Aspects concerning the acoustical performance of school cafeterias

Abstract

Acoustic measurements were performed in the cafeterias of six schools of different levels of education (pre-primary, 1st and 2nd cycle of basic education) located in the city of Viseu, Portugal. The acoustic evaluation was performed so as to analyse the most common problems that may condition the acoustic environment inside school cafeterias.The acoustic evaluation of the school cafeterias was carried out by measuring the reverberation time and continuous sound level during meals.The reverberation time was lower than the legal limit in only half of the school cafeterias tested. The noise levels, which students are exposed to in school cafeterias, are excessive; in most of the school cafeterias that were tested, students are exposed to noise levels above 80 dB(A).A prediction model that considers the Lombard effect was established and it was suggested that this kind of model could be an excellent tool to predict the real effect of corrective measures to be implemented.