Anjali Baby, 2021, 9:2

ISSN (Online): 2348-4098

ISSN (Print): 2395-4752

Building Acoustics in Civil Engineering

Anjali Baby1, Basil Mathew2, Christeena3, Keerthana Sajan N4
1
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, IES College of Engineering, Thrissur, Chittilappilly, Kerala
2, 3, 4
Department of Civil Engineering, IES College of Engineering, Thrissur, Chittilappilly, Kerala

Abstract- The paper aims to the acoustic design feasibility study of public buildings and acoustical issues
related to it. Fundamentals of acoustics, building acoustics, auditorium acoustics are familiarized. Also

discussion on the necessary requirements of good acoustics, defects related to acoustics, various building

acoustic materials commonly used are carried out.

Keywords: - Acoustics, Noise Level, Noise Insulation.

information. For example, music or speech, transmit

I. INTRODUCTION information which people may perceive differently
from other sounds.
A visually beautiful room may not be a pleasurable
place to spend time due to poor building finishes. Building acoustics can be influenced by:
Hard flat surfaces such as wooden floors and  The geometry and volume of a space.
plastered walls reflect sound thereby increasing and  The sound absorption, transmission and
amplifying noise levels within the space resulting in reflection characteristics of surfaces enclosing
poor architectural acoustics and sound quality. the space and within the space.
Building acoustics is the science of controlling noise  The sound absorption, transmission and
within buildings. This includes minimizing noise reflection characteristics of materials separating
transmission between compartments and the control spaces.
of sound characteristics within a space.  The generation of sound inside or outside the
space.
The term “Building Acoustics” includes both Sound  Airborne sound transmission.
Insulation and Sound Absorption. Building acoustics  Impact noise.
can be about achieving good speech intelligibility in
a theatre, restaurant or railway station, enhancing the It is very important when designing an enclosed
quality of music in a concert hall or recording studio, space to ensure that no echo can occur, but
or suppressing noise to make offices and homes reverberation happens in any enclosed space,
more productive and pleasant place to work and live however the reverberation time can be short or long
in. Building acoustic design is usually done by depending upon various factors such as:
acoustic consultants.  Volume of the room Shape of the room.
 Sound absorption properties of the building
II. UNITS AND IMPORTANT elements.
 Furnishings / Objects in the room.
PARAMETERS  Occupancy of the room.

Sound intensity is measured in Decibels (dB). This is a III. BUILDING ISOLATION & NOISE
logarithmic scale in which an increase of 10 dB gives
an apparent doubling of loudness. Sound pitch is
TRANSMISSION
measured in Hertz (Hz), the standard unit for the
measurement for frequency. The audible range of There are four major actions which can be taken to
sound for humans is typically from 20 Hz to 20,000 improve noise compatibility for any type of land use
Hz, although, through ageing and exposure to loud or activity. These are site planning, architectural
sounds the upper limit will generally decreased. As design, construction methods, and barrier
well as intensity and frequency, sound also transmits construction.

© 2021 Anjali Baby. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
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Anjali Baby. International Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology, 2021, 9:2 International Journal of Science,
Engineering and Technology
An Open Access Journal

Acoustical site design uses the arrangement of

buildings on a tract of land to minimize noise
impacts by capitalizing on the site’s natural shape
and contours. Open space, nonresidential land uses,
and barrier buildings can be arranged to shield
residential areas or other noise sensitive activities
from noise, and residences can be oriented away
from noise.

Acoustical architectural design incorporates noise

reducing concepts in the details of individual
buildings. The areas of architectural concern include
Fig 1. Use of acoustical architectural design to reduce
building height, room arrangement, window
noise impacts.
placement, and balcony and courtyard design.

1. Balconies:
Acoustical construction involves the use of building
If balconies are desired they should be given
materials and techniques to reduce noise
acoustical consideration. The standard jutting
transmission through walls, windows, doors, ceilings,
balcony, facing the road, may reflect traffic noise
and floors. This area includes many of the new and
directly into the interior of the building in the
traditional “soundproofing” concepts.
manner illustrated in Figure 3.2. In addition to
reflecting noise into the building, the balcony may be
Noise barriers can be erected between noise sources
rendered unusable due to the high noise levels. This
and noise-sensitive areas. Barrier types include berms
problem is particularly applicable to high rise
made of sloping mounds of earth, walls and fences
apartment buildings where balconies are common. If
constructed of a variety of materials, thick plantings
balconies are desired, the architect may avoid
of trees and shrubs, and combinations of these
unpleasant noise impacts by placing them on the
materials.
shielded side of the buildings.

IV. ROOM ARRANGEMENT

Noise impacts can be substantially reduced by

separating more noise sensitive rooms from less
noise sensitive rooms; and placing the former in the
part of the building which is furthest away from the
noise source. The less sensitive rooms should then
be placed closest to the noise source where they can
act as noise buffers for the more sensitive rooms.

Whether or not a room is noise sensitive depends on

its use. Bedrooms, living rooms, and dining rooms
are usually noise sensitive, while kitchens,
bathrooms, and playrooms are less so. Fig. 3.1shows
a layout designed to reduce the impact of highway Fig 2. The standard jutting balcony reflects noise to
noise. This technique was used extensively in the interior.
England in a 100 acre residential development
adjacent to a planned expressway. 2. Courtyards:
Proper architectural design may also provide for
Kitchens and bathrooms were placed on the noise reduction in an area outside of the building.
expressway side of the building, and bedrooms and The court garden and patio houses can provide
living rooms were placed on the shielded side. In outdoor acoustical privacy (Fig. 3.3). Schools, rest
addition, the wall facing the expressway is sound homes, hotels, and multi-family apartment dwellings
insulated.
Anjali Baby. International Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology, 2021, 9:2 International Journal of Science,
Engineering and Technology
An Open Access Journal

can also have exterior spaces with reduced noise by Where;

means of court yards. RT60= is the reverberation time (to drop 60 dB)
V= is the volume of the room
c20 =is the speed of sound at 20°C (room
temperature)
Sa =is the total absorption in Sabin’s

The absorption coefficient has a range of 0 to 1,

where a coefficient of 0 indicates none of the sound
is absorbed, and a coefficient of 1 indicates that
100% of it is absorbed.

The sabin, named in honor of Wallace Sabine, is a

unit of measure; one imperial sabin equals one
square foot of 100% absorbing material, and one
metric sabin equals one square meter of 100%
absorbing material. Stemming from Sabine’s 19th
Fig 3. Use of courtyard house to obtain quite century work a new field of study was born. Today,
outdoor environment. computer programs incorporate Sabine’s formula to
help engineers and architects model and design
3. Sabine’s Formula: future concert and lecture halls around the globe.
One of the most reliable ways of knowing the
reverberation time of your space before building is
V. ACOUSTIC MATERIALS
by using the complex three dimensional architectural
and acoustical modeling and measuring
technologies. For acoustically critical venues, even a To compare the insulation performance of alternative
physical model of the building and its interiors may constructions, the Sound Transmission Class (STC) is
be required. But, for many regular shaped and used as a measure of a material’s ability to reduce
normal sized rooms, a simple Sabine equation may sound. Sound Transmission Class is equal to the
give you a quick estimation of the reverberation number of decibels a sound is reduced as it passes
time. through a material. Thus, a high STC rating indicates
a good insulating material.
According to the European Standard EN 12354-
6:2003 Building Acoustics-Estimation of acoustic It takes into account the influence of different
performance of buildings from the performance of frequencies on sound transmission, but essentially it
elements-Part 6: Sound absorption in enclosed is the difference between the sound levels on the
spaces, Sabine formula can be used to estimate the side of the partition where the noise originates and
reverberation time of an enclosed space with: the side where it is received. The Sound Transmission
Class rating is the official rating endorsed by the
 Regular shaped volume: no dimension being American Society of Testing and Measurement.
more than 5 times of any other dimension;
 Evenly distributed absorption: absorption It can be used as a guide in determining what type of
coefficients not varying by more than a factor of construction is needed to reduce noise.
3 between pairs of opposite surfaces, unless
good sound diffusion objects are present; 1. Acoustical Blankets:
 Not too many objects: total volume of objects Also known as isolation blankets, these can increase
being less than or equal to 20% of room volume. sound attenuation when placed in the airspace.
Made from sound absorbing materials such as
Sabine’s formula is given by the following: mineral or rock wool, fiberglass, hair felt or wood
fibers, these can attenuate noise as much as 10 dB.
RT60 = 24 (ln10) V = 0.049 V They are mainly effective in relatively lightweight
construction.
C20 SaSa
Anjali Baby. International Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology, 2021, 9:2 International Journal of Science,
Engineering and Technology
An Open Access Journal

2. Basotect:  Studio Acoustics.

Basotect is light weight open cell foam, which is  Floor and football sound proofing.
made from melamine resin. It is flexible, easy to  Office and conference room acoustics.
handle, cut and install. It is available in sheet form  Industrial acoustics.
and also available in pre-cut or profiled to size and  Pipe sound proofing.
shape. The natural color of the foam is light grey,  Church and place of worship acoustics.
although it is also available in a range of functional  Restaurant and lounge acoustics.
or decorative facings and fabrics that can he sprayed
with flexible PVC coating. It is designed for use in VI. CASE STUDY
thermal and acoustic insulation applications.
1. Site Selection:
3. Sound Fibre-Poly:
An ideal site should keep distance from any major
It is manufactured from non-irritating water repellent
sources of noise such as airports, highways and
polyester fibers. It is designed for use in acoustic and
construction sites. The surrounding buildings and
thermal insulation applications. It can be supplied in
topography may also act as obstructions to sound
sheet form in packs 10 or cut to a specific size and
waves and affect the overall acoustics of the building.
shape. It can also be supplied in fabric wrapped form
The site we selected was an auditorium which is a
for architectural applications or with other
public building under 9B classification. The site is
performances enchanting facings.
located in a silent space surrounded by open natural
spaces. Two site visits were conducted to obtain
4. Sound Foam, 0:
material finish data and to carry out preliminary
It is flexible open cell polyurethane foam, offering
engineering survey at site. Engineering drawings
excellent sound absorbing qualities over wide range
were also created for reference.
frequencies. It is available plain or self- adhesive
backed. It is easy to handle and to cut and install. It is
2. Primary Investigations:
black non-flammable acoustic foam. It is
The engineering drawing of existing auditorium
impregnated with fire retardant chemicals which
building was collected and preliminary survey was
enables the material to achieve class ‘0’ fire rating as
carried out using tape and laser instruments. The
defined by the building regulations. It is extensively
dimension of the auditorium hall is 54.14m x 15.90m
used in air conditioning and air handling system,
x 12.00m as measured using a measuring tape and a
ducting and also compressors, generators,
laser equipment (to measure the height). The
enclosures and other applications.
flooring provided is synthetic type flooring. The
ceiling includes perforated gypsum boards and the
walls are plain cement painted.

There are sixty numbers of open windows and five

doors throughout the auditorium. Doors at the main
entrance are metallic while open exits are provided
at the backside of the auditorium. First floor is back
open and seating is also provided only at the
backside of the auditorium. Windows and
ventilations are grilled using steel. Curtains are also
provided made of polyester fabric. Seats are fixed
only at first floor which is also metallic. No fixed seats
are provided at ground floor as the hall is used for
Fig 4. Absorption Coefficients of Common Materials. badminton court as assumed. There is an open space
at the backside of the auditorium which is connected
Most common application areas of Acoustic to the first floor.
Material:
 Home theatre acoustics. Stairways are provided at the exit of the backside
 Wall sound proofing. which leads to the first floor seating. While stairs are
 Ceiling sound proofing. also provided at the main entrance to access the top
Anjali Baby. International Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology, 2021, 9:2 International Journal of Science,
Engineering and Technology
An Open Access Journal

floor. Engineering drawings of the auditorium were be reasonably 'alive' with reverberant sound at all
produced using AutoCAD software. frequencies, in which case the speakers should
ideally have equal dispersion at all frequencies in
VII. ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTS order to equally excite the reverberant fields created
by reflections off room surfaces.
A sound level meter is used for acoustic (sound that
The other attempts to arrange the listening room to
travels through air) measurements. It is commonly a
be 'dead' acoustically, leaving indirect sound to the
hand-held instrument with a microphone. The best
dispersion of the speakers need only be sufficient to
type of microphone for sound level meters is the
cover the listening positions. Loudspeaker acoustics
condenser microphone, which combines precision
is a subfield of acoustical engineering concerned
with stability and reliability.
with the reproduction of sound and the parameters
involved in doing so in actual equipment.
The diaphragm of the microphone responds to
changes in air pressure caused by sound waves. That
is why the instrument is sometimes referred to as a VIII. SOUND TEST METHOD
Sound Pressure Level (SPL) Meter. This movement of
the diaphragm, i.e. the sound pressure deviation In atmospheric sounding and noise pollution,
(Pascal Pa), is converted into an electrical signal (volts ambient noise level (sometimes called background
V). noise level, reference sound level, or room noise
level) is the background sound pressure level at a
While describing sound in terms of sound pressure given location, normally specified as a reference level
(Pascal) is possible, a logarithmic conversion is to study a new intrusive sound source.
usually applied and the sound pressure level is stated
instead, with 0 dB SPL equal to 20 micro Ambient sound levels are often measured in order to
pascals.Decibel measurements are obtained by using map sound conditions over a spatial regime to
the Sound Level Meter. The microphone converts understand their variation with locale. In this case the
fluctuating air pressure produced by a sound source product of the investigation is a sound level contour
into a fluctuating electrical charge. That electrical map. Alternatively ambient noise levels may be
charge is then converted by the input amplifier into a measured to provide a reference point for analyzing
voltage that, once processed by the electrical an intrusive sound to a given environment.
circuitry, is converted into a sound pressure level
(SPL). The output amplifier then converts the weak Sound tests were conducted using XL2 Data Analyzer
sound signal to a level adequate to display on the by producing pink noise spectrum from loud
read out panel. speakers. This acoustic quality can be characterized
based on the reverberation time (RT), speech
Finally, the read out panel displays the average transmission index (STI) and the sound insulation.
sound pressure levels for the environment being
analyzed. Filters can be used by the meters to The investigation used acoustic measurement
measure specific bands of sound wave pressure by methods to assess the acoustic quality of the nave
honing in on specific frequencies within a larger and the results were compared with the standards
sound escape. ISO 3382-1 and ISO 3382-2.

Some advanced sound level meters can also include The results of this work were obtained by measuring
reverberation time (RT60) (a measure of the time the RT values and the sound insulation of auditorium
required for the sound to "fade away" in an enclosed façades. In addition to these parameters obtained by
area after the source of the sound has stopped) measurements, STI was obtained through the
measurement capabilities. computer simulation. The results showed that the
measured and calculated values were consistent with
The performance of a loudspeaker/listening room those proposed by the standards for speech
combination really matters, as the two interact in auditoria (RT500Hz = 0.98 s, D50> 50% and STI>
multiple ways. There are two approaches to high- 0.45), and are in line with the speech intelligibility
quality reproduction. One ensures the listening room requirements.

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Anjali Baby. International Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology, 2021, 9:2 International Journal of Science,
Engineering and Technology
An Open Access Journal

IX. SOUND TEST RESULTS economical than any other material. They also
provide soothing effect to the audience occupying
the hall.
It was noted that every value exceeded the standard
limits for achieving a good acoustic auditorium hall.
The efficiency of foams is also remarkable from their
The primary and significant factor that narrows the
sound absorption coefficients which reduce the RT60
sound quality of our site was the Reverberation Time.
from 1.58s in Option A to 1.51s in Option B.
Its value as recorded is very poor (high) to perform
acoustical quality.
Calculation using Sabine’s formula
According to Sabine’s formula, reverberation time be
According to Sabine, the frequency dependent
calculated as,
reverberation time of a room is usually given for the
RT = 0.163 * V/SA
center of a third octave band filter frequency of 500
Hz or 1 kHz or a frequency dependent response
V= Room Volume= 54.14mx15.90mx12.00m =10,330
curve of the reverberation time of the frequency, but
cubic meters.
this is not a "frequency response" of the
SA = Surface Area
reverberation.

The value of reverberation time in existing condition,

So, RT60 value at 500Hz was taken as Reference
after acoustical treatment with and without underlay
Frequency for RT calculation. Thus, the peak value
were calculated and obtained as below.
obtained at site was noted as 2.45s.. The STC rating
of existing door is 23.5, which is very poor to perform
 RT = 0.163*10,330/647.53 = 2.60032s
good acoustical quality for the auditorium. The same
 RT = 0.163*10,330/1,064.62 = 1.58158s
value was obtained from test data of Sound Level
 RT = 0.163*10,330/1,112.62 = 1.51335s
Meter.

X. ACOUSTICAL TREATMENT XI. CONCLUSIONS

Scope of acoustics and its importance in the field of

Acoustical treatment is required on ceiling as well as
civil engineering are studied in this paper. The need
on walls to achieve the sound quality requirements.
for acoustics in buildings is to a great extend The
10mm carpeted floor option is recommended to
fundamental concepts of acoustics, general
produce significant reduction in reverberation time
requirements for a good acoustic room, various
which improves the speech intelligibility inside the
defects in acoustics and common acoustic materials
auditorium. Ceiling and walls are to be installed with
used in construction were also familiarized.
Echo soft Acoustic panels of 50mm thickness.

A case study was conducted in an auditorium to

The overall modification will make the auditorium
study different acoustical properties as well as the
acoustically sound, however not completely meeting
important parameters affecting building acoustics.
the standards due to existing conditions. So, another
Manual calculation using Sabine's formula gives the
option has to be made to bring the best acoustical
value of reverberation time inside the room from
performance which was also studied in this project.
combined room absorption values data. The
obtained value was verified with the existing
An additional material was installed to reach the
software used in acoustics design.
standard criterion; which is to bring the reverberation
time to 1.5s for obtaining a good acoustical
Since one of the main goals of architectural acoustics
auditorium. The material which we used in addition is
is to provide optimum speech intelligibility and
to lay insulation foams beneath the carpet flooring.
sound quality in auditoriums of public buildings,
acoustical input is required in the construction of
We tried to ensure that our treatment
new buildings and during the refurbishment of
recommendations are efficient, durable and
existing buildings whether they are general purpose
economical thus making it best possibility of our
or specialized facilities.
study. The insulation foams are cheaper and

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Anjali Baby. International Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology, 2021, 9:2 International Journal of Science,
Engineering and Technology
An Open Access Journal

The acoustical inputs therefore include the use of At this instance, we are deeply indebted to our
materials that can ensure good absorption, parents and friends for their moral support. Above all
reflection, transmission and diffusion of sound in we would like to thank the Almighty God for the
order to eliminate the problems of reverberation and blessings that helped us to complete the venture
echoes and achieve an equal sensory of sound by an smoothly.
audience at different locations within the hall.
REFERENCES
It is recommended that an acoustician be consulted
for professional advice on design and the use of
[1] Ahmed Ali Elkhateeb, “The acoustical design of
materials that have good acoustic properties in order
the new lecture auditorium”, Ain Shams Journal,
to help optimize acoustics since the success of an
vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 219-235, 2012.
acoustical design depends to a considerable extent
[2] Kabiru Maishanu, Asst. Prof. Dr. Halil Zafer
upon how completely the acoustician's
Alibaba“ Auditorium Acoustics From Past to
recommendations are followed in carrying out the
Present”, vol.7, no. 1, pp. 15-23, 2017.
design.
[3] Prof. F R Watson, “Acoustics of Buildings:
including Acoustics of Auditoriums and Sound-
Ignoring, or partial acceptance of recommendations
proofing of Rooms”, J. Wiley & Sons, vol. 11, no.
usually leads to acoustical deficiencies in the hall.
29, pp. 155-162, 1914.
Choosing the most suitable materials aids the overall
[4] Mariam Azimi, J Archit Eng Tech, “Noise
noise control of the building and creates a
Reduction in Buildings using Sound Absorbing
conductive environment for event hosting.
Materials”, vol.6, no. 2, pp. 198, 2017.
Consideration must also be taken on the type and
[5] SaurabhYadav et al., “Reverberation time
position of speakers in the hall as a vital factor on the
improvement of lecture auditorium: A case
overall acoustical control achieved. The desired
study”, vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 14-19, 2018.
optimum reverberation time of 0.9s is perfect for a
[6] Sri Priya et al., “Design of an Auditorium
speech-based auditorium, while still being suitable
Building”, vol.7, no. 4, pp. 13, 2018.
for musical performances which were a regular
[7] Z. A. Rachman et al., “The usage of natural
feature in the auditorium.
materials for the green acoustic panels based on
the coconut fibres and the citric acid solutions”,
XII. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT vol. 1075, no.1, 2018.

We wish to extent our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Brilly

S Sangeetha, Principal, IES College of Engineering,
Chittilappilly, for providing all the required facilities.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to Dr. S.
Kamalakannan, Senior Assistant Professor and Head
of Civil Engineering Department, for expert guidance
and valuable suggestions.

We would like to express our deep sense of gratitude

and indebtedness to our guide, Ms. Anjali Baby,
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
for her timely corrections; scholarly guidance and
immense support that made us confident enough to
come out successfully.

We express our hearty gratitude towards the project

coordinator, Ms. Steffy Maria Simon, Assistant
Professor, Department of Civil Engineering. We are
sincerely thankful to all teaching and non-teaching
staff of IES College of Engineering for the direct and
indirect help.

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