ABSORBING MATERIALS FUNDAMENTAL FREQUENCY

- Dissipate acoustic energy within their structure as heat and/or - Lowest frequency present in a complex tone
mechanical energy of vibration
- For absorbing acoustic energy on the boundary surfaces of GEOMETRIC ACOUSTICS
rooms or cavities of structures - Behavior of sound waves likened to that of light rays

ABSORPTION HARMONICS
- Ability of a material to absorb acoustical energy - Component of sound containing more than 1 frequency which is
- Measured in sabins an integral multiple of the lowest frequency

ACOUSTICAL ENVIRONMENT HEARING

- Overall environment that affects the acoustic condition of the - Subjective response to sound including the entire mechanism of
space the ear and the nervous and cerebral operations that translate
the physical stimuli to meaningful signals
ACOUSTICAL IMPEDANCE
- Resistance to the flow of acoustical energy, measured in rayls at INFRASOUND
specific frequencies - Noise of frequency less than 20 cycles per second

AIRBORNE SOUND INTENSITY LEVEL

- Sound transmitted through air by a series of oscillating pressure - 10 times the log of the ratio of sound intensity to a reference
fluctuations sound intensity

AIR COLUMN LIQUIDBORNE SOUND

- Air space enclosed on at least 5 sides - Caused by pulsations of liquid pressure about the mean static
- Example: Pipes of a pipe organ pressure

AMBIENT MASKING
- Existing surrounding conditions - Covering up one sound by another sound

AMPLIFICATION NOISE
- Increase in intensity level of an audible signal produced by - Any unwanted sound that interferes with speech and hearing
electronic amplification apparatus
NOISE ISOLATION CLASS
BACKGROUND SOUND - Single number rating derived, and based on Noise Reduction
- Noise from all sources in an environment
NOISE REDUCTION
CONDUCTOR OF SOUND - Reduction in level of unwanted sound by any several means
- Elastic material that carries or transmits energy
OCTAVE
CREEP - Frequency band whose upper limit is twice the lower limit
- Sound transmission along curved surfaces - A division of the audible frequency range
- Standard acoustical octave bands are centered at 16, 31.5, 63,
DAMPING 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 and 8000 Hz
- Energy dissipation in an oscillating system
- Damped system cannot oscillate freely PARTIALS
- Component of high frequencies
DECAY RATE
- Rate at which sound pressure level decreases when sound REFLECTED SOUND
source is eliminated - Resultant sound energy returned from a surface that is not
absorbed
DIAPHRAGM
- Thin body that separates two areas RESONANCE
- When forces of oscillation of a system occur at or near a natural
DIFFUSE SOUND FIELD frequency of a system
- Field in which the sound intensity is independent of its direction
- Area where the average rate of sound energy flow is equal in all REVERBERATION
directions - Persistence of sound in an enclosed space as a result of
repeated reflection or scattering of sound
DIRECT SOUND FIELD
- Field in which the energy arrives at the receiver in a direct path REVERBERATION SOUND FIELD
from the source - Sound reflected from the boundaries within an enclosed space

DISTORTION REVERBERATION TIME

- Change in the transmitted signal; sound received is not a replica - Time in seconds required for a sound to decay to inaudibility
of the original source sound after the sound ceases

ECHO SABIN
- Sound waves reflected back to a listener with sufficient - Measure of sound absorption
magnitude and time delay - Named after Wallace Clement Sabine

FOCUSING SOUND CONDITIONING

- Concentration of reflected acoustic energy within a limited - Designing a space for effective retention of desirable sounds and
location as the result of reflections from concave surfaces maximum relief from undesirable acoustical effects
 - Originally limited to human experience produced by the
SOUND DIFFRACTION stimulation of the human ear by sound incident from
- Phenomenon when sound waves to be bent or scattered around surrounding air

SOUND DIFFUSION 3 MAIN ELEMENTS

- Sound travels in all directions - Source (generator)
- Path (medium)
SOUND POWER - Receiver
- Rate at which acoustic energy is radiated
- Measured in watts ACOUSTICAL ANALYSIS
- Detailed study of all pertinent sound sources, sound
SOUND PRESSURE transmission paths and sound receptors in the context of an
- Fluctuation of pressure about atmospheric pressure acoustical problem
- Measured in micropascuals - Study of the use of a building, location and acoustical
environment in each usable area
SOUND PROPAGATION
- Origination of transmission of sound energy ACOUSTICAL DESIGN
- Planning of an enclosed space to establish the acoustical
SOUND REINFORCEMENT environment necessary for distinct hearing
- Beneficial reinforcement of a sound signal provided by sound-
reflecting surfaces or by a loudspeaker system ACOUSTICAL ENVIRONMENT
- Whole environment that affect acoustical conditions
SOUND ISOLATION/INSULATION
- Use of materials designed to reduce sound transmission ACOUSTICAL TREATMENT
- Use of acoustical absorbing or reflecting materials or sound-
SOUND TRANSMISSION CLASS isolating structures to improve acoustical environment
- Single number rating of the sound insulation value of a partition,
door, etc. ROOM ACOUSTICS
- Qualities of characteristics of a room that determine the
SOUND TRANSMISSION LOSS audibility of speech or fidelity of musical sounds in it
- Difference of the sound pressure level on the receiver side of a
barrier from the source side
ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS
SPLAY - Deals with providing rooms and buildings with good conditions
- Sight offset in angle from a flat plane in walls or ceilings for listening to speech and music

STRUCTUREBORNE SOUND ENGINEERING ACOUSTICS

- Sound transmission through solid material by means of - Technology of sound production and recording
vibrations - Study of vibrations of solids and their control and use of high-
intensity ultrasonic
SUBJECTIVE - Noise is an important aspect of engineering acoustics
- Conditions of the brain and sense organs rather than direct
physical actions ENVIRONMENTAL ACOUSTICS
- Control of noise pollution
THRESHOLD OF AUDIBILITY
- Minimum sound pressure level that is capable of evoking UNDERWATER ACOUSTICS
auditory sensation - Deals with all aspects of sound in the sea for vessel detection
and seabed explorations
THRESHOLD OF PAIN
- Minimum sound pressure level of sound which stimulates the BIOACOUSTICS AND MEDICAL ACOUSTICS
ear to the point of discomfort - Use of high-frequency sound in medical diagnosis and therapy
and in the study of behavior of animals
TONE
- Subjective response of the ear to the pitch of a sound PHYSIOLOGICAL
- The way humans and animals hear things
WAVEFORM
- Shape of the graphic representation of a sound wave PSYCHOLOGICAL
- The way humans and animals interpret sounds
WAVEFRONT
- Spherical surface of the wave as it travels out in all directions MUSICAL ACOUSTICS
from the source - Physics of musical instruments

SPEECH OR COMMUNICATION ACOUSTICS

ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS - Production and transmission of speech
- Science and technology of controlling sound in and around
buildings
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF ARCHITECTTURAL ACOUSTICS
ACOUSTICS - Room Acoustics
- Science of audible sound o Actual condition of the room
- Technology of designing spaces to meet hearing needs - Sound Isolation
- Study of how sounds are created, transmitted and received o Site noise characteristics, outdoor barriers, wall, floor
- Branch of physics that deals with the production, control, etc. of and ceilings constructions etc.
sound waves - Mechanical System Noise and Vibrations
 o Produces unnecessary sound
- Electronic Sound Amplification Systems - Sound waves
o Produces unnecessary sound o Transmitted compressional disturbances in which the
o Used to regulate volume of sound pressure or density at any point in the medium is
caused to vary from its equilibrium value
o Travel in all directions
BASIC SOUND THEORY - The velocity of sound depends of the type of wave, the nature of
- Sound the medium and the temperature
o Aural sensation caused by an oscillation or vibration - Intensity
in an elastic medium o Average rate of sound energy flow per unit area in a
o Travels in any medium except in a vacuum because direction perpendicular to the area
there is no sound carrier - Attenuation
o Oscillation in pressure of the atmosphere which is o The intensity of all practical sound waves diminishes
capable of being detected by the human ear with distance from a source
- The medium returns to its normal state after sound pass o Due to the spreading of the sound wave over larger
through it and larger surfaces
- Vibrating particles of sound move in an infinitesimal amount to o Due to actual absorption of the energy by the
either side causing particles to impart its motion and energy to medium with transformation to heat
them
SOUND AUDIBILITY
SOUND GENERATION - Not all frequencies are audible by human beings
- Any change of stress or pressure producing a local change in - Average range of audibility extends from 20 – 20,000 hz
density - Infrasonic < 20 hz…20,000 hz < Ultrasonic
- A local displacement from equilibrium in an elastic medium can
serve as a source of sound SOUND DETECTION AND EFFECT
- Example: human vocal mechanism - Made possible by the incidence of transmitted sound energy or
an appropriate acoustic transducer
MODERN ACOUSTICS - Any transducer used as a source of sound is also a detector,
- Reproduction of sound though sensitivity varies
- Can control frequency and intensity

ACOUSTIC TRANSDUCERS LONGITUDINAL WAVES

- Transforms any type of energy to sound energy and vice versa - Vibration of the medium is parallel (forward and backward) to
- Electroacoustic Transducer the direction of the wave propagation
o Electrical energy  Mechanical Energy sound - Speed (m/s) = frequency (Hz) x wavelength (lambda)
o Electrodynamic Speaker - Compression
 Used in sound reproduction systems, o Concentration of the conductor molecules to
public address systems and radio & TV produce a high-pitch layer of sound
o Piezoelectric & Magnetostrictive Transducers
 Used in scientific and industrial
applications of acoustics
- Non-Electric Acoustic Transducer
o Siren
 Interrupts the fluid flow results in the
production of sound

CYCLE
- Full circuit displaced particle TRANSVERSE WAVE
- Vibration of particles of the medium are perpendicular to the
PERIOD direction of wave motion
- Time required for one complete cycle - Amplitude
o Maximum displacement of the conductor molecules
FREQUENCY during each cycle of sound wave
- Number of complete cycles per second
- Rate of repetition of a periodic event
- Measured in hertz (hz)
- The greater number of cycles, the higher the pitch
- Human voice = 100-600 hz
- Harmonics may reach 7500 hertz

PITCH
- Subjective response of human hearing to frequency
- Attribute of an auditory sensation which enables us to order
sound on a scale extending from low to high frequency
SOUND TRANSMISSION
- Propagation of sound energy through an elastic medium by
means of wave motion
- Wave
o Motion through the medium as a whole
o The wave energy is carried forward, but not the
medium
o Example: Surface wave on water
PURE TONE
- Vibration at a single frequency
COMPLEX TONE
- Vibration in pressure caused music, speech, or noise
- Sensation characterized by more than one frequency
WAVELENGTH
- Distance between similar points on successive waves
- Distance sound waves travels in one cycle
VELOCITY OF SOUND STRUCTURE OF THE HUMAN EAR
- Depends on the elasticity and density of the medium - Outer ear
- In air and at normal atmospheric pressure and temperature = o Pinna
1130 ft per sec o Skin-covered flap of elastic cartilage projecting from
- Velocity of light = 186000 miles per sec the side of the head and funneling sound into the
- 20°F rise will cause a 2% change in the velocity of sound in air middle ear
- In architectural acoustics = 330 m/s o Only in mammals and amphibians
- Middle ear
PROPAGATION OF SOUND WAVES o Air-filled chamber
- Pressure fluctuations in the air are due to molecules of air o Connected to the pharynx by the Eustachian tube
vibrating back and forth about their original position by passing o Equalizes the pressure on the two sides of the
on some of their energy eardrum
o Only in mammals and amphibians
PRESBYCUSIS - Inner ear
- Hearing sensitivity diminishes with age o Contains the sensory receptors for hearing
o Receptors are in a fluid-filled chamber called Cochlea
SOCIOCUSIS o Present in all vertebrates
- Exposure to daily intense sound and noise that can cause
permanent hearing damage
SOUND ABSORPTION
NOSOCUSIS - Processes that result in acoustical absorption are friction and
- Hearing loss that are attributed to sickness resonance
- Reciprocal of sound reflection
TINNITUS
- High-pitched ringing in the ears ABSORPTION THROUGH FRICTION
- When sound has access to the fine pores that one finds in
SOUND INTENSITY; FREE FIELD PROPAGATION porous materials
- Intensity (W/cm²/m²= Acoustic Power (Watts) / Area (cm²/m²) - Air molecules are restrained from continuing their cycle of
compression and rarefaction
INVERSE SQUARE LAW (FREE FIELD) - Energy lost is converted to heat
- Free Field
o Field free from boundaries that would reflect sound ABSORPTION THROUGH RESONANCE
- Sound waves are theoretically spherical and expands outwards - When a stiff but not totally rigid system is set in motion by
from source sound
- I = P/4πr² - The system will absorb and dissipate the energy if its natural
frequency corresponds to that of the incoming sound
INVERSE SQUARE LAW
- I₁/I₂ = (d₂/d₁)² ACOUSTICAL ABSORPTIVITY
- Quantified by sound absorption coefficient α, which is the
INTENSITY LEVEL CHANGES fraction of the incident energy absorbed
- Sound intensity is not perceived directly at the ear - Reflective materials
- Sound intensity is transferred from the hearing mechanism to o Have coefficients near 0
the brain where acoustical sensations can be interpreted as o Materials with coefficients below 0.20 are reflective
loudness - Absorptive materials
o Have coefficients near 1
LOUDNESS o Materials with coefficients of 0.80 or higher are
- Subjective attribute of an auditory sensation absorptive
- Measured in Sone and Phon - No material is perfectly reflective nor absorptive

Sound Decibel Category SOUND ABSORPTION COEFFCIENT

Whisper, Leaves rustling 0-20 db Very Faint - Fraction of sound energy absorbed or reflected by a surface
Private office conversations 20-40 db Faint - Varies from 0 to 1
Conversations in normal office 40-60 db Moderate - a = Σsα = s₁α₁ + s₂α₂…
Cocktail Party, Street noise 60-80 db Loud - a = total room absorption in sabins
Street noise (louder) 80-100 db Very Loud - s = surface area in ft²
Thunder, jet 100+ db Deafening - α = sound absorption coefficient at a given frequency in decimal
percent
DECIBEL
- Relates the intensity of sound to an intensity level ROOM NOISE REDUCTION
corresponding to human sensation - Decreases the buildup of sound levels in a room that are due to
- Basic metric unit for sound magnitude the repeated reflections of sound from enclosing surfaces
- 1 decibel = 10 bels - NR = 10 log (a₂/a₁)
- NR – room noise reduction in db
HUMAN EAR - a₂ - total room absorption from treatment in sabins
- Most important transducer for human beings - a₁ - total room absorption before treatment in sabins
- Sensitive organ which can detect sound with intensity as low as
W/cm² NOISE REDUCTION COEFFICIENT
- Organ of hearing and equilibrium - Arithmetic average of the sound absorption coefficient at 250,
- Converts sound waves to nerve impulses that are relayed to the 500, 1000 and 2000 Hz for a specific material and mounting
brain where they are interpreted sound condition
- Innermost portion maintains biological equilibrium through the - NRC = ( + + + ) /4
vestibular apparatus which includes the semi-circular canals - α – sound absorption coefficient in decimal percent
SOUND REFLECTION
- Return of sound waves from surfaces on which they are incident
- Path of the sound wave is represented by a ray, that is, by a line
perpendicular to the advancing wavefront
- Angle of reflection = angle of incidence
- Reflected ray lies in the plane of incidence
- Average wavelength of sound is 100,000 times that of light
- Concave surface
o Concentrates the reflected sound waves
o Results to poor acoustics from undesirable focusing
- Convex surface
o Spread reflected waves
o Diffuse the sound throughout the room
ACOUSTICAL TREATMENT
- Sound levels in a room can be reduced by effective use of
sound-absorbing treatment
REVERBERATION CONTROL
- Done so that speech will not be garbled
- The larger the room volume, the longer the reverberation time
- Doubling the total amount of absorption in a room reduces
reverberation time by one half
NOISE REDUCTION
- Materials can control noise build-up in a room
- In large, open-plan rooms, sound absorbing materials can
contribute to speech privacy
ECHO CONTROL
- Sound-absorbing materials can be used to control echoes,
usually simultaneously with reverberation control
- Echoes – long, delayed, distinct reflections of sound
ACOUSTICAL MATERIALS
- Have the capacity to absorb sound to a certain degree
- Usually also used in sound insulation
- A good sound absorber is an efficient transmitter and an
efficient sound insulator
- An effective sound insulator enclosure will prevent the
transmission of sound from one side to the other
BRICK
- Modular building block made from clay
- Attenuates sound very well
- High orders of attenuation can be achieved with two side-by-
side but unconnected brick walls
- Joints must be fully mortared or otherwise sealed
- Absorption is negligible since there is little or no porosity and
the material is rigid
- Good all-frequency sound reflector
CONCRETE
- Mixture of Portland cement, stone and sand aggregates, and
water
- Normal weight concrete has a density of 144 pounds per cubic
foot
- Lightweight concrete is less effective
- Readily accepts and transmits impact sounds
- Provides virtually no absorption
- Aerated concretes are intentionally porous, therefore fairly
absorptive
MASONRY
- Stone-like materials
- Acoustical properties vary, but are comparable to those of brick,
concrete, and concrete masonry units
CONCRETE MASONRY UNITS
- Modular building blocks made of concrete
- Manufactured with hollow cores
- Attenuation depends on their weight
- Lightweight units may be adequate
- Normal-weight units, especially if solid or if cores are filled,
attenuate sound very well
- Two unconnected concrete masonry walls can provide high
orders of sound attenuation
- Slightly absorptive due to its somewhat porous surface
- Otherwise if well sealed, it becomes a good all-frequency
reflector
GLASS
- Light-transparent material made of a mixture of silicates
- Glass is a marginal sound attenuator because it is thin
- Almost totally reflective in the higher frequencies
- Glass resonates
- Can absorb amounts of low-frequency sound
LAMINATED GLASS
- Sandwich of two or more sheets of glass with viscoelastic
interlayers that provide damping
- Certain types of laminated glass offer substantially better sound
attenuation than an equal thickness of monolithic glass
WOOD DECKING
- Often exposed as finished ceiling
- Provides only nominal attenuation unless ballasted with heavier
materials
- Generally reflective
- Unsealed cracks between boards contribute a fair amount of
absorption
WOOD PANELING
- Negligible improvement over the attenuation of the basic wall
- Wood absorbs low frequency sound by resonance and may lead
to serious bass deficiency in music rooms unless thick or well
restrained
PLYWOOD
- Laminate of several layers of wood veneer
- Because of its density (36 pounds per cubic foot), plywood is
relatively ineffective as a sound attenuator
- Adequate attenuator in combination with other materials
- Thin plywood is a low-frequency absorber
- Reflective at high-frequencies
SOUND ABSORBING MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
- Incident sound energy not absorbed must be reflected,
transmitted or dissipated
- A material’s sound absorbing properties can be described as
sound absorption coefficient in a particular frequency range
- 1.0 is complete absorption and 0.01 being minimal absorption
POROUS MATERIALS
- Formed of matted or spun fibers or a cellular network of
interlocking pores
- Absorption is more efficient at high than low frequencies
- Acoustical efficiency improves in the low frequency range with
increased thickness and with distance
PREFABRICATED ACOUSTICAL UNITS
- Wallboards and tile boards that Include types of fiber tiles, lay-in
panels and perforated metal pans with absorbent pads
- Most are not sufficiently durable for wall application
- For walls, use fibrous materials with protective open facings
- Use membrane-faced or ceramic tile materials for humid
environment
ACOUSTICAL PLASTER AND SPRAYED-ON MATERIALS
- Acoustical plaster creates jointless surfaces that absorb sound
- Acoustical plaster is not a reliable sound absorber
- Mostly for noise in auditoriums, because of irregular shape of
the surface
- Applied in a semi-plastic consistency, either by spray gun or by
hand troweling
 - Best at the higher frequencies
ACOUSTICAL TILE
- Widely used ceiling material made of mineral or cellulose fibers
or of fiberglass
- Usually suspended in a metal grid
- Prone to damage when contacted, therefore not recommended
for surfaces, especially walls within human reach
- Suspended tile provide more low frequency absorption than
glued-on tile
- Membrane-faced tiles provide less high frequency absorption
that porous faces
ACOUSTICAL FOAM
- Usually made of polyurethane
- Open-cell foams are excellent sound absorbers
o Used for theater seats to stabilize reverberation
- Close-cell foams absorb sound, but less efficiently
o Applied to ringing surfaces
ACOUSTICAL (ISOLATION) BLANKETS
- Manufactured from wool or fibers, generally installed on a wood
or metal framing system
- Used in varying thicknesses, between 1 and 5 inches
- Absorption increases with thickness, particularly at low
frequencies
FIBERGLASS
- Excellent sound absorber
- Absorptivity depends on flow resistance, which is affected by
the material’s thickness, density and fiber diameter
- Thickness is the most important consideration
FIBROUS BATTS AND BLANKETS
- Usually made of fiberglass or mineral fiber
- Among the most common forms of acoustical and thermal
insulation
- Can be a wall finish or ceiling finish
- Absorb sound and reduce noise and reverberation
- If used between faces of a partition, it can improve attenuation
by absorbing sound that transit through the partition’s cavity
FIBROUS BOARDS
- Like batts and blankets but is of higher density (up to 20
pounds/square foot but usually near 6 pounds/square foot
- Those made of fiberglass are excellent sound absorbers
- Less porous or thinner boards are less absorptive
FIBER PLANK
- Rigid made of coarse fibers embedded in a cementitious mix
- Fibrous surface absorbs sound
- If exposed to the room, fibrous planks reduces noise and
reverberation
FIBROUS SPRAY
- Specified for fireproofing application
- Previously made of asbestos fibers which are a health hazard
- Porous, therefore absorptive
INSULATION (LOOSE)
- Similar to batts and blankets, except that it can be blown or
dumped in place
- Improves attenuation through the partition
CARPETS
- Soft floor finishes
- It reduces or almost complete eliminates impact noises
- Fiber type has no effect on sound absorption
- Cut piles provide more absorption than loop piles
- In cut pile fabrics, increased pile height and weight increases
sound absorption
- In loop pile fabrics, when pile weight increases, sound
absorption improves
- The more permeable backing, the higher the sound absorption
- Hair, hair jute ad foam rubber pads contribute to higher sound
absorption
CURTAINS AND FABRICS
- Curtains absorb sound if they are reasonably heavy and if their
flow resistance is high
- Fabrics attached directly to hard surfaces do not absorb sound
- If stretched over materials such as fiberglass, they make an
acoustically excellent finish that preserves the substrate’s
absorptivity
PANEL OR MEMBRANE ABSORBERS
- Impervious material installed on a solid backing but separated
from it by airspace will act as panel absorber and will vibrate
when struck by sound waves
- Incident sound energy is converted to heat through internal
viscous damping
- Efficient low frequency absorbers
- Examples are wood and hardwood panels, gypsum boards,
windows, glazing, etc.
- Often used in recording studios
VOLUME OR CAVITY RESONATOR (HEMHOLTZ RESONATORS)
- Consists of an enclosed body of air confined walls connected by
a narrow opening (called the neck) to the surrounding space, in
which the sound travels
- The impinging sound causes the air in the neck to vibrate
- Absorbs the maximum energy in a narrow region of low
frequency band
INDIVIDUAL RESONATOR
- Made of empty clay vessels of different sizes
- Effective absorption spread between 100-400 Hz
- Standard concrete block with slotted cavities called soundbox
units constitute a contemporary design
- Type A block units have ¼ in slots and combustible filler
materials in their cavities
- Thickness varies from 4-8 inches
PERFORATED RESONATOR
- Contain a large number of necks, constituting the perforations
of the panel
- Perforations are circular or slotted
SLIT RESONATORS
- Protective screen that consist of a system of wood, metal or
rigid plastic slats with a series of slots with an isolation blanket
PREFABRICATED SOUND ABSORBING MATERIALS
- For walls, use fibrous materials with protective open lacings
- For humid environments, use faced or ceramic tile materials
- Regular perforated tile
- Fissured tile
- Random perforated tile
- Shredded wood foamboard
- Glass fiber blankets and boards
- Textured or patterned tile or pane
- Slotted tile or panel
- Membrane-faced or ceramic tile materials
- Smooth spray-on materials
- Rough spray-on material
SUSPENDED SOUND ABSORBING PANELS AND UNITS
- Units with edges and sides exposed which can provide
extremely high absorption per ft² of material because at six
surface will be exposed to sound waves
- Three types
o Parallel
o Honeycomb
o Egg Crate
TRANSONDENT FACINGS - High performance absorption combined with STC value
- May range from 5 to 50 percent or more in open area
- Facings tend to reduce the effectiveness of sound-absorbing FOAM BAFFLE
materials by reflecting high frequency sound waves - Suspended vertically from their own wire frame with corner
- The lower the % of open area in the facing, the less absorption eyelets
of high frequency sound energy - Absorbs unwanted echo

RELATIVE EFFICIENCY OF SOUND ABSORBERS PYRAMIDS

- Thin porous materials
o Sound energy  friction  heat
- Vibrating Panels
o Sound energy  Vibrational energy  Internal
damping and radiation
- Volume Resonators
o Reduce sound energy by friction
POLYURETHANE FOAM SOUND ABSORBER
- Pattern designed to absorb the widest range of frequencies
- Reduces reflected noise and reverberation time
MELAMINE FOAM LINEAR WEDGES
- Linear wedge pattern offers excellent absorption
MELAMINE FOAM SOUND ABSORBER
- Designed for sound absorption in a wide range of frequencies
- Increased surface absorption area
ACOUSTICAL BAFFLES
- Economical, durable, lightweight
- Soft-textured beaded surface
ABSORPTIVE/NOISE BARRIER QUILTED CURTAINS
- Effective durable absorber with mass loaded vinyl barrier option
- Quilted pattern
- Solution to a wide range of noise control problems
MELAMINE FOAM COMPOSITE SOUND CONTAINMENT SYSTEM
- Suited to line equipment enclosures in mechanical or utility
rooms
HANGING ACOUSTICAL BAFFLES
- Soft-textured
- Used in auditoriums, music rooms, cafeterias, gymnasiums, etc.
LOW FREQUENCY SOUND ABSORBER/INSULATOR
- 1.2 lb. density recycled bonded acoustical cotton fiber
- Good low frequency absorption
SOUND DEADENING, SOUND ABSORBING, INSULATING, LOW COST
- Recycled wood fiver residue
- Used as a damping later between studs and gypsum boards to
improve Sound Transmission Class
POROUS EXPANDED POLYPROPYLENE ACOUSTICAL WALL PANELS
- Non-abrasive, porous
- Bacteria and fungi-resistant
- Tackable surface
- Ideal for studio applications where acoustics and aesthetics are
utmost considerations
FOAM PANEL
- Rectangular polyurethane foam panels cut with standard egg
shell face
- Convoluted surface is designed to maximize the acoustic
absorption qualities of foam
- Not recommended for use in public buildings where Class A fire
rating is required
FIREFLEX
- Designed for maximum sound absorption where Class A Fire
Rating is a must
- Resistant to organic solvents, alkalis and diluted acids
- Eggshell pattern
BASS TRAP
- Flutes of foam that stack on each other in room corners
- Combats low impact noise
ACOUSTICAL NOISE REDUCTION BLANKET
- Has effective sound absorption and noise reduction properties
- Dirt and oil-resistant, cleanable and designed for industrial use
ACOUSTICAL FOAM
- Commonly used in areas that do not need aesthetic
consideration
- Increases surface area and distributes sound waves over a broad
amount of material
- Allows sound to be trapped and dissipated within the foam
- Absorbs sound to slow down echo and reverberation
LOOSE FILL INSULATION
- Loose fibers or granules from rock wool, fiberglass, etc.
- Blown at a relatively high density into wall or ceiling cavity to
resist air infiltration (Dense pack)
- Co-sprayed with an adhesive or water (Wet spray)
HEMHOLTZ RESONATOR
- Arrangement of two parallel coils of wire used to produce a
region of uniform magnetic field and to the acoustic resonators
- Show sharp resonance, therefore making it possible to detect
individual frequency components of a complex acoustic wave
configuration
MELAMINE FOAM CEILING TILES
- Excellent for controlling sound reverberation than standard
ceiling tiles

SAILCLOTH AND VINYL ENCAPSULATED ACOUSTICAL BAFFLES GYPSUM BOARD

- Cost-effective - Gypsum core and paper facings
- Used for any large area where noise and reverberation needs to - Suited for fire resistance
be reduced such as gymnasiums
REGULAR
POLYURETHANE FOAM COMPOSTIE SOUND CONTAINMENT SYSTEM - Surface layer for walls and ceilings
- Flat surface
- For line equipment enclosures TYPE X
- 1 ½ inch or 5/8 inch thickness
BONDED ACOUSTICAL PAD - Improved fire-resistance through use of fibers
- For schools, gymnasiums, cafeterias, etc.
TYPE C or IMPROVED X
ACOUSTICAL COTTON FIBER COMPOSITE PANEL SOUND ABSORBER - Additional additives improve fire-resistance
- Foil on one side
WATER RESISTANT BOARD Disclaimer:
- Also known as green board Please do not rely on this reviewer! I merely summarized the handouts
- Designed as a ceramic tile backing board given, where the test will be most likely based on. Review your notes,
group powerpoints and additional reading materials.
GYPSUM CORE BOARD
- 1 inch thick panel used in shaft wall assemblies and laminated
gypsum assemblies

GYPSUM LINER BOARD

- ¾ inch or 1 inch thick board used in area separation wall systems

SOLFIT BOARD
- For under protected overhangs and walkways

GYPSUM SHEATHING
- For underlayment in exterior walls for structural stability and
fire protection

ACOSTICAL ROOM DESIGN

- Length width ratios between 2:1 and 1.2:1 have been
satisfactory

REFLECTION AND ECHOES

- Advantageous to design a floor plan with diverging sound walls
- Reflected sound always travels a greater distance than the
sound that reaches the listener by a direct path
- If the difference of these paths is greater than 65 ft., time delay
in the arrival of the reflected sound is sufficient for the listener
to hear it as an echo
- Oath length differences of 50-65 ft. produce a blurring quality
- Surfaces should not be smooth and reflective but should be
acoustically rough to diffuse the sound or be covered with
absorptive material

FLUTTER ECHO
- Rapid succession of echoes caused by reflection of sound back
and forth between 2 smooth and hard parallel walls
- Can be avoided by use of tilted walls or splays

SEATS
- Good auditorium design to elevate seats in order to promote a
free flow of direct sound from the source to the listeners

WALLS
- Large concave walls should be avoided
- Concave walls are responsible for troublesome echoes and
delayed reflections
- Splays in ceilings and in rear walls create better reflections

FLOORS
- Circular and elliptical floor plans produce unwanted focusing
effects
- Acoustical conditions can be improved by the addition of convex
diffusing surfaces

CEILINGS
- Concave ceilings should be avoided unless given careful
acoustical design considerations
- Ideal auditorium height
o 1/3 or 2/3 of the width
o 1/5 of length for large rooms
o 25 of length for small rooms
- Ratio for length and width in auditoriums = max 2:1

Goodluck!
BALCONIES
- Shallow depth and high opening
- Depth should not exceed twice the height of the opening

REVERBERATION TIME
- T = 0.05 x Volume / a
- T – Total reverberation time in seconds
- V – volume of room in ft²
- a – total ft² of room absorption in sabins