WALLACE CLEMENT SABINE

▪ Father of architectural acoustics

▪ He had no formal training regarding study of sound
▪ He was just interested with the sound differences between a lecture hall with the other
▪ He then begun to make experimentation with his assistants

REVERBERATION TIME
• The time for the sound pressure to drop 60 decibels below original level after the sound fades away

SABINE’S FORMULA DERIVATION

The Sabine’s Formula is originated from this:

RT60 = reverberation time (to drop 60 dB)

V = Volume of room in cubic meter (Length x Width x Height)

c20 = speed of sound at 20°C (room temperature)

Sa = Total effective absorbing area (sabins, square meter)

Let us do the math to reduce and derive the formula to this:

The natural algorithm 10 (ln 10) is equivalent to 2.30

C20 is the speed of sound at 20°C (room temperature) is equivalent to 343 meters per second

Get the product of 24 and the natural logarithm 10 which is 2.30 = 55.20

Compute for the quotient of 55.20 over 343 and you will get 0.161
STEP-BY-STEP COMPUTATION
STEP 1: Measure the volume of a room with this formula (Length x
Width x Height). For example, we measured the room with the following
figures:

Formula for Volume: Length x Width x Height

Length = 7.0 meters

Width = 4.0 meters

Height = 2.80 meters

Volume = 7.0m x 4.0m x 2.8m

Volume = 78.4 cubic meters

STEP 2: Compute for the total areas of flooring, ceiling, walls, door, and windows.

Formula for Se: The sum of the product of all areas with its corresponding Absorption Coefficient

Flooring ----------- 7.0m x 4.0m = 28.0 square meters

Ceiling ------------- 7.0m x 4.0m = 28.0 square meters

Longer Walls ---- 7.0m x 2.8m x 2 walls = 39.20 square meters

Shorter Walls --- 4.0m x 2.8m x 2 walls = 22.40 square meters

Total area of walls (add longer and shorter walls) = 61.60 square meters

Door -------------- 2.10m x 0.80m = 1.68 square meters

Window --------- 1.50m x 1.20m x 4 window panes = 7.20 square meters

Total Area of door and window openings = 8.88 square meters

Deduct the total wall areas to the total areas of door and window openings.

= 61.60 square meters – 8.88 square meters

Total area of walls = 52.72 square meters

STEP 3: Multiply each area with the proposed Absorption Coefficient of Materials under 500 Hz column.

Refer to Absorption Coefficient Chart-Building Materials-Part 1 & 2.

Let us say the existing materials are the following:

Flooring (wood parquet on concrete = 0.07)

Ceiling (gypsum plaster = 0.02)

Walls (painted concrete = 0.02)

Door (solid wood panel = 0.05)

Window (1/4” plate, large pane glass = 0.04)

Formula: Total area of flooring, ceiling, and walls x Absorption Coefficient

Flooring ----------- 28.0 square meters x 0.07 = 1.96 sabins

Ceiling ------------- 28.0 square meters x 0.02 = 0.56 sabins

Walls -------------- 52.72 square meters x 0.02 = 1.0544 sabins

Door --------------- 1.68 square meters x 0.05 = 0.084 sabins

Windows --------- 7.20 square meters x 0.04 = 0.288 sabins

Total sabins of flooring, ceiling, walls, door, and windows = 3.9464 sabins

STEP 4. Create a table of the existing materials to simplify.

SURFACE
ABSORPTION SABINS
AREA IN
SURFACE OF SURFACE COEFFICIENT (AREA x
SQUARE EXISTING MATERIAL
THE ROOM DIMENSIONS BASED ON ABSORPTION
METER
TABLE COEFFICIENT)
(L x W)
WOOD PARQUET ON
FLOORING 7.0m x 4.0m 28.0m sqm 0.07 1.96
CONCRETE
CEILING 7.0m x 4.0m 28.0m sqm GYPSUM PLASTER 0.02 0.56
LONGER WALLS 7.0m x 2.80m x
2 WALLS
= 39.20 sqm
SHORTER 4.0m x 2.80m x
WALLS 2 WALLS
PAINTED CONCRETE 0.02 1.0544
=22.40 sqm

=61.60 sqm –
8.88 sqm
WALLS = 52.72 sqm 52.72 sqm
DOOR 2.10m x 0.80m 1.68 sqm SOLID WOOD PANEL 0.05 0.084
1.50m x 1.20m 1/4” PLATE, LARGE
WINDOW 7.20 sqm 0.04 0.288
x 4 panes PANE GLASS
TOTAL SABINS
= 3.9464
*Take note that the room has no fixture, furniture, and furnishing yet. That is why, the Reverberation Time is
longer for the intended use.

STEP 5: Use this formula to compute for the Reverberation Time.

RT60 = (0.16 second/meter) (78.4 cubic meters)

3.9464 sabins

RT60 = 3.18 seconds

STEP 6. Create a table of the proposed or recommended materials to simplify.

SURFACE
ABSORPTION SABINS
AREA IN
SURFACE OF SURFACE COEFFICIENT (AREA x
SQUARE EXISTING MATERIAL
THE ROOM DIMENSIONS BASED ON ABSORPTION
METER
TABLE COEFFICIENT)
(L x W)
LOOP PILE TUFTED
FLOORING 7.0m x 4.0m 28.0m sqm 0.62 17.36
CARPET
CEILING 7.0m x 4.0m 28.0m sqm GYPSUM PLASTER 0.02 0.56
LONGER WALLS 7.0m x 2.80m x
2 WALLS
= 39.20 sqm
SHORTER 4.0m x 2.80m x
WALLS 2 WALLS
PAINTED CONCRETE 0.02 1.0544
=22.40 sqm

=61.60 sqm –
8.88 sqm
WALLS = 52.72 sqm 52.72 sqm
DOOR 2.10m x 0.80m 1.68 sqm SOLID WOOD PANEL 0.05 0.084
1.50m x 1.20m 1/4” PLATE, LARGE
WINDOW 7.20 sqm 0.04 0.288
x 4 panes PANE GLASS
TOTAL SABINS
= 19.3464

STEP 7: Use this formula to compute for the Reverberation Time.

RT60 = (0.16 second/meter) (78.4 cubic meters)

19.3464 sabins

RT60 = 0.65 seconds

STEP 8: Check this figure if the proposed or recommended building materials are correct for the intended use.

▪ Around 2 seconds = medium-sized, general purpose auditorium for both speech and music
▪ Less than a second = classroom

REFERENCES:
hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu

sae.edu

studiotips.com

thermaxxjackets.com