ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS

PART 2

PREPARED BY ASSOC. PROF. RESMI NAVIN

ROOM ACOUSTICS
Behaviour of sound in enclosure:

1. Reflection
2. Refraction
3. Diffusion
4. Diffraction
5. Absorption
6. Transmission
ABSORPTION
 Absorption
The property of a
surface by which
sound energy is
converted into
other form of
energy is known as
absorption.

In the process of
absorption sound
energy is converted
into heat due to
frictional resistance
inside the pores of
the material.
Absorption co-efficient

The effectiveness of a surface in absorbing sound energy

is expressed with the help of absorption coefficient

Sound energy absorbed by the surface

=
Total sound energy incident on the surface
Absorption co-efficient
What is NRC ?
• Noise Reduction co-efficient.
is a scalar representation of the amount of sound
energy

0 1
Fully Fully
Reflective Absorptive

It is the average of absorption coefficients of 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz
REFLECTION
Reflection

• Reflection of sound waves is exactly the

same as that of light waves.
• That is angle of incidence is equal to the
angle of reflection. *c

REFLECTED WAVE
INCIDENT WAVE

*c *c

REFLECTING SURFACE.
Reflection
The reflected wave front from
a flat surface are also spherical
and their centre of curvature is
the image of source of sound. WAVE FRONT FLAT REFLECTOR

SOUND
SOURCE

12
REFLECTIONS OF SOUND WAVES
•Sound waves reflected
at a convex surface are
magnified and are
considered bigger.
WAVE FRONT CONVEX
•They are attenuated REFLECTOR
and therefore weaker.

•So convex surface may

SOUND
be used with advantage SOURCE
to spread the sound
waves throughout the
room.
•The sound waves reflected
at a concave surface are
considered smaller. CONCAVE REFLECTOR

•The waves are most

condensed and therefore
amplified.

•The concave surface may WAVE FRONT

be provided for
concentration of reflected
waves at certain points.

SOUND
SOURCE
GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF REFLECTIONS OF THE SOUND WAVES IN A CONCERT HALL
 Acoustical phenomena

Reflection in
enclosed spaces
• DIFFUSION
• DIFFRACTION
Diffusion
• Sound is said to be perfectly diffuse in a
room if its pressure is every where the same
and if, at all points in the room.

• Uniform distribution of sound: smooth

growth and decay of sound

• Sound is diffused in a furnished room

Diffraction
Diffraction is the change of direction of
propagation of sound wave due to their
passage around an obstacle.
The phenomenon in SOUND PROPAGATION whereby a SOUND WAVE moves
around an object whose dimensions are smaller than or about equal to
the WAVELENGTH of the sound.
Reflection

Diffusion
REFRACTION
 REFRACTION
The SPEED OF SOUND in air is affected by the temperature of the medium, the wave moving faster at higher
temperatures and slower at cool temperatures. When parts of a SOUND WAVE are in layers of a medium at
different temperatures, and therefore are travelling at different velocities, the direction of PROPAGATION of
the wave changes. This effect is called refraction. A similar effect happens when the wave changes media.
For instance, when a body of warm air lies above a cooler body of air (i.e. there is a temperature inversion),
the upper part of the wave, in travelling faster than the lower part, will bend forwards toward the ground (see
diagram). Under such conditions sound can be heard over considerable distances.
The opposite occurs when cool air lies above warm air: here the waves are bent away from the ground, with a
corresponding decrease in the distance at which the sound may be heard. For an interesting discussion of early
experiments concerning these and other atmospheric effects, see Chapter 7 of John Tyndall's
book Sound (1903, reprinted Greenwood Press, N.Y., 1969) and SOUND PROPAGATION.

REFERENCE: https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/sound/Lesson-3/Reflection,-Refraction,-and-
Diffraction#:~:text=Refraction%20of%20waves%20involves%20a,from%20one%20medium%20to%20another.&text=Refraction
%20of%20sound%20waves%20is,refract%20when%20traveling%20over%20water.
Sound Propogation :
Sound can travel through solids
Sound can travel through water and other liquids
Sound can travel faster in denser medium
Sound can travel faster in warmer medium than colder medium
Diffraction
Ray diagrams
Trace the reflection paths to and from adjoining
surfaces

angle of incidence = angle of reflection

I R
Ray diagrams
Trace the reflection paths to receiver

Reflected sound path ≤ Direct sound path+55

Note: check rear wall

and vertical paths
Reflection in
enclosed spaces
Auditorium sound reinforcement
Acoustical defects
• List of acoustical defects
• Reverberation.
• Formations of echoes.
• Sound foci.
• Dead spots.
• Insufficient loudness.
• Exterior noises.
• Creeping
Formations of echoes
• Echo's
• Not all sound that hits matter is absorbed. Some of it
is reflected. That means sound bounces off the solid
matter the way a tennis ball bounces off a wall.
Sound reflected back to its source is an echo.
If the wall is more than approximately
17 meters away from where you are
standing, then the sound wave will
take more than 0.1 seconds to reflect
and return to you. Since the
perception of a sound usually
endures in memory for only 0.1
seconds, there will be a small time
delay between the perception of the
original sound and the perception of
the reflected sound. Thus, we call the
perception of the reflected sound
wave an echo.
• An echo is produced when the reflected sound
wave reaches the ear just when the original sound
from the same source has been already heard.
• Thus there is repetition of sound.
• The sensation of sound persists for 1/10th of a second
after the source has ceased.
• Thus an echo must reach after 1/10th second of the
direct sound
• Multiple echoes may be heard when a sound is
reflected from a number of reflecting surfaces
placed suitably.

• This defect can be removed by selecting proper

shape of the hall .

• And by providing rough and porous interior surfaces

to disperse the energy of echoes.
Sound foci Dead spots
Sound foci
• Some times shape of the hall makes sound waves
to concentrate in some particular areas of hall
creating a sound of large quality.
• These spots are called sound foci.
• Concave domes, vaults, or walls will focus
reflected sound into certain areas of rooms. This
has several disadvantage. For example, it will
deprive some listeners of useful sound reflections
and cause hot spots other audience positions.

• This defect can be removed by

• Geometrical design shapes of the interior

faces.
• Providing highly absorbent materials on critical
areas (curved spaces).
Dead spots
• This defect is the out come of formation of sound
foci.
• Because of high concentration of reflected sound at
sound foci , there is deficiency of related sound at
some other points.
• These spots are known as dead spots where sound
intensity is so low that it is insufficient for hearing.
• This defect can be removed by suitably placing
diffusers and reflectors.
• Right proportions of internal spaces.
Exterior noises
• External noises from vehicles , traffic engines ,
factories , machines etc. may enter the hall
either through the openings or even through
walls and other structural elements having
improper sound insulation.
• This defect can be removed by proper planning
of the hall with respect to its surroundings and by
proper sound insulation of external walls.
CREEPING: This describes the
reflection of sound along a curved
surface from a source near the
surface. Although the sound can be
heard at points along the surface, it is
inaudible away from the surface.
FLUTTER:
A flutter, perceive as a buzzing
or clicking sound. Comprises
repeated echoes traversing
back and forth between two
non absorbing parallel flat or
concave surfaces. Flutters
often occur between shallow
domes.
The Doppler effect
• The shift in frequency caused by motion is called the
Doppler effect.
• It occurs when a sound source is moving at speeds
less than the speed of sound.
The apparent change in
frequency as a wave source
moves in relation to the listener
As a sound source moves
toward the listener, the
waves reach the listener
with a higher frequency.
The pitch appears to
increase because of the
Doppler effect
• When the sound source is moving, the
frequency of the sound will be altered. This is
known as the Doppler shift
• Approaching sounds are higher in frequency
• Receding sounds are lower in frequency
DISCUSSIONS: on acoustical defects thru diagrams
Reverberation:Persistence of sound after source has ceased

The acoustical quality of a room is determined largely by its

Reverberation time.
• Reverberation is the persistence of sound in the enclosed space ,
after the source of sound has stopped.
• Reverberant sound is the reflected sound , as a result of improper
absorption.
• Reverberation may results in confusion with the sound created next.

• However some reverberation is essential for improving quality sound.

• The time during which the sound persists is called the reverberation
time of sound in the hall.
• As per Prof. W .C. Sabins reverberation time ‘t’ is given by formula :-
t= 0.161 V /A where V=volume of room in cubic meters
A= total absorbing power of all the
surfaces of room/ hall.
Sound is prolonged in a room even after the original
source has stopped , because the sound continues as a
succession of reflections from the walls, floors and ceilings.
Such persistence is called reverberation