ISAA ACOUSTICS (Unit 5)

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UNIT 5
SYLLABUS:
Acoustic design process and requirements of different types of
buildings: Auditoriums, concert halls, cinema halls, Seminar
rooms, lecture halls, classrooms, and open offices.
Exercises involving reverberation time and absorption
coefficient.
Case study of an auditorium with a report containing drawings
and calculations of reverberation time etc.
Detailed acoustic design for any one type of building.
ACOUSTIC DESIGN PROCESS AND REQUIREMENTS:

AUDITORIUMS:
Measuring sound quality -

Loudness
Spatial impression
Intimacy
Early decay time
Clarity
Warmth and brilliance
LOUDNESS:
Strength factor, G, measured in decibels
IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

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Loudness can affect perception of other acoustic qualities such as intimacy and spatial
impression
At low capacitties a high volume per seat is necessary to control excessive loudness
At high capacities a low volume per seat helps preserve acoustical energy
SPATIAL IMPRESSION:
When the total reflected energy from the lateral reflections is > the total energy from
the overhead reflections the hall is said to achieve a desirable spatial impression.
INTIMACY
It refers to the feeling of being close to the source of the sound/music.
Feeling of being one with the source, no detachment. Can be achieved better in small
halls.
Can be measured by the initial time delay gap (ITDG) between source sound and first
reflection, earlier the better, so small spaces are more intimate.
Receiver positions also can have different ITDG. Middle of hall value ITDG is ideally
12-25 msec.
Adding ceiling reflectors or protrusions from the walls.
EARLY DECAY TIME (REVERBERATION TIME):

Decay of the source sound initially by 10dB of sound is the early decay time (EDT).
Six times EDT is the reverberation time estimate
CLARITY:
Refers to hearing every separate note, greater clarity leads to better speech
intelligibilty.
Clarity is produces when a room has a high ratio of early sound energy (upto 80 ms) to
later reverberant energy (beyond 80 ms)
Clarity index or C80 = 10log (early sound energy / late sound energy) dB
C80(3)=average of clarity at frequencies 500 Hz, 1000 Hz and 2000 Hz
C80(3) optimum value=1dB to (-4)dB.
For better clarity late reflections are to be reduced, suggested absorbers at the
backside of hall.

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SHAPES OF AUDITORIUMS:

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The first ear receives sound a millisecond before the other ear if source is towards the
first ear.
Shielding provided by the head helps brain differentiate the loudness and hence the
direction is perceived.
When two sounds arrive at the listener the perceived direction is determined by first
sound to arrive, even when the second sound is as much as 10 dB stronger.
For equal level sources, delay gaps as low as one millisecond can bias the perceived
direction.
In the vertical place the ability of the brain to interpret time delays is much weaker.
Hence a properly designed loudspeaker cluster located above a stage is used to
augment the natural sound of the performers while maintaining the ilusion that all the
sound is coming from the stage.

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CINEMA HALLS:
An auditorium where the performance is in the form of pictures projected on a screen
with or without the accompaniment of scenic atmosphere.
Before sound systems existed, the large grand Cinemas of the past were modelled on
Opera houses with an orchestra pit in front of the screen which was later replaced by an
organ that came up through the floor.
• Opera houses evolved to make use of reverberation to increase sound level to the
audience. Many composers including Mozart hated the excessive reverberation of large
concert halls which restricted their music. Mozart often preferred to perform outside
where the detail of the music could be heard as he intended.
• The cost of increasing sound level by reverberation is at the loss of intelligibility.
• What evolved was an imagined ideal of correct reverberation, that is, reflective area
around the opera stage of short distances (short path-lengths) opening up to larger
areas of longer distances (long path-lengths).
In view of the fact that a certain amount of reverberation is already present in the
recorded sound, the reverberation time required in this case is lower than that required
that of multipurpose halls.
• Distracting noise breaks audience concentration and enjoyment on cinema halls.
• Cinemas typically require high levels of isolation to prevent noise leaking between
screens and from public areas.

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• Cinema sound insulation and acoustic arrangement is a little different to insulation

other areas; It is very important to ensure the insulation is designed correctly to ensure
the movie experience is maintained.
LECTURE HALLS:

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CLASS ROOMS:
There must be adequate loudness - high direct field level
The sound level must be relatively uniform
The reverbation characteristics of the room must be appropriate
There must be a high signal to noise ratio
Background noise levels must be low enough to not interfere with the listening
environment.
The room must be free from acoustical defects such as long delayed reflections, flutter
echoes, focusing, and resonance.
For children, especially primary section - 100% intelligibility is desired

Low noise level or low reverbation or both is desired
Additional aid for students with hearing or language disability
Avoid sources of noise (HVAC ducts, waste water lines, etc.,)

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Typical classroom size (8 x 10 m) accommodates 30-40 students.

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RT preferred between 0.4-0.8 seconds

Intelligibility should be maximum (atleast 80%)
Ceilings in classrooms are low enough to add to early reflections
Reflective surfaces i.e. surfaces near source should not be covered.
Make the side walls reflective surfaces in order to increase the signal intensity.
OPEN OFFICES:


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ACOUSTIC DESIGN PROCESS AND REQUIREMENTS:

Measuring sound quality -

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

EARLY DECAY TIME (REVERBERATION TIME):

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

• Cinema sound insulation and acoustic arrangement is a little different to insulation

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

For children, especially primary section - 100% intelligibility is desired

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

Typical classroom size (8 x 10 m) accommodates 30-40 students.

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

RT preferred between 0.4-0.8 seconds

IBRAHIM SIBGATULLAH’S ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMY

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