Acoustic Solutions for Buildings’ Reflected Sound
It is very common to find high levels of reflected sound in buildings. In industrial / manufacturing factories this can increase workers’ noise exposures considerably. It also causes problems in non-industrial buildings like offices, halls, university & school teaching rooms, pubs and canteens / restaurants, etc. Here, high levels of reverberant (reflected) sound can make it difficult to hear speech due to high levels of background noise when lots of other people are talking. This can also make it difficult to concentrate.
The best solution is to install a specialist type of acoustic ceiling panel or wall tile to absorb some of the sound. This acoustic treatment can greatly reduce the level of reflected noise and considerably improve the acoustics of the room, making communication and concentration much easier. This acoustic solution can be applied wherever reflected or reverberation noise is a problem, including offices, canteens, colleges, schools, universities, restaurants, leisure centres, sports halls, student lounges, computer rooms, industrial offices, factory control rooms and industrial / manufacturing areas.
The type of acoustic panel, its material, size, location and number of panels are all critical in achieving the optimum sound conditions and the best acoustic solution. We can assess all these factors and determine the optimum acoustic treatment and panel for any type of room or building.
We normally use a type of acoustic panel that provides a particularly high noise reduction at low cost. In previous projects this has proved very successful, and our room treatment solutions have achieved a very high noise reduction. A few examples of our acoustic treatment solutions are given below:
Example: Industrial Acoustic Solution for Control Room
We were asked to provide an industrial acoustic solution for a control room in a flour milling machine area of a factory. The flour milling machines were generating high noise levels in the adjacent control room and this was causing complaints from workers. We installed high performance acoustic panels in the ceiling of the control room. This produced a 7 dBA noise reduction inside the control room. The acoustic ceiling panels transformed the room acoustics and produced a huge improvement in the subjective impression of the noise. After installation, workers said they were very pleased at how effective the industrial acoustic solution was and they were pleasantly surprised at how much quieter the milling machines sounded inside the control room.
Example: Acoustic Solution for School Studio
At Cheam independent school near Newbury, Berks (Berkshire), high levels of reflected noise made communication difficult in a dance and drama studio, resulting in complaints from the teacher about the room acoustics and the amount of echo. We determined the optimum type of acoustic panel, its thickness, location and coverage area. The result was a specialist type of acoustic absorber panel fitted to the ceiling. This achieved a very large reduction in the reflected sound, greatly reducing the background noise from children talking / performing, and making it much easier for the teacher to make herself heard and to control the class.
Soundproofing acoustic door seals were also fitted to the double entrance doors to reduce the noise transmitted into the drama / dance studio from the school sports hall below. The combination of this plus acoustic treatment for the drama studio ceiling achieved a very large noise reduction. There have been no more complaints since installation.
Example: Industrial Acoustic Solution for Machine Area
CNC machines in an industrial company’s manufacturing area were exposing the workers to high noise levels. The company wanted to reduce the noise to comply with the Control of Noise at Work regulations. We carried out diagnostic tests which showed that the lowest cost method of achieving the noise reduction needed was to install specialist acoustic ceiling panels above the machine area. We chose an acoustic ceiling panel that provided a high noise reduction at low cost. Our industrial acoustic solution was highly effective, achieving a noise reduction of 9 – 10 dBA and reducing workers’ noise exposures below the legal noise limit.
Acoustic Solution for a College
A college asked us to help improve acoustic conditions within a student lounge, canteen and in a large open-plan room where software apps are written / developed. In the lounge and canteen, sound levels from people talking were very high and this made it difficult to communicate and made for a very unpleasant acoustic environment. The computer room was subdivided into several smaller areas with office screens. Although sound levels in this room were low compared with the lounge and canteen, they were still loud enough to disturb concentration and impair productivity.
We calculated the existing reverberation times in the rooms – this is a measure of current acoustic conditions. We then assessed a range of different acoustic treatment solutions and products to determine the best option in terms of sound reduction and cost. The acoustic material, coverage area and location were selected to achieve acceptable acoustic conditions (reverberation times) for the activity that occurs in each room. Our acoustic treatment solution proved very successful.
Optimum Building Acoustic Solution
For room acoustic treatment to be effective, it is very important to install not only the optimum type of acoustic absorbent material / panel but also the optimum number of panels and to attach them to the most appropriate surface (usually the ceiling, wall or both). It is also very important to match the acoustic treatment to the type of activity that occurs in the room.
There is a delicate balancing act in achieving the optimum reverberation control. If too little acoustic material is installed, or if it is not installed in the best location(s), reflected noise will still be too high. Then, the background noise will remain too high and communication will remain difficult. If too much acoustic material is installed, there can be too little reflected sound and, where the room is used for presentations, the speaker may need to shout to be heard at the back of the room. So, obtaining specialist advice from an independent expert can be invaluable in ensuring satisfactory acoustic solutions and reverberation control. We can provide that advice – we take great care to get the balance right.
We aim to provide acoustic room treatment solutions that are optimised in terms of both the sound reduction performance and cost. Our company prides itself in achieving highly effective acoustic treatment solutions at reasonable cost.
How to get Help with an Acoustic Solution
We can provide room soundproofing and acoustic solutions for noise problems within buildings in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and throughout the UK – and for all types of building, office, canteen, sports hall, school, university, college, industrial machine and production area. To find out how we can help you with an acoustic treatment solution, please contact us as shown below.
Note the photographs are illustrative only and do not necessarily relate to the acoustic treatment examples beside them.
For help with a noise problem contact us
or call us on 01727 864667