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Acoustics and Noise Control in Buildings

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A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Energy, Physics, Environment, and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2024) | Viewed by 12575

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Maria Machimbarrena

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Guest Editor

Department of Applied Physics, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
Interests: building and room acoustics; environmental acoustics

Chiara Scrosati

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Guest Editor

Construction Technologies Institute (ITC) of National Research Council of Italy (CNR), San Giuliano Milanese, Italy
Interests: building and room acoustics; environmental acoustics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

When considering “Acoustics in Buildings”, there are mainly two possible approaches: one directly related to protection against noise (whatever the source) and another related to comfort and perception of sound.

The list of potential sources of noise in a building is extremely long: including outdoor sound sources (traffic, leisure, people, civil works…) and indoor sound sources (people, service equipment, installations, sound/video reproduction devices, water supplies…). Adequate protection against noise requires the development of new building construction solutions and techniques, research on new materials, adequate measurement and assessment methods, building acoustics performance standards and/or guidelines among many other issues.

Besides protection against noise, acoustic comfort and positive acoustic perception inside buildings is also a hot and wide topic, especially when related to big audience spaces but also in public spaces, offices, educational spaces and even in residential buildings.

This Special Issue of Buildings on “Acoustics and Noise Control in Buildings” aims at disseminating the latest research related to these two major fields: 1. PROTECTION AGAINST NOISE IN BUILDINGS. 2. COMFORT AND SOUND PERCETION IN RESIDENTIAL AND EDUCATIONAL SPACES.

We invite original contributions describing new research, case studies, projects, reviews and state-of-the-art discussions on the following and related topics, including but not limited to:

Traditional, alternative and optimized sound insulation and impact noise measurement methods.
Development of new acoustic performing materials and constructive solutions.
Sound sources identification in buildings and proposed solutions.
Structure borne noise, vibrations in buildings and their impact on sound insulation and acoustic comfort.
Acoustics comfort evaluation, in buildings and in urban spaces.
Standardisation in building acoustics.
Noise control devices and systems in buildings.
Service equipment noise in buildings.
Sound insulation numerical models and simulations.
Measurement uncertainty in building acoustics.
Sound insulation in wooden construction.

Prof. Dr. Maria Machimbarrena
Chiara Scrosati
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

building acoustics
sound insulation
impact noise
standards
acoustics comfort
noise control
measurement uncertainty

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 4093 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluating Airborne Sound Insulation in Dwellings Constructed with Hollow Ceramic Blocks under Brazilian Housing Policies

by Rodrigo Scoczynski Ribeiro, Marc Arnela, Manuel Teixeira Braz-César, Rúbia Mara Bosse, Laura Silvestro, Gustavo de Miranda Saleme Gidrão, Mariane Kempka, Dyorgge Alves Silva and Marcela Maier Farias Czap

Buildings 2024, 14(3), 813; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14030813 - 16 Mar 2024

Viewed by 601

Abstract

In Brazil, there is a shortage of approximately 5.80 million residences, a challenge that intensified during the pandemic. Since 2013, there has been a mandate to implement specific performance criteria in residential constructions. However, many construction firms face difficulties in meeting these standards, especially concerning sound insulation in partition elements. This work aims to assess the airborne sound insulation performance and compliance with legal standards in new residential buildings through measurements and simulations. In particular, subsidized housing units for low-income populations are studied, which are eligible for reduced taxes on building loans. These buildings are typically made of hollow ceramic blocks with vertical perforations as separating walls, a commonly used national building material. Three buildings located in Guarapuava, a southern city in Brazil with a population of approximately 183,000 residents, were selected for this purpose. Measurements were conducted following ISO 16283-1 guidelines, whereas simulations were performed using ISO 12354-1, initially assuming a uniform plate but also exploring an alternative model that considers orthotropic behavior with analytical expressions. The calculations considered both static and dynamic moduli of elasticity. The results indicated that all the units failed to meet the specified standards. The measured

D_{n T, w}

values were below the required thresholds, obtaining 42 < 45 dB for Building B1, 40 < 45 dB for Building B2, and 38 < 40 dB for Building B3. The predicted

D_{n T, w}

values agreed well with the measured values when considering orthotropy with a dynamic elastic modulus. However, discrepancies were observed in the spectral analysis, especially at lower and higher frequencies. The findings suggest refraining from employing single-leaf partition walls made of vertical hollow ceramic blocks in such buildings. Improving sound insulation necessitates embracing a comprehensive strategy that takes into account the separating element, flanking paths, and the room geometries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustics and Noise Control in Buildings)

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24 pages, 10642 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Use of Waste Tyre Rubber Recycled Products in Lightweight Timber Frame Systems as Acoustic Insulation: A Comparative Analysis of Acoustic Performance

by José-Antonio Balmori, Milagros Casado-Sanz, María Machimbarrena, Susana Quirós-Alpera, Roberto Mostaza and Luis Acuña

Buildings 2024, 14(1), 35; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14010035 - 22 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1300

Abstract

The current European standards demand more energy-efficient, comfortable, and sustainable buildings and encourage the incorporation of recycled materials in building construction. Timber buildings are successfully competing with traditional building materials in addressing these challenges; however, one of the weaknesses of timber systems is their limited sound insulation capacity. One material that can fit into the sustainability aims of timber construction and improve its acoustic performance is recycled ground tyre rubber (GTR), which, on top of this, is a serious environmental problem. This paper presents research on the use of GTR materials combined with timber systems in order to improve their acoustic performance. Three different types of GTR products (granulate, rolls, and sheets) of different thicknesses and densities are selected and are combined with different sound-absorbing materials (mineral wool, cellulose, and wood fibre) inside a lightweight timber sandwich system. In this study, the first qualitative approach, the acoustic performance of the different resulting systems is compared based on the sound pressure level difference measured in a custom-made reduced-size transmission chamber. Secondly, the sound reduction index of four selected specimens is measured in an accredited sound transmission laboratory. The results show that, for all the lightweight timber systems included in this research, introducing a GTR layer improves the acoustic performance of the system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustics and Noise Control in Buildings)

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19 pages, 8918 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Building Height on the Sound Transmission in Cross-Laminated Timber Buildings—Vibration Reduction Index

by Erik Nilsson, Sylvain Ménard, Delphine Bard and Klas Hagberg

Buildings 2023, 13(12), 2943; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13122943 - 25 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1073

Abstract

High-rise wooden buildings are increasing in popularity, and they typically include cross-laminated timber in the structure. Taller buildings result in higher loads on the junctions lower down in the building, which are suggested in the literature to negatively affect the sound insulation. This study involved measurement of the vibration reduction index in four different CLT buildings, varying in height and junction details. A total of 12 junctions were measured at both high and low levels in the buildings. Among these, 10 junctions had resilient interlayers with different stiffnesses dependent on the designed quasi-permanent load, while 2 junctions lacked resilient interlayers. The results indicated that the vibration reduction index decreases lower down in the building mainly for the Wall–Wall path. The findings were consistent for all measured junctions above 400 Hz for the Wall–Wall path and for the majority of the measurements of the remaining frequency range, 400 Hz and below. The observed difference in the vibration reduction index could significantly impact the final result if a high-rise building has several flanking paths that affect the sound insulation between two apartments, and this needs to be considered during the design phase. Similar effects were shown for buildings both with and without resilient interlayers in the junctions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustics and Noise Control in Buildings)

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25 pages, 13741 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Child-Centred Room Acoustic Parameters of Public Preschools in Sweden

by Julia Winroth, Mikael Ögren, Dag Glebe and Kerstin Persson Waye

Buildings 2023, 13(11), 2777; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13112777 - 4 Nov 2023

Viewed by 849

Abstract

Preschool should promote children’s well-being and development, but the indoor sound environment is commonly problematic. The aim of our research project Supportive Preschool ACoustic Environment (SPACE) is to identify acoustic quality factors resulting in a supportive sound environment for children. This paper presents the first phase of the project where acoustic conditions were measured in unoccupied preschool rooms and analysed in terms of reverberation time, early decay time, sound strength, speech clarity, unoccupied sound pressure levels, and several room features. The results were compared with current target values, building year, and socioeconomic status of the preschool. A child perspective on room acoustics was, in addition, applied and it was revealed that children may be exposed to a lower sound strength than adults, and that adults may have better speech intelligibility conditions than children. Rooms in newer buildings had a longer reverberation time in the 125 Hz band, lower unoccupied levels, and lower sound strength. These differences could be explained by the trend towards larger rooms and porous acoustic ceilings in newer buildings. We found no significant correlations with the socioeconomic status. Ongoing work will facilitate an analysis of the correlation between the room acoustic parameters, the sound environment and children’s perception. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustics and Noise Control in Buildings)

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21 pages, 19898 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Relevance of the Low-Frequency Sound Insulation of Window Elements of Façades on the Perception of Urban-Type Sounds

by Daniel de la Prida, María Ángeles Navacerrada, María Aguado-Yáñez, Luis Antonio Azpicueta-Ruiz, Antonio Pedrero and David Caballol

Buildings 2023, 13(10), 2561; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13102561 - 10 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1173

Abstract

The sound insulation of the façade and its elements is a very important characteristic, as it largely determines the degree of sound protection of the building’s interior from external noise sources. This feature, therefore, has a great influence on the acoustic comfort and health of the occupants. For this reason, it is very important that the way in which the sound insulation of the façade is quantified and represented corresponds to the way it is perceived. Although there have long been regulations describing how it should be measured and expressed through Single-Number Quantities (SNQs), there is much scientific debate about the appropriateness of current standardised methods for expressing sound insulation, in terms of whether they accurately represent human-perceived comfort. In this regard, much of the debate centres on the frequency range to be considered when expressing sound insulation, with no consensus as to whether the low-frequency bands (i.e., 50, 63, and 80 Hz) should be used for the calculation of façade sound insulation SNQs. In order to contribute to this knowledge, we conducted a listening test using a Two-Alternative Choice (2-AC) protocol on a sample of 100 participants to test whether participants’ annoyance with urban noise changed significantly with variations in window sound insulation only in the low-frequency range. The results of the experiment, analysed using Thurstonian models, showed that the influence of low frequencies is limited for the sound insulation of the tested window façade elements and urban-type noise of aircraft and mixed urban traffic at low speeds and only becomes relevant when the sound insulation of the elements is exceptionally low in the low-frequency range. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustics and Noise Control in Buildings)

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20 pages, 1886 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Noise Perception and Health Effects on Population: A Cross-Sectional Study on COVID-19 Lockdown by Noise Sources for Spanish Dwellings

by Belén Casla-Herguedas, Amelia Romero-Fernández, Teresa Carrascal, Miguel Ángel Navas-Martín and Teresa Cuerdo-Vilches

Buildings 2023, 13(9), 2224; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13092224 - 31 Aug 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 771

Abstract

An online questionnaire on the subjective response to noise was created to collect national experiences from households during the first COVID-19 wave (from 14 March to 21 June). In this study, different noise sources (general noise, but also noise from neighbors, common areas, facilities, premises, and traffic) and self-declared health effects (stress, lack of concentration, sleep disturbance, anxiety, irritability, or their absence) reported from 582 participants were analyzed (before and during quarantine). A descriptive and statistical analysis between variables was established to observe relational trends for the two periods. The results associated stress and sleep disturbance with most of the noise sources before the pandemic. Sleep disturbance was not significant in confinement, maybe due to habit changes and staying home. Uncertainty linked to the pandemic could explain why stress showed significance during quarantine. Irritability showed an inverse relation with noise sources since their values were greater for declared noise sources and more annoying before the pandemic in all cases. Finally, anxiety showed an association with fewer noise sources, maybe also conditioned by other factors. However, the extreme situation and the uncertainty generated, the presence of cohabitants at home, and building factors (such as acoustic insulation) conditioned the households’ experience. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustics and Noise Control in Buildings)

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24 pages, 14383 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Textile Membranes Reused as a Tool for Noise Control

by Alvise Morandi and Carol Monticelli

Buildings 2023, 13(9), 2134; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13092134 - 23 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1410

Abstract

Textile membranes are an architectural solution used for their maximal lightness, efficiency and adaptability. Unfortunately, once they reach their end-of-life phase, it is difficult to recover them. To be disposed of, they undergo very expensive and often difficult recycling processes. Their reuse as an acoustic treatment and reverberation control system is a solution to creating a light, economical and effective acoustic system that also solves the difficult end-of-life scenario. The membranes take on the role of acoustic diffusers, elements that, through their geometric conformation, can control the behavior of sound. The structure of the system allows the acoustics of the interior spaces to be conditioned through some peculiar characteristics that are influenced, in part, by the material they are made of but above all by their shape. By cutting and joining the membranes, a modular and repeatable element is created, which, in combination with others, enables the creation of an acoustic control device capable of competing with traditional acoustic treatment systems without the use of newly produced materials. The optimized shape of the membranes is the variable responsible for the effective reduction in reverberation times: 2.2 s compared to the initial value of 7.5 without the textile membranes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustics and Noise Control in Buildings)

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22 pages, 14314 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Train-Induced Vibration Prediction and Control of a Metro Depot and Over-Track Buildings

by Tingting Wang, Bolong Jiang and Xiaojing Sun

Buildings 2023, 13(8), 1995; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13081995 - 4 Aug 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1030

Abstract

To predict and control the train-induced vibration in depot buildings, a case study of the depot of Tianjin Metro, Line 5, was conducted. The platform of the depot has been constructed and is in use, and the construction of over-track buildings has not been completed. Firstly, an in situ measurement was performed to obtain the train loads and validate the numerical model. Secondly, a finite element model of the track–soil–depot structure was established. The train was simplified as a series of two spring-mass models and the train load was simulated using the measured rail acceleration. The calculated results were validated by the measurement data. To predict the vibration responses of the over-track building to be built, a sub-system of the over-track building was added to the numerical model. Finally, the vibration control effect of vibration isolation bearings was discussed. The results indicate that vibrations exceeded guideline limits without mitigation measures in some rooms of the over-track building. The dominant frequency of the building floors is 31.5 Hz. Vibration isolation bearings effectively mitigated the vibrations, and the IL reached approximately 7–15 dB at about 31.5 Hz. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustics and Noise Control in Buildings)

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19 pages, 6712 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Acoustic Performance Investigation of a CLT-Based Three-Floor Building

by Catherine Guigou Carter, Nicolas Balanant and Jean-Luc Kouyoumji

Buildings 2023, 13(8), 1935; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13081935 - 29 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 765

Abstract

The acoustic performance of a CLT-based building mockup was investigated within the scope of the ADIVBois acoustic technical commission with the objective of defining wood building constructions fulfilling requirements. The CLT-based building is a three-floor construction with four rooms on each level. Measurements from junction characterization to airborne and impact sound insulations were taken. The implemented floor systems were first tested in a laboratory to evaluate their acoustic performance. Predictions based on the EN ISO 12354-1 and -2 standards were compared to building acoustic measurements. The effect of using the tapping machine and the rubber ball as impact sources was investigated both in laboratory and in the CLT-based building mockup. The effect of the apparent post between rooms is also presented with an associated simple approach to take it into account in predictions. This paper summarizes the obtained results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustics and Noise Control in Buildings)

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12 pages, 6747 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Insight Discovery of the Roman Amphitheater of Durres: Reconstruction of the Acoustic Features to Its Original Shape

by Antonella Bevilacqua, Silvana Sukaj, Gino Iannace and Amelia Trematerra

Buildings 2023, 13(7), 1843; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13071843 - 21 Jul 2023

Viewed by 974

Abstract

The discovery of Roman amphitheaters continues to excite the minds of archaeologists. Within the framework of various excavation campaigns, the architectural requalification of the amphitheater of Durres has been investigated, but no acoustic analyses have yet been carried out. This paper deals with the acoustic reconstruction of the Roman amphitheater of Durres in its original form. A campaign of acoustic measurements was carried out in accordance with ISO 3382 in order to understand the existing conditions, which are very detrimental to any type of live performance. After an accurate analysis of the geometric composition of the building, acoustic simulations were performed to determine the original acoustic response of the building. A comparison of the measured and simulated results, with and without an audience, was made in terms of the main acoustic parameters, while the acoustic map showing the spatial distribution of speech clarity at 1 kHz was added as an alternative way of representing the data. The outcomes show that the results related to the original shape are closer to the optimal values than the existing conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustics and Noise Control in Buildings)

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16 pages, 5493 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Survey on Perceived Indoor Acoustic Quality by Workers from Home during COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy

by Fabio Scamoni, Francesco Salamone and Chiara Scrosati

Buildings 2023, 13(3), 640; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13030640 - 28 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1261

Abstract

From March 2020, Italians experienced lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic. People had to share common living spaces with family members for an extended period converting their home into workplaces. This resulted in changes to everyday life noises with implications in terms of perception of indoor acoustic quality. An online survey was designed and distributed to Italian residents to assess how they perceived the indoor quality of domestic spaces when working from home. A total of 330 questionnaires were collected and analyzed. The paper reports the results of the analyses carried out, focusing on the acoustic quality in home spaces and the satisfaction of the respondents, including an analysis of the housing context. Most respondents attach great importance to the acoustic aspects in judging the quality of the living environment and believe that the acoustic quality can improve the performance of their work. The comparison between pre-lockdown and lockdown periods shows that noises inside the building prevail over those coming from the outside and annoyance is mainly due to noise from shared spaces. The results of this study highlighted how the COVID-19 lockdown was a unique opportunity to draw attention to the importance of the indoor acoustic quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustics and Noise Control in Buildings)

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