Architectural Acoustics

Comprehensive, up-to-date coverage of principles, materials, and technologies Architectural Acoustics provides the vital information that architects, engineers, and all concerned with the built environment need to control and direct wanted or unwanted sounds within and around buildings. A team of internationally recognized experts presents the very latest information on acoustical materials, technologies, design criteria, and methods for a wide variety of applications, including airports and other transportation facilities; theaters, churches, and concert halls; classrooms, lecture halls, and libraries; music practice rooms and recording studios; sports venues; and all types of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. This comprehensive reference is one of the few books of its kind to include richly detailed case studies that demonstrate real-world applications of acoustic principles, materials, and methods. Nearly two hundred photos and illustrations further elucidate specific principles, applications, and techniques. Topics covered include: * Basic principles of architectural acoustics * Acoustical materials and methods * Building noise control applications

Architectural Acoustics, Second Edition presents a thorough technical overview of the discipline, from basic concepts to specific design advice. Beginning with a brief history, it reviews the fundamentals of acoustics, human perception and reaction to sound, acoustic noise measurements, noise metrics, and environmental noise characterization. In-depth treatment is given to the theoretical principles and practical applications of wave acoustics, sound transmission, vibration and vibration isolation, and noise transmission in floors and mechanical systems. Chapters on specific design problems demonstrate how to apply the theory, including treatment of multifamily dwellings, office buildings, rooms for speech, rooms for music, multipurpose rooms, auditoriums, sanctuaries, studios, listening rooms, and the design of sound reinforcement systems. Detailed figures illustrate the practical applications of acoustic principles, showing how to implement design ideas in actual structures. This compendium of theoretical and practical design information brings the relevant concepts, equations, techniques, and specific design problems together in one place, including both fundamentals and more advanced material. Practicing engineers will find it an invaluable reference for their daily work, while advanced students will appreciate its rigorous treatment of the basic building blocks of acoustical theory. Considered the most complete resource in the field – includes basic fundamental relations, derived from first principles, and examples needed to solve real engineering problems. Provides a well-organized text for students first approaching the subject as well as a reliable reference for experienced practitioners looking to refresh their technical knowledge base. New content for developing professionals includes case studies and coverage of specific focus areas such as audio visual design, theaters, and concert halls.

Unite the science of sound and the principles of design toenhance any space Architectural Acoustics Illustrated translates thequantitative and qualitative content of acoustics into the graphiclanguage of architecture. This highly-visual guide includes over350 illustrations that outline the physics of sound and the bestdesign practices for limiting or mitigating noise in buildings byusing the latest in materials and techniques. Each chapter includesa summary checklist of design guidelines to help prevent mistakesand oversights, and the Instructor's website offers videoanimations demonstrating acoustical concepts. Designed as a "firstlook" at the interaction of sound and space, the book explains theprinciples of architectural acoustics and their practicalapplications, providing a comprehensive guide for designing withacoustics in mind. Architectural acoustics is more than just concert halls –it may determine building placement, division of interior space,exterior construction, and even siting. When addressed early in thedesign process, the resulting space can be free of unwanted soundand promote good hearing; if left unaddressed, the problems withthe space can lead to lawsuits and costly post-constructionremediation. Architectural Acoustics Illustrated helpsdesigners solve most acoustical problems in advance, by enablingreaders to: Understand the physical science underlying the behavior ofsound Consider the interactions of sound and space in the initialdesign approach Mitigate building sounds such as those produced by HVAC andplumbing with early design planning Design spaces for listening, and incorporate acoustics bestpractices into every plan The highly visual format of the book helps readers grasp complexconcepts quickly, and thorough discussion of each concept'sreal-world application ties the science directly into the designprocess. All design professionals need to have a fundamentalunderstanding of acoustics, and Architectural AcousticsIllustrated is a comprehensive, practical guide in aneasy-to-read format.

This book is an authoritative but uniquely accessible and highly illustrated guide to good acoustic design practice for architects, interior designers and acoustic professionals. It provides a user-friendly introduction to architectural acoustics and acoustics technology where the market is crowded with dense and technical texts. It will go through each typology in turn explaining the key acoustic concepts with highly illustrated and international case studies that demonstrate cutting-edge practice and technology, innovative design techniques and common challenges and solutions.

The application of good acoustic design can seem daunting to designers when trying to understand the often-complex physics of sound control. The ever-increasing number of standards and performance criteria that can be requested on new developments further complicates acoustics for architects. Architectural Acoustics, part of the PocketArchitecture series, provides the fundamental theory and understanding of acoustics and applications of effective detailing for specific building types and conditions in an accessible and clear technical guide. The book provides: a compact and understandable introduction to the fundamentals of building and architectural acoustics definitions of suitable acoustic performance criteria for a wide range of common buildings and room types guidance on specification and detailing of the most suitable construction types in North America and the UK. This book is both, a handy rule of thumb on acoustics for anyone involved in the design or construction of buildings, as well as an essential addition to any architect’s reference library.

Written by two educators and a practicing acoustical consultant, this reader-friendly book/reference coversall the important issues of architectural acoustics in a single volume --AND features a dual-level presentation that meets the needs of both those seeking depth and rigor, and those requiring a broad, practical perspective. Synthesizing acoustical theory with its practical applications, it provides exhaustivenarrative coverage of the subject (including advanced optional content and extensive mathematical appendixes) and extensivehigh-quality stand-alone illustrations -- for those who need to grasp concepts quickly without wading through long descriptions of complex acoustical phenomena. Explainscomplex acoustical phenomena and their practical details with relative ease. Providesover 500 stand-alone illustrations -- that, together with a cursory reading of the text, enable readers to grasp concepts quickly --without wading through long descriptions of complex acoustical phenomena. Containsa comprehensive list of important formulas in architectural acoustics.

Adopting a multi-disciplinary approach to the practice of achieving a more acceptable acoustic environment, this book draws on the same basic principles to cover both the outdoors and indoor space. It starts with the fundamentals of sound waves and hearing and goes on to the measurement of noise and vibration, room acoustics, sound absorption, airb

A vibrant history of acoustical technology and aural culture in early-twentieth-century America. In this history of aural culture in early-twentieth-century America, Emily Thompson charts dramatic transformations in what people heard and how they listened. What they heard was a new kind of sound that was the product of modern technology. They listened as newly critical consumers of aural commodities. By examining the technologies that produced this sound, as well as the culture that enthusiastically consumed it, Thompson recovers a lost dimension of the Machine Age and deepens our understanding of the experience of change that characterized the era. Reverberation equations, sound meters, microphones, and acoustical tiles were deployed in places as varied as Boston's Symphony Hall, New York's office skyscrapers, and the soundstages of Hollywood. The control provided by these technologies, however, was applied in ways that denied the particularity of place, and the diverse spaces of modern America began to sound alike as a universal new sound predominated. Although this sound—clear, direct, efficient, and nonreverberant—had little to say about the physical spaces in which it was produced, it speaks volumes about the culture that created it. By listening to it, Thompson constructs a compelling new account of the experience of modernity in America.