AIN SHAMS UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

ARC 362s Acoustics in Architecture

Spring 2022

Acoustics in Architecture
Acoustics, buildings legislations, and
related Noise Indicators

‫ والمؤشرات الخاصة‬،‫ تشريعات البناء‬،‫الصوتيات‬

‫بقياس الضوضاء‬

Part 3

Special Thanks to
Prof. Dr Ahmed El Khateeb Lectures and Profs. Mostafa Refaat
as the lecture is based on their lectures and their guidance

By Dr. Manar Mohammed

Email: [email protected]
 AIN SHAMS UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

ARC 362s Acoustics in Architecture

Spring 2022

Acoustics in Architecture
Acoustics, buildings legislations, and
related Noise Indicators

‫ والمؤشرات الخاصة‬،‫ تشريعات البناء‬،‫الصوتيات‬

‫بقياس الضوضاء‬

Part 3

Special Thanks to
Prof. Dr Ahmed El Khateeb Lectures and Profs. Mostafa Refaat
as the lecture is based on their lectures and their guidance

By Dr. Manar Mohammed

Email: [email protected]
 Calculations are
required
Lecture Contents
Why Noise In Sound Behavior in Free Field
Noise Hazards Acoustic Indicators Basic Mitigation Techniques
Legislations

Sound Propagation in
Sources of Outdoor Free Field Outdoor barriers for noise
Noise Noise Policy in Egypt Noise Indices
control

Type of Sound Sources

Plans and Noise reduction from outdoor
Health Consequences Sound Level Measurement
Mitigation Efforts thin-wall barriers
Effect of Wind and
Temperature on Sound
Propagation
Egyptian Standards Weighting Networks Self-protecting building forms

Sound Attenuation –
Noise Predection
Converting the Linear Octave
band levels to A weighted Balconies and overhangs
levels
Sound Pressure Level of
Sound Sources Calculating Equivalent
continuous sound pressure
level

Adding Type of Sources

Coherent

Incoherent

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Outdoor Noise Mitigation

Introduction Sound Behavior and Acoustic Indicators
Techniques
Type of Outdoor Noise

3
End

1
Mitigations of Outdoor Noise How to control Noise

1 Control at noise
sources 2 Noise reduction at the transmission path = Mitigation Techniques 3 Protection at the
receiver end

Land-use planning for noise

Traffic Control Using Vegetation Noise Barriers Through Building Design By arranging noise sensitive
control
uses such as bedrooms
facing away from the noise
sources, the impact of noise
on the receiver can be
reduced.
Orientation of
City Planning to Shielding of grass-covered Building Shape
Buildings
segregate residential earth berm
areas from noisy
zones (Aircraft and
industrial Zones ) Self-protecting building
forms

Balconies and overhangs

Engineering Mitigation
Architectural Design and Architectural Planning Design Mitigation Techniques
Techniques for sources
Mitigations of Outdoor Noise
Using Vegetation for Noise
Isolation

Poor Isolation Preferred Isolation

Thin planting of trees can provide visual, but nor For design estimates, use 10 dBA of attenuation for dense plantings of
acoustical shielding!. trees and shrubs more than 30 m deep with a closed canopy.
A single row of trees has no value as an acoustical
barrier Example : Mature evergreen vegetation ( > 6 m wide) may provide
modest attenuation of 2 to 4 dBA if the belt is sufficiently high and long,
has dense foliage extending to the ground, and can be well maintained.

30m
Mitigations of Outdoor Noise
Mitigations of Outdoor Noise
grass covered earth berm

Earth berms, completely covered by grass or other

sound-absorbing plant material, can be effective
isolators, reducing noise by 5 to 10 dBA. They can be as
effective as reflective thin-wall barriers or lower berms
which have thin-wall barriers along their tops.

The effectiveness of earth berms can be reduced by

reflective top surfaces (e.g., asphalt or concrete bicycle
paths and walkways) and deciduous trees, which can
scatter sound energy, thus reducing attenuation by 5 dB
or more
Mitigations of Outdoor Noise
Roadbed Elevation and
Depression
Better Best

Roadbeds below grade can interrupt the direct sound

Elevated roadbed plus shielding of grass-covered path from source to receiver even further, thereby
earth berm and thinwall barrier can provide useful providing greater attenuation by diffraction. Roadbed
attenuation. However, elevated highways more depressions of 12 ft or more usually are needed to
than 150 m away can produce almost the same control highway noise. Note that the height H2 above the
noise levels as highways at grade because the line acoustical line of sight for the example roadbed below
of sight will not be blocked. grade is greater than the height H, for the example
elevated roadbed.
Mitigations of Outdoor Noise
OUTDOOR THIN-WALL
BARRIERS
The diffraction of sound energy around the
ends of short barriers, called end diffraction,
will considerably reduce attenuation.

Low Frequency = Long Wavelength : Sound diffracts ( bends) over

barrier edge

High Frequency = Short Wavelength : Sound is reflected at the barrier

Mitigations of Outdoor Noise
OUTDOOR THIN-WALL
BARRIERS

Outdoor barriers can be used to reduce environmental noises, especially

high-frequency sound energy such as tire "whine" from cars and trucks.
However, low-frequency sound energy, such as engine "roar," can readily
bend over and around barriers. Noise reduction for outdoor thin-wall
barriers (called barrier attenuation) can be estimated by the curves below
 OUTDOOR THIN-WALL
Mitigations of Outdoor Noise BARRIERS

Profs. Mostafa Refaat Lectures

Mitigations of Outdoor Noise :
OUTDOOR THIN-WALL
BARRIERS
Shown below are the sound paths from source to receiver,
interrupted by a thin-wall barrier. The arrows indicate the
direction of travel for the direct, reflected, diffracted, and
transmitted sound waves. The greater the angle of diffraction, the
more effective the attenuation of the barrier.

Barrier Placement
1. The best position for a barrier is
nearest the noise source.

2. The second-best position would

be nearest the receiver.

3. The least effective position is

midway between the two.
Note: The effects of wind, temperature, and atmospheric turbulence
usually can be neglected at distances of less than 100 m
Mitigations of Outdoor Noise : Example
OUTDOOR THIN-WALL
BARRIERS
Mitigations of Outdoor Noise : Example
OUTDOOR THIN-WALL
BARRIERS

1. A source of noise is located 3 ft (0.9 m) from a

thin-wall barrier which extends 4 ft (1.2 m) above
the acoustical line of sight. Find the barrier
attenuation A at 250 Hz.
Mitigations of Outdoor Noise : Example
OUTDOOR THIN-WALL
BARRIERS

2. Find the barrier height H required to reduce

First, find the required
outdoor mechanical equipment noise to 57 dB barrier attenuation A.
at 125 Hz. Equipment produces 67 dB at the
property line as shown below. The barrier can
be located 10 ft (3m) from the equipment.
Next, find the required
barrier height H above
the acoustical line of
sight.
Mitigations of Outdoor Noise
SELF-PROTECTING BUILDING
FORMS

Using external elements that act as barrier screens for interrupting the Be careful when designing wide
acoustical line of sight to nearby noise sources. This feature can protect podium bases because they can
acoustically weaker elements such as windows and doors . restrict-access to upper floors
for fire-fighting and rescue
operations.

Architectural Acoustics by M. David Egan (z-lib.org)

D. J. Oldham and E. A. Mohsen, "A Technique for Predicting the Performance of Self-Protecting Buildings with Respect to Traffic Noise," Noise Control Engineering
Journal, July-August .1980
Mitigations of Outdoor Noise
BALCONIES AND
OVERHANGS
Mitigations of Outdoor Noise
Orientation of Buildings

Courtyards can be sources of considerable By angling or staggering the buildings, noise

noise. The buildings shown below have a buildup can be reduced.
central courtyard enclosed by parallel walls.

The hard-surfaced parallel walls cause flutter

echoes which intensify the noise in the
courtyard.

Egan, M. David, J. D. Quirt, and M. Z. Rousseau. "Architectural acoustics." (1989): 852-852.

Mitigations of Outdoor Noise
Orientation of Buildings

Egan, M. David, J. D. Quirt, and M. Z. Rousseau. "Architectural acoustics." (1989): 852-852.

Mitigations of Outdoor Noise
Land Use
Recommended NC ranges for various indoor activity areas

Recommended NC ranges for various indoor activity areas. For heanng-

impaired persons, specify NC curves that are 5 or more below the
criteha presented in the table. It is especially critical to achieve low
noise levels at 63 and 125 Hz, where hearing-impaired persons have
most of their residual hearing.
CLASSIFICATION OF ROOMS FOR NOISE CONTROL

Egan, M. David, J. D. Quirt, and M. Z. Rousseau. "Architectural acoustics." (1989): 852-852.

References

1 Egan, M. David, J. D. Quirt, and M. Z. Rousseau. "Architectural acoustics." (1989): 852-852.

2 ‫د مصطفي رفعت‬.‫ أحمد علي الخطيب – أ‬.‫د‬.‫محاضرات أ‬