1. Explain the subjective impact of noise on mental and motor behavior!

(15%)
Noise's impact on human cognitive function and brain activity is frequently
overlooked. Noise has a variety of harmful impacts, from disrupting cognitive processes
to harming mental and physical health. Noise exposure has non-auditory impacts such as
perceived disturbance, irritation, cognitive impairment, cardiovascular diseases, and sleep
disruption. Noise pollution is a concern in many workplaces and non-workplace settings.
Hazardous noise is predicted to affect 22 million employees in the United States.
The subjective impact of noise on mental and motor behavior can be divided into two
categories: interference with activities and disturbance of attitudes.

a. Interference with Activities:

A slightly elevated noise levels (above 50 dB) may disturb activities of humans such as
speech communication, working, reading, resting, recuperating, and sleeping.

Physical impact leading to interference with the following kinds of activity

• Speech communication (usually above 50dB);

• Working (depending on the kind of work
performed);
• Relaxing;
• Sleeping (usually above 35dB);
• Reading;
• Convalescing;
• Traveling.

b. Disturbance of Attitudes:
A loud environment might amplify nervous tension and disorders, especially if it's
accompanied by a fear of economic and status loss.
Physiological impact leading to the disturbance of attitudes

• Annoyance (typically caused by unwanted or unnecessary

noise);
• Fear of bodily injury or economic and social loss of status; Got scared and stress with
• Accentuation of nervous stress and disorders. the noise from motorcycle
2. What is the difference between porous absorbers and panel absorbers? Give each an
example of the devices and complete with sketches! (15%)
Porous Absorber
consisting of fiberglass or mineral wool with
a protective fabric wrapping. They are
materials where sound propagation occurs in
a network of interconnected pores in such a
way that viscous and thermal effects cause the
dissipation of acoustic energy.
Have a pores in the surface
commonly used in low height office partitions
and as wall or ceiling mounted panel because
of high Absorption Coefficient. Porous
absorbers are used widely to treat acoustic
problems, in cavity walls and noisy
environments to reduce noise and in rooms to
reduce reverberation
In Porous Absorbers incident sound waves
force the air in the pores of a material to
vibrate producing friction, which converts
sound energy into heat energy
When soft materials such as carpet or heavy
fabric are exposed to sound waves the air
contained in the pores of the material is set
into motion, causing the transformation of
some sound energy into heat energy.
However, if the porous surface of the material
is covered with paint or a plastic membrane,
then the absorption may be seriously affected
and it is therefore normal practice to choose
materials with a natural finish
Good porous absorber is a material with many
interconnected and continuous open pores.
Such pores will produce a great deal of
friction as the air, set into vibration by the
incident sound waves, pumps back and force
within the material. Accordingly:
• Only open-cell materials are good
porous absorbers. Plastic foams such
as expanded polyurethane, which are
excellent thermal insulators, are poor
sound absorbers due to their closed
cell structure.
Panel Absorber
a flat panel made of wood, metal, gypsum
board, or plastic material that is arranged in
front of an enclosed air volume,
Have a clean surface
they are rarely used in buildings to absorb
noise at the source because of relatively low
Absorption Coefficient such as in the
mechanical spaces. However, they are used to
considerable advantage in halls for speech
and music, where the amount of sound that
must be absorbed is less of a concern then
considerations related to sound quality and
visual appearance.
In Panel Absorbers incident sound waves set a
solid panel mounted in front of an air space
into vibration. The mechanical action of the
panel, dampened by the air pocket, absorbs
the sound energy
The incident sound waves will cause the
membrane and the air in the cavity behind it
to vibrate, thereby dissipating sound energy.
While the absorption will be a maximum
whenever the vibrating panel is in resonance,
it may also be increased by filling the air
cavity with a resilient material.
No problem if covered with paint.
Examples include the diaphragmatic action of
airtight membranes such as paper, oilcloth,
and plywood panels, which are mounted at
some distance from a solid wall. The incident
sound waves will cause the membrane and the
air in the cavity behind it to vibrate, thereby
dissipating sound energy. Panel Absorber
absorb sound energy by mechanical action
through ‘damping' forces, Damping is
provided by the air behind the panel. the edge
fixing of the panel, and the resistance to
bending vibrations of the panel itself.
 • Open-cell plastic foams, such as
melamine and polyester, are good
sound absorbers owing to their
interconnected cell structure.
• General building construction
advantages of open-cell plastic foams
include light weight, fiber-free
composition, and moldability.
Disadvantages include their
combustibility and the emission of
toxic fumes during a fire.
• The Absorption Coefficient of a
porous absorber typically increases
with thickness. This is mainly due to
the increased volume of air that can be
set into vibration, thereby facilitating
the dissipation of sound energy as
heat.

Example: Textiles, Fleece, Carpets, Foam, Example: a flat panel made of wood, metal,
Wool, Acoustic plaster gypsum board, or plastic material that is
arranged in front of an enclosed air volume.

Additional:
Porous Absorbers
Porous Absorbers are characterized by 3 properties:

• Porosity is a measure of the amount of air-filled space in material

Lower Higher
porosity porosity

• Flow resistance is the resistance of the material to the direct passage of air

Lower flow Higher flow

resistance resistance

• Structure factor is a measure of how convoluted the pores in material are. Provides a
measure of the amount of air-filled space in sealed pores, cul-de-sac pores, or the
equivalent. Accordingly, a material in which all pores run straight through from one side
to the other would have a very low structure factor of around one.

Lower structure Higher structure

factor factor

Panel Absorbers
A certain quantity of sound energy will be dissipated because of the resulting elastic vibration.
Although the velocity of sound in air is constant at all frequencies, the velocity of vibration
produced by a sound wave in a material varies with frequency. As a result, at some frequency,
the velocity of the sound wave through air will be the same as the velocity of the affected
surface's consequent vibration. The transmission of sound energy from air to surface is most
efficient at this key frequency, and absorption is likely to be quite high. Resonance is the term
for this state, and for a panel absorber, the most absorption occurs at frequencies when the
vibrating panel is in resonance. A high-rise building's overall structure, a single room susceptible
to standing waves, or a panel absorber are all examples of instances where resonance might be
crucial in design.
 The incident sound waves set the Panel into vibration, thereby
converting sound energy into
mechanical energy.

The vibrating panel sets the air behind it into vibration. The vibrating
air acts much like a spring. absorbing energy as it dampens the
vibration of the panel.

The Absorption Coefficient of a Panel Absorber

increases if a porous Absorber is placed
inside the air cavity. This increases the damping effect of
the air by increasing the effective viscosity of the air.

3. One way to achieve sustainable architecture is by implementing energy conservation

design strategies in buildings. Choose a case study that implemented at least one energy
design strategy. Complete with explanations, pictures and sketches! (20%)

STUDY CASE:
NEW MEDIA TOWER UMN
(Location: Gading Serpong, Tangerang, Banten)
• This building is in a tropical area which exposed to sunlight from morning to afternoon.
To optimize the amount of sunshine that enters this building, each building has a large
distance between them, ensuring that the building does not shade the other.

• This building was shaped like an egg and had no straight lines. This is done to optimize
the amount of light that enters each floor and makes the building more durable. This
building also scattered into many smaller buildings, not only one big building, that
designed to optimize light distribution in each area, resulting in just a few rooms that are
not exposed with natural light and helps in reducing heat absorption.

• Every new media tower is angled north-south, with the smaller side of the building facing
west-east to reduce direct sunlight from morning until afternoon.
• Due to overpowering sunlight that come to this buildings, this building uses Double Skin
Facade with the outermost layer using perforated metal sheets with holes used as a
building cover as well as a solar shading mechanism to filter sunlight and heat that enters
the building. The goal is to mitigate the effects of the tropical climate by minimizing the
amount of heat and light that enters the building.

• This building use perforated aluminum with holes of varying sizes with the appropriate
calculations to makes the sun's light enter the room but not dazzling and air circulation
can function properly and keep the space cool. This solar shade contributes to the
residents' thermal and visual comfort by preventing overheating and glare on hot or bright
days. The perforated aluminum allows sunlight to enter and be dispersed equally,
illuminating the interiors of the structure while not blinding the eyes.
• The primary goal of this building is to control the energy from nature on tropical country
and make the building sustainable. The strategy used by this building to optimize the
entrance of lighting and make it comfortable in terms of thermal and visual comfort for
the eyes when exposed to sunshine. As the result, this building has a radial design, with a
classroom on the outer side that requires sunshine and a building in the center that does
not require much illumination, such as an auditorium. As a result, the classroom received
light from the outside building. This building using a double façade approach, with the
outside skin consisting of a perforated aluminum panel with holes that enable the wind
and sunshine to pass through, and the inside skin for each classroom consisting of a
Styrofoam wall that separates the heat from both the outside and the inside. This
approach has been shown to minimize light and heat entering the building by up to 50%,
with a temperature differential of up to 4 C between outside and within the space. This
building can save electricity and ac costs up to 47 percent. To distribute the light in all
important places with comfortable sunshine glare, this building uses a perforated
aluminum with holes to filtering the light and put the circulation and the important rooms
that need light in the outer side of buildings.
• Skin Facade is used as a building cover as well as a solar shading device to filter sunlight
and heat that enters the building. The outermost layer uses perforated metal sheets with
holes supported by anti-corrosive iron in the form of square and round pipes and is used
as a building cover as well as a solar shading device to filter sunlight and heat that enters
the building. This classroom wall used a Styrofoam wall that was fenced with 'chicken
wire' on both sides and then covered with cement for the room wall that can help with
this building thermal.

• The temperature in this location is consistently high, with an average daily temperature of
30° C, causing thermal and visual discomfort for building occupants. That is why this
building has a Styrofoam wall bordered on both sides with 'chicken wire,' and then
covered with cement to prevent the thermal heat from the outside while maintaining the
cool thermal from the air conditioner in each classroom.
CASE STUDY
4. Consider the following case, if known:
• A simple room measuring 25m x 15m x 10m (l x w x h)
• Has absorption coefficient (at 500 Hz)
- α ceiling = 0.05
- α wall = 0.30
- α floor = 0.10
a. What is the reverberation time (RT) that occurs in the space? (25%)

Ruangan 25 m
15 m
10 m
Volume 3750 m3

frekuensi 500 Hz
Koef tetap 0.16
A 296.25 m2

A (Absrobsi
Ruangan)
Ceiling 375 0.05 18.75
Walls 800 0.3 240
Floor 375 0.1 37.5
 296.25
RT = 0.16V/A
RT = 0,16 x 3750 / 296.25
RT = 2.025316456
2 s

b. What is the reverberation time (RT) if 50% of the ceiling is given acoustic
material that has absorption coefficient α at 500 Hz = 0.85? (25%)

Ruangan 25 m
15 m
10 m
Volume 3750 m3

frekuensi 500 Hz
Koef tetap 0.16
A 446.25 m2

A (Absrobsi Ruangan)
Ceiling 187.5 0.05 9.375
Walls 800 0.3 240
Ceiling 187.5 0.85 159.375
Floor 375 0.1 37.5
446.25
RT = 0.16V/A
RT = 0,16 x 3750 / 446.25
RT = 1.344537815
1.3 s