Acoustics

Unit I: Acoustics-
1.4 Generation and propagation of sound, properties of sound, human hearing ranges
1.5 Planning and design to control outdoor noise and indoor noise
1.6 Materials and construction for acoustical treatment, NRC and STC ratings

Video Link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVjyV-thkM4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysdfoA-t1aA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk-hEpUQZQY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHEi-tCqmsI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyqhgnc5cWI&list=PLbRMhDVUMngeGSqPVkrc8G_kApltxEEos&index=1

Introduction

“Acoustics” is derived from the Greek Word akovtikos ( Akoustikos), meaning of or for hearing ,
ready to hear”.
• Is a branch of physics Deals with study of all kinds of mechanical waves in any medium.
• It was Aristotle who first established the relation that anything that vibrates can produce sound
dates back to (384-322 BC)

Building Acoustics

• The scientific knowledge how to achieve a good sound within a space (building)

• Involves the study of speech Intelligibility , Speed Privacy , music quality , noise control and
vibration reduction within the build environment.

Amplitude, Cycle , frequency ,time period and wavelength

Sound energy travels but each vibrating particle of the medium moves an infinitesimal amount and bumps against adjacent particles. It imparts
most of its motion and energy to them.

Sound vibration travels in a wave pattern and these vibrations called sound waves.

Sound waves move by vibrating objects and these objects vibrate other surrounding objects , carrying the sound along.
The maximum displacement of the particle during vibration is called Amplitude.

A full circuit by a displaced particle is called a Cycle.

The time required for one complete cycle is called the Time Period and is measured in seconds per cycle.

The number of complete cycles per second is called the frequency of vibration and is measured in cycles per second whose unit is hertz(Hz).
The distance a sound wave travels during one cycle of vibration is called the wavelength.
The movement causes adjacent particles to push together or draw apart compression and Rarefaction.
Propagation of Sound

The travelling of sound is called propagation of sound.

Sound is propagated by the to and fro motion of particles of the medium.

When an object vibrates, the particles around the medium vibrate. The particle in contact with the vibrating object is first displaced from its equilibrium
position. Each particle disturbs the other particle in contact. Thus, the disturbance is carried from the source to the listener.
Human Hearing and Speech

Humans can hear sounds ranging from 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

Sounds with frequencies above the range of human hearing are called ultrasound. Sounds with frequencies below the range of human hearing are called
infrasound. The typical sound produced by human speech has frequencies in the order of 100 to 1,000 Hz.
Three Basic elements

SOURCE-
Speed, Machineries', HVAC equipment, Gadgets (like food mixer , grinder , Vacuum cleaner, washing machine and dryer , cooler , air conditioner)
motor vehicles, aircraft, trains , industrial sources ant other activities.
Made louder or quieter through sound absorbing / reflecting materials placement.

PATH :
Air, Earth, building materials

Made to transmit more or less sound through double wall constructions etc. to interrupt sound path for isolation.

RECIEVER: Human / Animal ears, Medical equipment- internal mechanical equipment, outdoor noises
Can be made better and more comfortable if distracting noise is controlled

Acoustics Should be focused on all three parts.

Acoustics requirement should be considered at earliest stages of building designs as later corrections may be difficult and extremely expensive.
Planning and design to control outdoor noise and indoor noise

• A proper architectural design helps in noise control in buildings to a great extent.

• It helps in minimizing many costly techniques of noise control in buildings.

• The arrangement of elements like window placing, door, the position of the bedroom,
balcony, courtyard by proper acoustical planning help in reduction of unwanted noise
within the building.

Techniques for Noise Control in Buildings through Architectural Acoustic Design Noise in the building can be control by
following methods

1.Room arrangement
2.Use of solid walls
3.Planning for single story houses
4.Proper arrangement of balconies
5.Having courtyards
 Room Arrangement in Buildings for Noise Control

Considering the rooms in a building based on sensitivity, we can divide into less sensitive rooms and more sensitive room.
Now less sensitive rooms are the kitchen, bathroom etc. More sensitive rooms are bedrooms, living rooms.

The arrangement of rooms must be made in such a way that more sensitive rooms are away from the noise and the less
sensitive rooms are toward or closer to the noise source. The arrangement of rooms for noise control is shown in figure-1.

This planning was applied widely over a 100-acre land which comprises of residential buildings. The building was
near to a planned expressway. As per the concept of arrangement the kitchens and bathrooms were placed
near to the expressway and the bedrooms, living rooms where keep way from it. Thus, more sensitive rooms get a
shielding effect.

Use of Solid Walls in Buildings for Noise Control

The use of solid walls means, to use a wall with fewer openings. Mostly walls used in building construction are masonry.
When it comes to high-rise, concrete walls are used.

Whatever be the material chosen, both behave massive and resist noise in a very efficient manner. Now having an opening in
walls will reduce its efficiency in noise control.
The efficiency of walls can be explained in figure-2.

Here the wall barrier between the building and the

noise is not at an adequate height, but the lower floors
must feel comfortable with less noise. This is possible
because the barrier has no opening. To have the
complete role of a barrier, opening in walls facing the
direct noise must be planned accordingly and if
possible, eliminated. In a case where elimination is not
possible, reduction in the size of openings is
recommended.
 Planning for Single Story Houses

This is an architectural planning step taken before planning

the design of the building.

For example, consider that we have a land where the

construction has to be conducted, but we have a noise
source at a particular distance from the site. The plan is to
construct a two-story building. We also have a barrier in
between the site and the noise source. The situation is that
the reduction of noise from the source is efficient only when
the building is a single story as shown in figure-3.
When a more story building is planned the barrier, height will
be insufficient. Under such situation, it is always
recommended to compromise with the plan and go for an
economical and quality construction. Another option is to
adopt a split-level design for the building, that would meet all
the requirements.

Proper Arrangement of Balconies for Noise Control

Balconies provide access to the external environment as well as ventilation in the form of light and air. But the improper
arrangement of balconies would give complete discomfort, hiding all its advantages through noise.

Balconies have higher exposure to outside environment. If the building is faced towards a highly traffic prone area, with balcony
facing the same side, it would promote the intensity of noise entering the building, as shown in figure 4.

The problem is mainly seen in highly populated cities, where high rise building facing the highway is constructed. In such cases,
measures to reduce direct impact of noise must be carried out. Balconies can be placed in a shielded area than direct open
area.
Having Courtyards for Noise Control

Having courtyards helps in reduction noise control in buildings. This can be an added measure of noise reduction in architectural
planning and design. The Proper architectural design may also provide for noise reduction in an area outside of the building. They
provide an acoustical privacy. A shielding effect is provided by these courtyards. It is constructed in residences, schools, hospitals,
colleges etc.
The noise reduction coefficient

The noise reduction coefficient (commonly abbreviated NRC) is a single number value ranging from 0.0 to 1.0 that describes the
average sound absorption performance of a material. An NRC of 0.0 indicates the object does not attenuate mid-frequency
sounds, but rather reflects sound energy. This is more conceptual than physically achievable: even very thick concrete walls will
attenuate sound and may have an NRC of 0.05.

By definition, the NRC rating is a mathematical coefficient and should range only from 0.0 to 1.0. A 0.0 rating might represent
something like a smooth-finish concrete wall, where sound is completely reflected off the surface. A 1.0 rating might represent
something like an open window, where all the sound passes through the window opening and doesn’t reflect back into the space.

However, you may come across materials with NRC ratings higher than 1.0, which can be confusing. This doesn’t mean that the
material can absorb more sound than that arriving at the material; instead, it’s an issue with the testing standards used to determine
the NRC rating. The perimeter and thickness of the material being tested will cause an “edge effect” (diffraction), which can result in
errors in the calculation used to arrive at the NRC rating, yielding results above 1.0.

What is the difference between an NRC and STC rating?

While they both have to do with the acoustical properties of a material, the NRC Rating tells us how much sound is absorbed
by a product and the STC rating tells us how much sound is blocked from going through a product.

The STC rating, or Sound Transmission Class rating, is useful when you are concerned with soundproofing, or how much sound
enters and leaves a room.

For example, apartment buildings usually have STC rating requirements for the structure for reducing the amount of sound
that leaks out or in.

Guidelines for good acoustic design

The following are some of the principles and factors that are important for good acoustical conditions.
Site selection and planning
The site selection must be carried out with care. It must be ensured that the site selected is located in a quite surrounding
otherwise the cost of construction may escalate due extensive application of sound insulation. Air conditioned buildings
must be adequately insulated for elimination of compressor and grillage noise.

Dimensions
The size should be fixed in relation to the number of people to be accommodated in the room and the type and intensity
of the sound that has to produced in the room.

Shape
The shape of the hall/auditorium is extremely important in the acoustical design since it is the governing factor in correcting
defects like echoes, sound foci, dead spots, sound, shadows, etc. The shape of the hall is to be geometrically arranged in
view of better audibility.

Seats and seating arrangements

The seats should be arranged in concentric arcs of circles drawn with the center located as much behind the center of the curtain
line as its distance from the auditorium rear wall.
For good visibility and listening conditions, the successive rows of seats must be placed higher than the preceding ones.

Treatment of interior surfaces

The treatment of interior surfaces play an important role in acoustical design. The ceilings and walls should provide favorable
reflections to reinforce that reaches the rear part of the auditorium.

Reverberation and sound absorption

Certain amount of reverberation is necessary to accord richness to the music but too much reverberation is undesirable. Reflection
surfaces must be so designed to aid distribution of sound and must be earmarked for absorption materials.
The Decibel Scale

Ernst weber and Gustav Fechner discovered that:

“Nearly all human sensations are proportional to the logarithm of the intensity of the stimulus”
The unit bel was first used to relate the intensity of sound to an intensity level corresponding to human hearing sensation.
Ray diagram or Geometrical Acoustics

• Sound reflects as represented by ray diagram only when the surfaces which it hints is very large compared to the wavelength.
• Source is considered as static which may not be actually true.
• Detailed study may not be possible with respect to diffusion or scattering of sound.
FLAT REFLECTOR
Flat building elements, it large enough and properly oriented can effectively distributer reflected sound.
A slight tilt can project sound energy to rear of an auditorium.

CONVEX REFLECTOR
Can be most effective for sound distribution. The reflected waves diverge, enhancing diffusion which is highly desirable for music
listening.

Reflected sound
CONCAVE from convex surfaces is more evenly distributed across a wide range of frequencies.
REFLECTOR
Concave sound reflecting surfaces such as barrel vaults ( churches) and rear walls (Auditoriums) can focus sound, causing hot spots
and echoes in the seating areas.

They are poor distributes of sound and should be avoided where sound reflecting are required near source locations in a room such
as the walls near the stage.
Echo

Echo Control
Sound Absorbing materials can be used to control echo usually (along with reverberation control) Echoes are long delayed, distinct
reflections of sufficient sound level to be clearly heard above the general reverberation as a repetition of the original sound.

Flutter Echo
Flutter Echo, which can be heard as a “rattle “ or clicking from a hand clap, may be present in small rooms (or narrow spaces with
parallel walls) can also be controlled with sound absorbing materials.
Reverberation Time

The reverberant sound in an auditorium dies away with time as the sound energy is absorbed by multiple interactions
with the surfaces of room.

In a more reflective room, it will take longer for the sound to die away and the room is said to be live.
In a very absorbent room, the sound will die away quickly and the room will be described as acoustically dead.

In order to provide a reproducible parameter, a standard reverberation tune has been defined as the time for the
sound to die away to level 60 decibels below its original level.

What is a desirable reverberation time?

Sound Absorbtion Coefficient

Sound Absorbtion coefficient is an expression of the

effectiveness of sound absorbing materials.

It is the fraction of the incident sound energy that a material

absorbs.

Varies from >0 (=no absorption) to <1 (perfect, or all incident

sound energy absorbed) and is denoted as “ ”