GENERAL PRINCIPLES IN

ACOUSTICS FOR
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

Presented By :
Amit K. Sharma (11110212)
Tanmay Sen (111110222)

ABSTRACT

The Current presentation aims at marking the

principles and factors affecting the acoustical
comfort for a building.

Certain architectural measures are to be

determined which will provide possible
solutions to the acoustical problems in design.

The Two Factors

REVERBERATION
SOUND REFLECTION

Reverberation

Reverbaration refers to the decay of sound

over time

Could be utilized by creating buffer zones

between residences and noise creating areas.

Measures in site planning

Several measures can be implemented in site

planning to ensure acoustical comfort. Both
the factors are simultaneously considered in
site planning to provide proper acoustical
comfort.

Measures in site planning

Trees can be used as effective sound absorbes

as well.

Providing trees around a complex serves as a

good acoustical comforting technique,
generally used in public building as hospitals
and schools.

Measures in site planning

Buildings are designed as L shaped

structures, having shorter sides on the noise
zone, minimum openings are provided to
screen off the additional penitration of noise.
Distances are increased between noise creating
areas and residences to screen of the noises by
using buffers.

Examples of buffers

Buffer zones can be created in a number of

ways, some of them mentioned as follows. . .
Parkings.
Gardens.
Pathways.
Artificial water bodies.
Dead zones ( store rooms, toilets, etc)

Sound Reflection

Sound travels as material waves, So when it

strikes a material surface it either gets
reflected, transmitted or absorbed.

If a considerable amount of vibrations are

reflected off the surfaces or absorbed, then the
surfaces create good sound proofing agents.

Materials

Hard materials reflect a

considerable amount of
vibrations but also transmits
some vibrations through
them.

Soft and porous materials

absorb sound vibrations and
act as great barriers, still
sound waves penetrate
through such materials if
applied in thin layers.

Sound proofing of walls

To make a wall sound proof two walls are

generally used having voids in between.

To add to the effect the voids are filled with

foam or other such sound absorbing material to
add additional protections from sound.

Glass acts as good sound proofing agent and is

used at openings like doors and windows to
completely screen off the vibrations.

Construction measures

Rat trap bonded walls

contains voids in between
and air acts as great sound
insulator, hence are good
sound proofing agents.

Heavy concreat blocks

effectively reflect sound
vibrations and hence can be
utilized to create
acoustically perfect
complexes.

Rat trap Bonded wall

Conclusion

In the given presentation the two basic

principles related to acoustical designing were
discussed namely 1. Reverberation 2. Sound
reflection.
Various method were plotted using the given
principle to create a acoustically sound design.
Several materials were said about which are
used for creating quality walls with respect to
acoustical characters.