ACOUSTICS

It is the interdisciplinary science that deals

with the study of all mechanical waves in
gases, liquids, and solids including vibration,
sound, ultrasound and infrasound.

A scientist who works in the field of acoustics

is an acoustician while someone working in
the field of acoustics technology may be
called an acoustical engineer.
The application of acoustics is present in
almost all aspects of modern society with the
most obvious being the audio and noise
control industries.

The word "acoustic" is derived from the Greek

word ἀκουστικός (akoustikos), meaning
"of or for hearing, ready to hear" and that from I. SOUND ABSORBERS
ἀκουστός (akoustos), "heard, audible",which Sound absorbing acoustical panels and
in turn derives from the verb soundproofing
ἀκούω (akouo), "I hear". • materials are used to eliminate sound
reflections to improve speech
The study of acoustics revolves around the • intelligibility.
generation, propagation and reception of • Typical materials are open cell
mechanical waves and vibration. polyurethane foam, cellular
• melamine, fiberglass, fluffy fabrics
and other porous materials. A
• wide variety of materials can be
applied to walls and ceilings
• depending on your application and
Auditory transduction refers to the process of environment.
converting sound waves into electrical signals • These materials vary in thickness and
that can be processed by the brain. in shape to achieve different
• absorption ratings depending on the
Acoustical materials are a variety of foams,
specific sound requirements.
fabrics, metals, etc. used to quiet
TYPES:
workplaces, homes, automobiles, and so
1. ACOUSTIC FOAM PANELS
forth to increase the comfort and safety of
2. WHITE “PAINTABLE” ACOUSTICAL
their inhabitants by reducing noise generated
WALL PANELS
both inside and outside of those spaces.
3. FABRIC WRAPPED PANELS
Acoustical materials are used in two major
4. ACOUSTICAL WALL COVERINGS
ways: as soundproofing, by which noise
5. CEILING TILES
generated from outside a given space is
6. BAFFLES AND BANNERS FOR
blocked from entering the space; and, as
CEILING
sound absorbing, where noise generated
7. FIBER GLASS BLANKETS AND ROLL
within a space is reduced inside the space
itself.
A. ACOUSTICAL FOAM PANELS Cutting wedge can be installed to create
seamless absorptive walls, and enhance
These acoustical foam sound absorbers are imaging by reducing unwanted reflections in
used in a wide variety of applications ranging broadcast and recording studios.
from Recording and Broadcast Studios to
Commercial and Industrial Facilities. A .ACOUSTICAL FOAM PANELS
Available in Polyurethane or in a Class 1 Fire
Rated foam. These products can be applied
directly to walls, hung as baffles or used as
freestanding absorbers.

POLYURETHANE FOAM
Standard patterns include wedge, pyramid,
max wedge for low frequency absorption,
ceiling baffles, bermuda triangle traps for
corners, sounds cylinders free standing
absorbers.
• Stackable foam - Design enables you
to increase thickness at ease by
nesting layers

FIRE RATED FOAM

These sound absorbers are lightweight open
cell foams used when a Class 1 fire rated foam
is required. Standard patterns include Wedge,
Pyramid, Max Wedge, Ceiling Baffles and
more. These can be easily mounted to walls or
ceilings.
• Anechoic wedges are ideal for
controlling low frequency sound to
B. WHITE PAINTABLE PANELS
create a room that is perceptually
It is a white acoustical wall panel with a soft
devoid of sound.
textured appearance. The two feet by one foot
dimension provides installers flexibility to
mount acoustical panels around existing
objects. In addition to reducing echo and
reverberation, these acoustical panels are
used to create unique designs and patterns.
The glass fiber core is faced with a paintable
covering. This allows you to match or
complement existing wall colors by applying a
light coat of flat or matte spray paint. To
customize the look even further, many local Used to reduce echo and reverberation in
printing companies now have the capability to applications, small and large. These panels
produce an image directly to the face of these are manufactured from a rigid high density (6-
panels. 7 PCF) glass fiber acoustical board and
Advantages: covered with an acoustically transparent
• Quick & Easy acoustical solution fabric.
• Soft drywall texture appearance
• Create unique patterns
• Panel size allows for flexible
mounting options
• Paintable & Printable finish

Ceiling clouds reduce reflected sound in

areas such as theaters, restaurants, arenas,
shopping malls, convention centers,
recording and broadcast rooms,or anywhere
absorption is required.

Sustainability
This product bears the Green Cross label for
recycled content. The acoustical substrate is
certified on average to
contain at least 35% recycled glass, with 9%
post consumer and 26% pre-consumer
content.
Ceiling Tiles are an excellent choice for many
ceiling grid applications requiring high
C. FABRIC WRAPPED PANELS
absorption
Acoustical sound panels utilize 6-7 PCF glass
fiber material for maximum absorption.
Available as wall panels, ceiling tiles, hanging
baffles, acoustical clouds and bass traps, with
more than 50 standard colors to choose
from, these materials will look as good as
they sound. The standard sizes and
configurations best maximize raw materials,
however, many of these products can be
customized to meet specific requirements
should you need material sized to fit or other
finishes or coverings.
Broadband absorbers
Sculptured sound absorbing modular units
used for walls, as corner traps, bass traps and
ceiling applications. Available in half-rounds
or quarter-rounds. Broadband Noise also
called wideband noise, is noise whose sound
wall panels energy is distributed over a wide section of the
audible range as opposed to narrowband E. CEILING TILES
noise. Cloudscape® Ceiling Tiles absorb noise and
block sound transmission. These ceiling tiles
are designed to fit into existing 2' x 2'
suspended drop tile ceiling grid systems.
They may also retrofit in a 2' x 4' ceiling grid by
installing cross tees. Cloudscape® ceiling
tiles may also be ordered as a full 24" x 24"
size, un-backed for adhesive mounting
directly to walls or ceilings.
Available Sizes:
Ceiling Baffles 24" x 24" (nominal)
All surface faces and edges of the glass fiber Specify grid when ordering:
core are wrapped in fabric to match or 9/16 or 15/16
accentuate room décor . Ceiling Baffles E. BAFFLES AND BANNERS
absorb sound on all sides and edges. Baffles and Banners are designed to solve
acoustical problems economically in any
D. WALL COVERINGS large cubic volume space such as arenas,
Acoustical wall fabric is a dimensional fabric gymnasiums, theaters, restaurants, and
that offers excellent acoustical auditoriums. Reverberation times that range
properties, unmatched fade resistance, and a from 4 to 9 seconds can be reduced to 1/2 to 2
fire/smoke retardant class A rating. Sound seconds. Speech intelligibility is greatly
channels is resistant to moisture, mildew, rot, improved and sound intensity levels are
bacteria, and is non-allergenic. Produced with reduced simultaneously by 3 to 12 decibels.
no voc’s (volatile organic compounds), ods’s
(ozone depleting substances), heavy metals
or formaldehyde, it's the perfect acoustic
fabric for offices, classrooms, conference
centers or any area where speech intelligibility
is a critical factor
Features:
•Lightweight Acoustic Fabric
•Easy to install
•Class A Banners are suspended from ceilings, bar
•Passes Corner Burn Test joists or pre-engineered suspension
•Available in Many Colors systems. They are designed to hang in a
•Durable / Abuse Resistant horizontal or in a catenary fashion using
•Improves Speech Intelligibility edge stiffeners or deck mounted flat with
washer plates

Acoustic Wall Fabric

 PYRAMIDAL DIFFUSER
Baffles are easily suspended from existing This traditional industry workhorse disperses
open truss and pre-engineered suspension sound uniformly over a broad frequency range.
systems. They are designed to hang in a A quick solution to reduce flutter echos.
vertical fashion, allowing free flow of air and
integrate exceptionally well with existing
sprinklers, lighting and HVAC system.

II. SOUND DIFFUSERS

These devices reduce the intensity of sound by
scattering it over an expanded area, rather
than eliminating the sound reflections as an
absorber would. Traditional spatial diffusers, DOUBLE DUTY DIFFUSER
such as the polycylindrical (barrel) shapes These Polycylindrical Diffusers do twice the
also double as low frequency traps. Temporal work. They scatter sound and function as a
diffusers, such as binary arrays and bass trap.
quadratics, scatter sound in a manner similar
to diffraction of light, where the timing of
reflections from an uneven surface of varying
depths causes interference which spreads the
sound.

QUADRATIC DIFFUSER
A true quadratic residue diffuser designed for
uniform broadband scattering and reducing
High-Q reflections.

III. NOISE BARRIERS & VIBRATION

CONTROL
QUADRA PYRAMID DIFFUSER
These materials range from dense materials
This diffuser generates a uniform polar
to block the transmission of airborne sound
response over a broad frequency range
to devices and compounds used to isolate
using a pre-rotated pyramidal pattern to
structures from one another and reduce
create 16 angles of reflection.
impact noise
 sound waves instead of reflecting them and
are called bad reflectors of sound.

III. SOUND REFLECTORS

Any smooth and hard surfaces like walls,
rocks, pillars, wood, metal sheets, and glass
will reflect sound waves and are known as
good reflectors of sound. Unlike entirely
smooth surfaces, certain materials absorb
BARRIERS sound waves instead of reflecting them and
BlockAid® Vinyl Sound Barrier, also known as are called bad reflectors of sound.
mass loaded vinyl (MLV), is a limp-mass
material used to block unwanted noise and Sound Transmission Class, abbreviated
reduce sound transmission without reducing STC, is the measurement of a material’s ability
valuable room space. to block airborne sound within the frequency
range of human speech. The STC number is
the decibel (dB) reduction across a material or
assembly. For instance, if a sound in a room is
60dB and that same sound in the next room is
20db, then the wall between the rooms has
an STC rating of 40

Sound Transmission Class, abbreviated

STC, is the measurement of a material's ability
Composites are constructed from to block airborne sound within the frequency
combinations of various materials including range of human speech. The STC number is
foams, fiberglass, and barriers. Their unique the decibel (dB) reduction across a material or
properties can block and/or absorb airborne assembly. For instance, if a sound in a room is
sounds or impact vibrations 60dB and that same sound in the next room is
20db, then the wall between the rooms has
an STC rating of 40

Vibration control products are used to absorb

vibration energy and reduce structural noise
transmission. These include vibration pads,
underlayments, isolation hangers, and
resilient clips.
IV. SOUND REFLECTORS Most building codes require walls between
Any smooth and hard surfaces like walls, dwelling units to have an STC rating of 50.
rocks, pillars, wood, metal sheets, and glass However, very loud speech can still be heard
will reflect sound waves and are known as through such a partition, so an STC rating of 55
good reflectors of sound. Unlike entirely to 60 is generally used in higher-end housing.
smooth surfaces, certain materials absorb It is important to note that STC ratings are
given to partitions by rating agencies after noise, or other very low or very high frequency
testing in a laboratory environment. Partitions sounds. In addition, NRC ratings are often
installed in the field can have an effective provided based on a given assembly. For
rating of 5dB lower and if significant short instance, a carpet manufacturer may indicate
circuits in the construction are present an NRC rating of .50, but this rating may be
(cracks, air gaps, back-to-back electrical for the carpet, pad, and sub-floor -- it is not
boxes, ducts, etc.), the partitions can be necessarily just for the carpet.
ineffective at blocking sound. Sound levels are
subjective and vary by individual.
Normal conversation: 60 dB

Noise Reduction Coefficient, abbreviated

NRC, is a measure of a material's ability to
absorb sound within the frequency range of
speech. A material with an NRC of 0 will reflect
all sound that hits it. A material with an NRC of
1.0 will theoretically absorb all sound that hits
it. Some materials have a listed NRC rating
above 1.0 due to the complexity in testing a
material within a laboratory. Although a Ceiling Attenuation Class, abbreviated
material is tested based on its face CAC, is effectively the STC of a ceiling tile.
dimensions, the material has an inherent CAC is generally used to measure sound
thickness. Due to diffraction and since the transmission between two spaces when the
edges absorb sound, the average sound wall between them stops at or just above the
absorption of the material as a whole is greater ceiling. Since the wall does not extend to the
than that of its face. underside of the structural deck above, the
ceiling is the only barrier preventing sound
Noise Reduction Coefficient, abbreviated transmission between the spaces.
NRC, is a measure of a material's ability to
absorb sound within the frequency range of FORMULAS:
speech. A material with an NRC of 0 will Sabine / Eyrings Formula for Reverberation
reflect all sound that hits it. A material with an Time:
NRC of 1.0 will theoretically absorb all sound RT60 = K V/a ( K V/a )
that hits it. Some materials have a listed NRC RT60 = .049 V/a ( 0.16 V/a )
rating above 1.0 due to the complexity in Where:
testing a material within a laboratory. Although RT60 = Reverberation Time
a material is tested based on its face V = volume of the space (Cubic feet / Cubic
dimensions, the material has an inherent meter)
thickness. Due to diffraction and since the a = sabins (total room absorption at given
edges absorb sound, the average sound frequency)
absorption of the material as a whole is greater k is a constant that equals 0.16 when the
than that of its face. units of
measurement are expressed in meters and
It is important to reiterate that NRC is a 0.049
measurement of noise reduction within the when units are expressed in feet
human speech range, so a material that has a
high NRC rating, may actually be poor at
absorbing music, mechanical equipment
Reverb Time Calculation Example Wall 3: 5 m x 2.5 m = 12.5 m2 x 0.05 NRC =
Tip: to convert feet to meters take your 0.625
measurement\ Wall 4: 4 m x 2.5 m = 10 m2 x 0.02 NRC = 0.2
(in feet) and divide it by 3.28. Total absorption in the room is 0.4 + 1 + 3.5 +
Example Room: 0.2 + 0.625 + 0.625 = 6.35
4 m wide x 5 m long x 2.5 m high To find the reverberation time (T60) of the
Building Materials: example room we use the equation:
Floor: carpet - thick no pad (NRC = 0.45) T60 = 0.16V/A
Ceiling: gypsum wallboard (NRC = 0.05) A = total absorption = 6.35
Wall 1: glass (NRC = 0.02) V = Volume = 4 m x 5 m x 2.5 m = 50 m3
Wall 2: gypsum wallboard (NRC = 0.05) T60 = 0.16(50) / 6.35
Wall 3: gypsum wallboard (NRC = 0.05) T60 = 1.30 seconds < 1.5 seconds (To be
Wall 4: gypsum wallboard (NRC = 0.05) solved)

Floor: 4 m x 5 m = 20 m2 x 0.45 NRC = 9 Floor: 4 m x 5 m = 20 m2 x 0.02 NRC = 0.40

Ceiling: 4 m x 5 m = 20 m2 x 0.05 NRC = 1 (changed to marble)
Wall 1: 4 m x 2.5 m = 10 m2 x 0.05 NRC = 0.5 Ceiling: 4 m x 5 m = 20 m2 x 0.05 NRC = 1
Wall 2: 5 m x 2.5 m = 12.5 m2 x 0.05 NRC = Wall 1: 4 m x 2.5 m = 10 m2 x 0.05 NRC = 0.5
0.625 Wall 2: 5 m x 2.5 m = 12.5 m2 x 0.05 NRC =
Wall 3: 5 m x 2.5 m = 12.5 m2 x 0.05 NRC = 0.625
0.625 Wall 3: 5 m x 2.5 m = 12.5 m2 x 0.05 NRC =
Wall 4: 4 m x 2.5 m = 10 m2 x 0.02 NRC = 0.2 0.625
Total absorption in the room is 9 + 1 + 0.5 + Wall 4: 4 m x 2.5 m = 10 m2 x 0.02 NRC = 0.2
0.2 + 0.625 + 0.625 = 11.95 Total absorption in the room is 0.4 + 1 + 0.5 +
To find the reverberation time (T60) of the 0.2 + 0.625 + 0.625 = 3.35
example room we use the equation: To find the reverberation time (T60) of the
T60 = 0.16V/A example room we use the equation:
A = total absorption = 11.95 T60 = 0.16V/A
V = Volume = 4 m x 5 m x 2.5 m = 50 m3 A = total absorption = 3.35
T60 = 0.16(50) / 11.95 V = Volume = 4 m x 5 m x 2.5 m = 50 m3
T60 = 0.67 seconds < 1.5 seconds (To be T60 = 0.16(50) / 3.35
solved) T60 = 2.39 seconds > 1.5 seconds (To be
solved)

Floor: 4 m x 5 m = 20 m2 x 0.02 NRC = 0.4

(changed to marble)
Ceiling: 4 m x 5 m = 20 m2 x 0.05 NRC = 1
Wall 1: 4 m x 2.5 m = 10 m2 x 0.35 NRC = 3.5
(change to drapery)
Wall 2: 5 m x 2.5 m = 12.5 m2 x 0.05 NRC =
0.625