Case-study evaluations of the acoustical designs of renovated university classrooms

The acoustical characteristics of 14 university classrooms at the University of British Columbia were measured before and after renovation—seven of these are discussed in detail here. From these measurements, and theoretical considerations, values of quantities used to assess each classroom configuration were predicted, and used to evaluate renovation quality. Information on each renovation was determined with the help of the university campus-planning office and/or the project acoustical consultant. These were related to the evaluation results in order to determine the relationship between design and acoustical quality. The criteria focused on the quality of verbal communication in the classrooms. Room-average Speech Intelligibility (SI) and its physical correlate, Speech Transmission Index (STI), were used to quantify verbal-communication quality. A simplified STI-calculation procedure was applied. The results indicate that some renovations were beneficial, others were not. Verbal-communication quality varied from ‘poor’ to ‘good’. The effect of a renovation depends on a complex interplay between changes in the reverberation and changes in the signal-to-noise level difference, as affected by sound absorption and the source outputs. Renovations which reduce noise are beneficial unless signal-to-noise level differences remain optimal. Renovations often put too much emphasis on adding sound absorption to control reverberation, at the expense of lower speech levels, particularly at the backs of classrooms. The absorption and noise contributed by room occupants has apparently often been neglected.     

A simple impulse sound source for measurements in room acoustics

This paper deals with the construction and characteristics of a specially designed wooden clapper intended to operate as an impulse sound source for measurements in rooms. It is to be used as an alternative impulse sound source for experimental estimations of impulse responses of rooms located at remote and specific places where none of the standard sound sources - an omnidirectional loudspeaker system, etc. - can be used. The paper describes the spectral characteristics and directivity of the clapper impulse. Its features are compared with other impulse sources.     

Evaluation of the acoustic performance of classrooms in public schools

This paper presents the results of an evaluation of acoustic comfort of classrooms built according to a standard design. Three constructive designs located in the metropolitan area of Curitiba (Brazil) have been evaluated, two schools built under each of these three designs, in a total of six schools. The acoustic quality of the classrooms have been analyzed based on measurements of the reverberation time, sound pressure level inside and outside the classrooms, and sound insulation. Measurements of ambient noise (external and internal) followed the Brazilian Standards NBR 10151 and NBR 10152. Measurement of reverberation time and sound insulation followed the international Standards ISO 140-4, ISO 140-5, ISO 717-1, and ISO 3382. Results (sound insulation and reverberation time) have been compared with reference values found in the Brazilian Standard NBR 1279, and in the Standards ANSI S12.60 and DIN 18041. Results reveal poor acoustical quality of the surveyed classrooms, for all 3 constructive designs studied. The surveyed designs do not meet the guidelines of either the Brazilian Standards or of the International Standards employed as references.     

Acoustical design and experimental verification of school music rooms: A case study

This paper presents an approach to acoustical design and the results of a survey in music rooms in an Italian public school (Liceo Statale “Alfano I” in Salerno, Italy). The locations selected are devoted to orchestral performances and to recording.     

混响感知的听觉心理

综述了中国传媒大学传播声学研究所近年来在混响的主观感知机理上的研究工作和进展,涉及混响感的语意调查与分析,音乐听闻的混响偏爱度实验,混响感的差别阈限,混响感的因素分析,以及混响处理与音乐情感之间的相互影响等研究结果。对混响感知的研究对进一步探究在有界空间中主观听感的生理心理机制是十分有启发的。     

Influence of wall absorption on low-frequency dependence of reverberation time in room of irregular shape

In this paper, a modal analysis was used to describe a reverberation phenomenon in a room of complex shape. A theoretical model was limited to low sound frequencies, when eigenmodes are lightly damped, thus they may be approximated by uncoupled normal acoustic modes of a hard-walled room. A utility of this method was demonstrated in a numerical example where the enclosure in a form of two coupled rooms was considered. A reverberation time was evaluated from a time decay of spatial root mean square pressure, the overall measure of room pressure. The results of calculations, performed for three different distributions of absorbing materials on room walls, showed how various location of the material can effect a dependence of the reverberation time on a frequency of sound source.     

浅海低频垂直相控阵多模声场聚焦研究*

为了提高低频垂直相控阵声场聚焦的环境适应性,增强环境失配情况下的声场聚焦效果,提出一种多模声场聚焦方法。该方法利用环境失配对低阶模态影响相对较小的特点,只利用前3阶模态进行发射权系数的计算。仿真结果表明,多模声场具有较大的聚焦跨度,在环境失配情况下仍能在期望的聚焦位置实现良好的聚焦效果。进一步地,根据巴斯微扰理论计算分析了多模声场的混响特性。由于多模声场聚焦将能量集中到了掠射角较小的低阶模态中,因此比最优权系数聚焦具有更低的混响平均强度。多模聚焦对聚焦深度进行扫描可以实现目标的深度分辨,这在水下目标探测方面具有较高的应用前景。     

Chinese speech intelligibility at different speech sound pressure levels and signal-to-noise ratios in simulated classrooms

The speech intelligibility in classroom can be influenced by background-noise levels, speech sound pressure level (SSPL), reverberation time and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The relationship between SSPL and subjective Chinese Mandarin speech intelligibility and the effect of different SNRs on Chinese Mandarin speech intelligibility in the simulated classroom were investigated through room acoustical simulation, auralisation technique and subjective evaluation. Chinese speech intelligibility test signals recorded in anechoic chamber were convolved with the simulated binaural room impulse responses, and then reproduced through the headphone by different SSPLs and SNRs. The results show that Chinese Mandarin speech intelligibility scores increase with increasing of SSPLs and SNRs within a certain range in simulated classrooms. Chinese Mandarin speech intelligibility scores have no significant difference with SNRs of no less than 15 dBA under the same reverberation time condition.     

相继脉冲混响中非相关成分的分析及其抑制

沉底目标探测实验时,相继脉冲混响之间存在非相关成分。结合混响时-频谱图分析,给出了引起相继脉冲混响之间非相关成分的影响因素。根据概率论中的大数定律,采用了一种相继脉冲混响积累抵消的方法以对非相关成分进行抑制。通过对实验数据的分析结果表明,所用方法可以抑制混响之间的非相关成分,使时-频谱图中混响背景变的更加均匀,有利于目标信号的检测。     

Vibro-acoustography and multifrequency image compounding

Vibro-acoustography is an ultrasound based imaging modality that can visualize normal and abnormal soft tissue through mapping the acoustic response of the object to a harmonic radiation force at frequency Δf induced by focused ultrasound. In this method, the ultrasound energy is converted from high ultrasound frequencies to a low acoustic frequency (acoustic emission) that is often two orders of magnitude smaller than the ultrasound frequency. The acoustic emission is normally detected by a hydrophone. Depending on the setup, this low frequency sound may reverberate by object boundaries or other structures present in the acoustic paths before it reaches the hydrophone. This effect produces an artifact in the image in the form of gradual variations in image intensity that may compromise image quality. The use of tonebursts with finite length yields acoustic emission at Δf and at sidebands centered about Δf. Multiple images are formed by selectively applying bandpass filters on the acoustic emission at Δf and the associated sidebands. The data at these multiple frequencies are compounded through both coherent and incoherent processes to reduce the acoustic emission reverberation artifacts. Experimental results from a urethane breast phantom are described. The coherent and incoherent compounding of multifrequency data show, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the efficacy of this reverberation reduction method. This paper presents theory describing the physical origin of this artifact and use of image data created using multifrequency vibro-acoustography for reducing reverberation artifacts.