is high and some improving method should be
purposed. The higher value of RT generally has a problem with noise as sound travels
for long distances without being absorbed. It also always have an issue with echo as
sound is reflected from hard surface to hard surface.

4.3 Recommendations

a. Absorptive materials will most likely be necessary for the ceiling. Often times,
the perimeter of the ceiling is absorptive and the area above the conference
room table is kept reflective.
b. Install acoustic slabs along the entire ceiling surface and, if possible, the upper
parts of the side walls.
c. Make some partitions or room in the office area to reduce sound propagation