Abstract
In ordinary public rooms, such as classrooms and offices, an absorbent ceiling is the typical first acoustic action. This treatment provides a good acoustic baseline. However, an improvement of specific room acoustic parameters, operating for specific frequencies, can be needed. It has been seen that diffusing elements can be effective additional treatment. In order to choose the right design, placement, and quantity of diffusers, a model to estimate the effect on the acoustics is necessary. This study evaluated whether an SEA model could be used for that purpose, particularly for the cases where diffusers are used in combination with an absorbent ceiling. It was investigated whether the model could handle different quantities of diffusing elements, varied diffusion characteristics, and varied installation patterns. It was found that the model was sensitive to these changes, given that the output from the model in terms of acoustic properties will be reflected by the change of diffuser configuration design. It was also seen that the absorption and scattering of the diffusers could be quantified in a laboratory environment: a reverberation chamber. Through the SEA model, these quantities could be transformed to a full-scale room for estimation of the room acoustic parameters.
Highlights
In ordinary public rooms such as classrooms and offices, a satisfactory room acoustic environment is critical
The results presented in the graph show the effect per element, which was calculated from configurations using 12 diffusers
The aim of this study has been to investigate whether the measure Asc is sensitive enough to be used as an estimation of how the diffusers affect scattering and absorption in a room with absorbent ceiling and, if so, it could further be used in the SEA model from which the Asc originates to estimate room acoustic parameters
Summary
In ordinary public rooms such as classrooms and offices, a satisfactory room acoustic environment is critical. In previous articles [1,2] from this research group, the effect of different room acoustic treatments in ordinary rooms has been studied Both the effect on room acoustic parameters [1] and the effect on subjective experience [2] have been investigated. In these studies, it was found that diffusers can be a convenient treatment in addition to a sound-absorbing ceiling. The aim of this paper is to present and evaluate a method of quantifying the sound-spreading effect of objects in rooms with absorbent ceilings. A novel method for measuring this parameter in a laboratory set-up is suggested and exemplified
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