SOUND

ABSORPTION
Sound absorption is the
measure of the amount
of energy removed from
the sound wave as the
wave passes through a
given thickness of
material.
Gr0up 1
Gr0up 1
SOUND
ABSORPTION
TREATMENT
 SOUNDPROOFING
VS
SOUND TREATMENT
SOUNDPROOFING SOUND TREATMENT
is all about sound isolation and a way to make better-
has nothing to do with treating sounding recordings inside a
the acoustics in a room. The room by controlling sound
objective of soundproofing reflections. The goal of sound
techniques is to make the room treatment is to make the
“quieter”. room “sound better”.

SOUND ABSORPTION GOALS

Dampening Preventing Mitigating Balancing
the intensity of sound waves their resulting sound distribution
sound waves. from reflecting echoes and throughout a
off hard reverberations. space.
surfaces.
 IMPORTANCE OF SOUND TREATMENT
REFLECTION
- runs into surfaces such as walls,
furniture, and other objects.

REVERBERATION
- multiple sound waves bounce off the
surfaces and congregate together.

RESONANCE
- causes sounds in a room to be
“boomy,” a term sound engineers use
to describe loud, distorted sounds.
 TYPES OF ACOUSTIC TREATMENT

BASS TRAPS ACOUSTIC PANELS

Absorb sounds but are thinner than
Designed to absorb or
bass traps, which means they won’t be
trap bass sounds at the
as effective at trapping lower
corners of a room
frequencies.
 TYPES OF ACOUSTIC TREATMENT

CEILING CLOUDS DIFFUSER PANELS

Lightweight panels that hang
Diffuser panels are an acoustic
horizontally from the ceiling.
treatment that helps to keep a
These are helpful in buildings with
space sounding live.
high ceilings.
 TYPES OF ACOUSTIC TREATMENT
ACOUSTIC FOAM
Attenuates airborne sound waves,
reducing their amplitude, for the
purposes of noise reduction or noise
control.
FIBERGLASS INSULATION
Absorb sound in the same way that
bass traps, acoustic panels and
ceiling clouds do, helping to prevent
reverberation and other acoustic
problems.
TYPES OF ACOUSTIC TREATMENT

HELMHOLTZ RESONATOR
Absorb sound of a similar
frequency to its own natural
frequency.
NATURAL MATERIALS USED
IN SOUND ABSORPTION 1. Cotton Fibers
This material is incredibly versatile and can be used in
many different forms to absorb, block, trap, and
disperse sound waves from almost all frequencies.

Sound absorbing and sound treatment panels that are

made from cotton are compressed cotton fibers that are
shaped into blocks or sheets.

This material is very dense while remaining very

porous. This is a perfect recipe for sound absorption.
NATURAL MATERIALS USED 2. Coconut Coir
IN SOUND ABSORPTION Fiber
This material is extremely porous and fibrous, which
are both important qualities for sound absorption. The
drawback of using coconut husk for sound absorption is
the fact that it is very light.
The coconut husk must be compressed to be as dense
as possible within the space, or it will not absorb much
sound at all.
Processed or compressed coconut husk that has been
formed into blocks or sheets can be much more
expensive.
Coconut husk is an excellent, all-natural sound
absorbing material that is very readily available.
NATURAL MATERIALS USED
IN SOUND ABSORPTION 3. Bamboo
Bamboo is a relatively soft wood with a very low density.
This means that bamboo fibers are very porous, which
is good for sound absorption.
The more air that is in between the fibers of solid
material, the better the material is for sound absorption.
The air between the fibers helps trap the sound
waves and prevent them from passing through the
material.
Bamboo sound panels are shaped bamboo wood panels
that are designed to scatter sound waves as they pass
over the boards.
NATURAL MATERIALS USED 4. Medium-Density
IN SOUND ABSORPTION Fiberboard
Medium-density fiberboard is an engineered wood-
based product that is made from processed woods.
The high-density fibers within MDF and the fact they
have fragmented nature of the wood particles all mean
that MDF has excellent sound absorption properties.

MDF makes the material suitable for sound absorption

as it will reflect much less sound than other solid wood
panels.
MDF is very easy to work with, which means that it can
be cut and shaped into almost any dimension.
 BENEFITS OF ACOUSTIC
PROTECTION

IMPROVED COMMUNICATION INCREASED PRIVACY

INCREASED PROTECTION OF
PRODUCTIVITY PRODUCTS

WORKER SAFETY
SOUND ABSORPTION
COEFFICIENT
GROUP 3
SOUND ABSORPTION
THE PROPERTY OF SURFACE BY WHICH
SOUND ENERGY (KINETIC ENERGY) IS
CONVERTED INTO OTHER FORM OF
ENERGY, GENERALLY HEAT ENERGY
(DUE TO FRICTION) AND GET
ABSORBED.
SOUND ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT
THE DEGREE TO WHICH THIS
SURFACE AFFECTS THE
ABSORPTION OF SOUND IS KNOWN
AS ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT
Absorption: in acoustics, the conversion of sound energy to heat.

Absorption coefficient: the fraction of sound energy that is

absorbed at any surface. It has a value between 0 (no absorption)
and 1 (full absorption) and varies with the frequency and angle of
incidence of the sound.

Multiplying the surface area (in sq.ft.) by the absorption coefficient

results in absorption units (sabins).

The effectiveness of a surface in absorbing sound energy is

expressed with help of absorption coefficient .
The coefficient of absorption ‘α’ of a materials is defined
as the ratio of sound energy absorbed by its surface to
that of the total sound energy incident on the surface.
absorption coefficient (𝛼)

𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒

𝛼=
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒
Hence, the absorption coefficient of a material is defined
as the rate of the sound energy absorbed by a certain
area of the surface to that of an open window of same
area.
Sound absorbing material is the
material with medium to high sound
absorption coefficient (i.e. 𝛼 > 0.5)

Sound reflecting material is the material

with low coefficient (i.e. 𝛼<0.2)
CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo,
including icons by Flaticon, infographics & images by Freepik
Please keep this slide for attribution
Material Sound Absorption Coefficient
 Adding sound absorption to your space can make all
the difference. absorption will lessen the echo and
reverberation within the room and improve speech
intelligibility and overall clarity.

Echo and reverberation can often give the

impression that there is an unpleasant background
noise. this is mainly caused by the overall volume in
the room. this can lead to ear fatigue and lower
concentration for the listener.

Regardless of the space, adding sound absorption to your room will make a noticeable
difference right away.
A unit area of open window is selected as the standard. All the
sound incident on an open window is fully transmitted and none is
reflected. therefore, it is considered as an ideal absorber of sound.

Thus the unit of absorption is the open window unit (O.W.U.), which
is named a “sabin” after the scientist who is established the unit.

A 1m^2 sabin is the amount of sound absorbed by one square

metre area of fully open window.
 % ABSORBED SOUND
% REFLECTED AND ABSORPTION
TRANSMITTED COEFFICIENT

0 100 1.0

OPEN WINDOW

20 80 0.8

1 ½” THICK GLASS
FIBER

CREDITS: This presentation98template was created

2 by Slidesgo,
0.02
including icons by Flaticon, infographics & images by Freepik
Please keep this slide for attribution

4” THICK BRICK
TOTAL ROOM ABSORPTION 𝛼=0.1

𝛼=0.3

10FT 𝑎 = ෍ 𝑆𝛼

𝛼=0.2 50FT

𝑎 𝛼 area

480 0.3 4 wall (10)(30)(2)

+ (10)(50)(2)
= 1,600 sq.ft.
150 0.1 1 ceiling 50 x 30 = 1500 sq.ft.

300 0.2 1 floor 50 x 30 = 1500 sq.ft.

• The value of ‘α’ depends on the nature of the
material as well as the frequency of sound. it is a
common practice to use the value of ‘α’ at 500 hz
in acoustics designs.
• If a material has the value of ‘α’ as 0.5, it means
that 50% of the incident sound energy will be
absorbed per unit area.
• If the material has a surface area of s sq.m., then
the absorption provided by that material is a= α.s
THANK YOU!
LESSON
BUILDING UTILITIES 3-
4

LESSON
LESSON
COURS
COURS
ACOUSTICS & LIGHTING
4
3

E
E
SYSTEMS

NOISE REDUCTION
COEFFICIENT
MEET THE TEAM
 meet the team

DARLENE DADUBO CHARILOU QUIMADA MICAH JEREMY TAN

 meet the team

MARY XYLYN CORTEZ NICOLAS DALE OCTAVIO

NOISE REDUCTION
COEFFICIENT
 NOISE REDUCTION COEFFICIENT
1

Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC)

measures how well materials
stop sound from reflecting
(how much sound they can
absorb)
The NCR is the percentage of sound that a surface
absorbs (in other words, hits a surface and doesn’t
reflect back into the room)
 When a sound wave strikes an acoustical material the
sound wave causes the fibers or particle makeup of the
absorbing material to vibrate. This vibration causes tiny
amounts of heat due to the friction and thus sound
absorption is accomplished by way of energy to heat
conversion. The more fibrous a material is the better
the absorption; conversely, denser materials are less
absorptive.
NOISE REDUCTION COEFFICIENT
• Can be shortened to “NRC”
• It is a scalar representation of the amount
of sound energy absorbed upon striking a
particular surface
 NOISE REDUCTION COEFFICIENT
- The NRC ranges from 0.00 to 1.00 and describes the average
acoustic absorption of a material. NRC 0.00 indicates no sound
absorption at all, whereas NRC 1.00 indicates maximum sound
absorption in a material
 HOW TO SOLVE FOR NOISE REDUCTION
COEFFICIENT
There are four values that are needed before solving for the NRC.
These values (the absorption coefficients) are the amount of
decibels a material can absorb, which can be acquired through
running the ASTM (American Society of Testing and Materials) C423
test on a material in a reverberant room - a highly-reflective room
with near-zero sound absorption.
 HOW TO SOLVE FOR NOISE REDUCTION
COEFFICIENT
The C423 test first measures the empty room’s reverberation times at
specified frequency ranges and within specified temperature and
humidity ranges; then, after confirming consistent temperature and
humidity, reverberation times are measured again, this time with the
necessary amount (determined by test room volume) of acoustical
material in the room. Then, the two results are compared to determine
the amount of reverberant energy absorbed by the test materials. The
measurements are done across a range of frequencies, usually in
one-octave or third-octave bands from 100 Hz to 5000 Hz, using
multiple microphones and loudspeakers.
HOW TO SOLVE FOR NOISE REDUCTION
COEFFICIENT
The absorption coefficients needed are from the 250hz,
500hz, 1000hz, and 2000hz octave bands. After getting
these values, find the average of the sum of these
values and then round that number to the nearest
multiple of 0.05
 MATERIALS

Fabric Wrapped Acoustic Sound-Absorbing Acoustic Panels

Panels Ceiling Tiles
Applications of NRC
3 APPLICATIONS OF NRC

NRC is most commonly used to rate general

acoustical properties of acoustic ceiling tiles,
baffles, banners, office screens, and acoustic wall
panels. It is occasionally used to rate floor
coverings
4 IMPORTANCE OF NRC

SOUND ABSORPTION

ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE
4 IMPORTANCE OF NRC

MATERAIL SELECTION

SOUND REFLECTION

NOISE CONTROL
THANK YOU!
Understanding Reverberation Time

Reverberation time, often abbreviated as RT60, is a critical parameter in the field of acoustics, particularly
in architectural acoustics, sound quality assessment, and acoustic design. It is defined as the time it takes
for sound to decay by 60 dB after the sound source has stopped. This parameter is essential for evaluating
the acoustic characteristics of a room or space, influencing sound quality, speech intelligibility, and
musical performance.

Importance in Acoustic Design, Room Measurement, and Sound Quality

Reverberation time plays a pivotal role in various applications, including acoustic design, room
measurement, and sound quality evaluation. It affects how sound behaves in a space, impacting
everything from speech clarity in classrooms and boardrooms to the richness and warmth of music in
concert halls and recording studios. The optimal reverberation time varies depending on the intended use
of the space. For instance, spaces designed for speech typically require shorter reverberation times for
clear intelligibility, while music venues may benefit from longer reverberation times to enhance richness
and depth

Measurement Techniques

Several methods exist for measuring reverberation time, including using impulsive noises (e.g., hand claps,
balloon pops, or starter guns), interrupted noise (e.g., band-pass filtered pink noise), sweep sine signals,
and maximum length sequence (MLS) signals. The choice of method depends on the specific requirements
of the room being measured, available equipment, and desired accuracy. Standards such as ISO 3382-1
and ISO 3382-2 provide guidelines for measuring reverberation time in performance spaces and ordinary
rooms, respectively.

Calculation and Standards

Reverberation time can be calculated using the Sabine formula, which considers the volume of the room
and the total absorption (in sabins) of all surfaces within the room. This formula provides a theoretical
basis for understanding how changes in room geometry and surface materials can affect reverberation
time. Additionally, various standards and guidelines, such as AS/NZS 2107:2016 and ISO 3382, offer
recommendations for optimal reverberation times in different types of spaces.

Impact on Architectural Acoustics

The design of a space significantly influences its reverberation time. Materials with high absorption
coefficients can reduce reverberation time, making a room sound "drier" or more "dead," while reflective
materials can increase reverberation time, making a room sound "livelier" or more "reverberant".
Architects and acoustic designers must carefully select materials and design elements to achieve the
desired acoustic characteristics for a space, balancing aesthetics, functionality, and acoustic performance

Conclusion

Reverberation time is a fundamental concept in acoustics that significantly impacts the sound quality,
speech intelligibility, and overall acoustic experience in a space. By understanding and controlling
reverberation time, architects, designers, and acousticians can create environments that meet specific
acoustic requirements, enhancing the usability and enjoyment of spaces for various activities.