2. 1LU / HSW
NEWMAT is a Registered Provider with the American Institute of
Architects Continuing Education Systems. Credit earned on
completion of this program will be reported to CES Records for
AIA members. Certificates of Completion for AIA members are
available on request.
This program is registered with the AIA/CES for continuing
professional education. As such, it does not include content that
may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement
by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or
manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing with any
material or product.
Questions related to specific materials, methods, and services
will be addressed at the conclusion of this presentation.
3. Copyright
This presentation is protected by U.S. and international
copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, display and
use of the presentation without written permission from
Newmat USA are prohibited.
Newmat USA 2013
4. Learning Objectives
• To understand the major aspects
of architectural acoustics.
• To identify the health effects of
poor acoustics.
• To review the benefits and
performance of stretched
membrane acoustic systems.
• To discover how stretched
membrane systems apply to a
variety of project types.
6. Quality of Sound in a Room/Space
• Reverberation Time (RT60)
• The amount of time a direct sound takes to decay 60 dB
• Controlled by implementing absorptive materials
• Frequency Response
• Depending on the acoustic characteristics of a room,
some frequencies will take longer to decay than others.
• Various materials absorb more effectively at different
frequencies.
• Echoes
• Caused by distinct reflections reaching the listener with
a time delay from the direct sound.
• Diffusion is used to control distinct echoes without
removing sound energy from a space.
7. Quality of Sound in a Room/Space
• Speech intelligibility can be negatively affected by excess
reverberation (>0.5s), which can be a potential life safety
issue when critical instructions need to be heard and
understood.
• Because vowels are louder and lower in frequency (a more
reverberant sound in typical spaces) than consonants, they
can mask consonant information and lower speech
intelligibility.
8. Containment of Sound Between Spaces
• Isolation of sound between spaces depends on three
factors:
• Mass
• Airspace
• Resilient Connections
• Isolating sound within a space and acoustically treating a
space are approached separately in the design process.
• Acoustic treatments (absorption/diffusion) do not
significantly affect a space’s isolation. Likewise, isolated
spaces do not necessarily have desirable acoustical
properties within them.
9. Containment of Sound Between Spaces
According to a monthly report published by Los Angeles
World Airports (LAX, LAWA, ONT, VNY), there were 324
reported noise complaints in August of 2013. That is a great
reason to implement isolation techniques in hotel, residential,
and commercial applications to keep all of your clients happy!
10. Control of Noise Generated Within Spaces
• Noise is defined as any unwanted sound that gets in the
way of what a listener wants to hear.
• Noise can originate from outside a building, HVAC
systems, adjacent interior spaces, and other equipment
within the space such as computers and appliances.
• Minimizing penetrations for mechanical systems is
important to maintain a reasonable level of isolation
between spaces.
• It is also important to resiliently support mechanical
equipment including spring mounts and neoprene
isolators.
11. Control of Noise Generated Within Spaces
• According to a study published in the American Journal of
Audiology, many classrooms do not meet preferred acoustic
standards concerning noise.
• The signal to noise ratio (e.g., teacher’s voice to background noise)
should be +15dB at the students’ ears for good intelligibility.
• Noise levels in an unoccupied classroom should not exceed 35dBA
to ensure that all students can learn effectively.
12. Health Effects of Bad Acoustics
According to the World Health Organization, noise can cause:
hearing impairment, hypertension, heart disease, annoyance
and tinnitus - a constantly perceived ringing or hissing, even
when no external sound is present.
An estimated 10 million people in the U.S. have noise-related
hearing loss.
13. Acoustics in the Workplace
Twenty-two million workers are exposed to potentially
damaging noise each year. In 2007, approximately
82% of the cases involving occupational hearing loss
were reported among workers in the manufacturing
sector.
According to the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health, an estimated $242 million is spent
annually on worker’s compensation for hearing loss.
Noise has been shown to increase workplace
accident rates.
14. Acoustics in the Classroom
Noise is distracting and has been linked to
poor school performance.
In a study conducted by Cornell University,
children exposed to noise in learning
environments experienced trouble with
word discrimination and suffered from
various cognitive developmental delays.
Teachers’ vocal health is also a concern
when they have to strain to be understood.
15. Acoustics in the Home
Do you enjoy the sound of crickets chirping at night to help you
sleep? Does the sound of a busy city outside your window
bother you? What may be a pleasant sound to your neighbor
may not be a pleasant sound to you.
Noise has been linked to sleep disturbance, changes in the
immune system, and even birth defects.
Children from noisy residences often possess a heart rate that
is significantly higher (by 2 beats/min on average) than that of
children from quieter residences.
16. Acoustics in Social Life
Noise can cause stress and stimulate aggression
and other anti-social behaviors. This can result in
an increased risk of depression, psychological
disorders, migraines, and even emotional stress.
17. Results from Improvements in Acoustics
Within an Environment
• The ability of office workers to focus on their tasks
improved by 48%.
• “Conversational distractions” decreased by 51%.
• Error rates: Performance of tasks improved 10%.
• Stress was reduced by approximately 27%.
19. General Benefits
• Easily installed in new and
existing spaces
• Meets all applicable fire codes
• Easily cleanable and
maintainable
• High accessibility factor
• Flexible design configurations
• Wide range of aesthetic options
• Ability to tailor acoustic
performance
23. Non-Perforated Membrane
• Non-perforated membranes absorb primarily mid to low
frequencies because of their diaphragmatic action, which
converts acoustical energy to heat.
• When low frequency sound hits a solid acoustic membrane,
instead of reflecting off the membrane and contributing to the
total sound energy in the room, the energy instead causes the
membrane itself to resonate.
24. Perforated Membrane
• Perforated membranes allow more high frequency
information through, which is attenuated in the cavity with
backing materials. At the same time, more energy is
reflected than if the backing material were fully exposed,
which avoids creating a “dead” sounding space.
• Perforated membranes act as a Helmholtz resonator
which effectively tunes the absorption, based on the
dimensions of the perforations and the cavity depth.
25. Micro-Perforated Membrane
• Micro-perforations allow for the same benefits as standard
perforations while maintaining a uniform and smooth
appearance, even at low ceiling heights.
• Micro-perforations (cone shaped):
• Broaden the bandwidth of absorption
• Raise the frequency of peak absorption
• Increase absorption at mid to high frequencies
• Function similarly to commonly used acoustical wood
products with shaped slots
27. Effects of Backing Acoustic Cores
• Insulation – Increases total absorption of the system based on
the thickness and density of the material. The following are
most effective at:
• 4”, 3lb/ft3 – 250Hz and above
• 2”, 3lb/ft3 – 500Hz and above
• 1”, 3lb/ft3 – 1KHz and above
• The use of two membranes also increases absorption,
primarily in the mid frequencies.
• An air gap increases absorption, even in systems already
using insulation material.
• The air gap between membranes may be used to fine tune the
frequencies of peak absorption.
28. Acoustic Transparency
• Loudspeakers may be concealed
behind material that is sufficiently
transparent.
• Transparent materials are also
used for sound diffusion and
other non-absorptive
applications.
36. Residential
Needs and benefits for home applications
1. Preventing excessive audio build-up in
media spaces.
2. Calming bedroom and other relaxation
environments.
3. Preventing noises generated in kitchens
and other work spaces from spreading to
other areas of the home.
37. Residential – Examples and Case Study
Living Rooms, Home Theaters, Kitchen/Bath,
Home Gyms, Etc.
Private Loft, Minneapolis, MN
Non-perforated suede membrane over 1” fiberglass NRC .70
38. Workplace
Needs and benefits for workplace applications
1. Improving conversational intelligibility in private
offices and conference rooms.
2. Enhancing speech privacy in open plan office
areas.
3. Controlling loudness in excessively noisy work
environments.
39. Workplace
Private Offices, Open-plan Areas, Conference
Rooms, Boardrooms, Etc.
Bank of America Headquarters, Charlotte, NC
2 layers of micro-perforated membrane over air cavity
and 1” fiberglass NRC .75
40. Dining/Clubs
Needs and benefits for Dining/Club applications
1. Controlling volume and distortion level of music.
2. Increasing the ability to understand other people
talking without the need to shout.
3. Reduce miscommunication between customers
and waiters when taking orders.
41. Dining/Clubs – Examples and Case Study
Restaurants, Bars, Nightclubs,
Other Small Scale Venues, Etc.
The Wright at the Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY
Non-perforated membrane over air cavity NRC .40
42. Arts/Cultural
Needs and benefits for
Arts & Cultural applications
1. Optimizing acoustic performance for live
music or speech events.
2. Enhancing the intelligibility and clarity of
multi-media programs.
3. Reducing ambient noise level from public
crowds.
43. Arts/Cultural – Examples and Case Study
Performance Halls, Museums, Rehearsal
Spaces, Recording Studios, Etc.
Chanhassen High School, Chanhassen, MN
Micro-perforated suede membrane over air cavity and cellulose spray
NRC .85
44. Houses of Worship
Needs and benefits for HOW applications
1. Ensuring maximum intelligibility of the
spoken word.
2. Creating the ideal environment for
contemplation and prayer.
3. Reducing the impact of stray sounds from
the congregation (e.g., babies crying)
during the service.
45. Houses of Worship –
Examples and Case Study
Churches, Synagogues, Temples,
Fellowship Halls, Etc.
St. Thomas Church, West Hempstead, NY
Micro-perforated membrane over ACT NRC .65
46. Sports/Recreation
Needs and benefits for
Sports & Recreation applications
1. Taming the sound level of extremely loud
crowds.
2. Improving on-court communication with
players.
3. Reducing stress levels by preventing
exposure to a highly reverberant space.
47. Sports/Recreation –
Examples and Case Study
Arenas, Indoor Pools, Gymnasiums,
Indoor Tennis Courts
Sherwood Gymnasium, Sherwood, OR
Mini-perforated membrane over 6” Batt insulation NRC .90
48. Additional Applications
College of Education, San Bernardino, CA
Micro-perforated membrane over air cavity
and 2”-3 pcf insulation NRC .90
58. Additional Applications
Themed Residential Environment – Irvine, CA
Micro-perforated suede membrane over air cavity and 6” Batt insulation
NRC .90
Four custom sound radiating speaker panels were installed
directly above the membrane and provide excellent transmission of audio
through the membrane with digital signal processing.
59. Additional Applications
Washington Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, VA
2 layers of micro-perforated membrane over air cavity
and 2” acoustical boards
NRC .75
61. Architectural Applications for
Stretched Membrane Acoustic Systems
This concludes the AIA portion of this presentation.
Thank you for your time,
and for more information, please visit
NewmatUSA.com
