Building acoustics:
- Legal framework: building regulations (relating to noise); Approved Document E; particular requirements for schools (Building Bulletin 93) and hospitals (HTM08-01).
- Sound insulation (laboratory tests, according to ISO 10140, in-situ tests according to ISO 16283, single number ratings Rw and Dw according to ISO 717, typical building constructions).
- Absorption and reverberation time (Sabine and Eyring models, air absorption, typical absorption spectra, requirements for different purposes).
- Background noise criteria (NR, PNC, STI); sources of external noise (rain noise, traffic, etc); sources of noise within buildings (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning noise sources; fans;
boilers; chillers; packaged units). Guidance according to BS8233.
- Vibration isolation (of noisy equipment, of buildings); ground-borne noise from underground railways.
- Laboratory sessions: measurement of sound insulation according to ISO 16283; measurement of sound absorption according to ISO 354.
Auditorium acoustics:
- Subjective and objective requirements for different rooms (concert halls, theatres, opera houses, multi-purpose halls).
- Reverberation (T20, T30, EDT); other indicators (clarity C80, D50, lateral energy fraction, sound strength) according to ISO 3382.
- Absorption of seats, audience, other materials, variable absorption.
- Scattering and diffusion.
- Measurement of impulse responses; determination of room acoustic parameters from the IR.
- Sound source characteristics (musical instruments, speech, singing; sound power, directivity).
- Prediction methods (image sources, ray tracing, beam/cone tracing, finite differences, modal methods, physical scale modelling).
- Public address system design for buildings and auditoria.
- Laboratory sessions: measurement of room impulse responses; use of CATT-Acoustic to predict room acoustics.
Optional introductory sessions will be provided for students with no background in acoustics.