ACOUSTIC AND ARCHITECTURE

REVERBERATION TIME CALCULATIONS:

T = 0.05 V/a1s1, where T is reverberation time or time required for sound to decay,
v is volume of room in ft³, a is coefficient of absorption of a surface and s is area of
an absorbent material
Problem 1:
A classroom 60 ft. long by 35 ft. wide by 15 ft. high has sound coefficient ∝’s of
0.30 for walls, 0.04 for ceiling and 0.10 for floor. All ∝’s are at 500 hz.
a. Find the reverberation time at 500 hz in this space with no occupants and no
sound-absorbing treatment.
b. Find the reverberation time if 50% of the ceiling surface (along the perimeter of
the room) is treated with acoustical panels at ∝’s of 0.85.
ACOUSTIC AND ARCHITECTURE
Problem 1a solution:
• Compute the room volume (v)
V= 60 x 35 x 15 = 31,500 ft.
• Compute the surface area (s)
Ceiling = 60 x 35 = 2,100 ft.
Walls = 2 (35 x 15) = 1,050 ft.²
= 2 (60 x 15) = 1,800 ft.²
ACOUSTIC AND ARCHITECTURE
• Compute the total room absorption a, using a = σ 𝒔𝒂

S a (SAC) a = sa
Ceiling 2,100 0.04 84
Walls 2,850 0.30 855
Floor 2,100 0.1 210
a = σ 𝒔𝒂 1,149 sabins

• Compute for the reverberation time using T = 0.05 v/a

T = 0.05 (31,500 / 1,149) = 1.37 seconds at 500 hz
ACOUSTIC AND ARCHITECTURE
Problem 1b solution:
• Compute the total room absorption a, using a = σ 𝒔𝒂
S a (SAC) a = sa
Bare Ceiling 1,050 0.04 42
Treated Ceiling 1,050 0.85 892
Walls 2,850 0.30 855
Floor 2,100 0.1 210
a = σ 𝒔𝒂 1,999 sabins

• Compute new reverberation time.

T = 0.05 (31,500 / 1,999) = 0.79 s.
Therefore, 1.37 - 0.79 = .42 x 100 = 42%
reduction, therefore, significant.
 materials area in coefficient absorption
ACOUSTIC AND feet (s1) of in sabins
ARCHITECTURE absorption (a1)
Wood 6,928 .03 208
Problem 2: Plaster 7,440 .033 246
An auditorium with a volume Metal 628 .01 6.3
of 80,800 is to be
acoustically treated to serve Glass 408 .025 10.2
an acceptable reverberation Seats 550 .017 93.5
time with or without
audience. 504.01
The auditorium has been
units in
provided with the following sabins
materials such as:
 materials area in coefficient absorption
ACOUSTIC AND feet (s1) of in sabins
ARCHITECTURE absorption (a1)
Wood 6,928 .03 208
Problem 2 solution: Plaster 7,440 .033 246
RT = 0.05V Metal 628 .01 6.3
a1s1 Glass 408 .025 10.2
RT = .05(80,800) Seats 550 .017 93.5
504 504.01
= 4040 units in
sabins
504
= 8.0 seconds
 materials area in coefficient absorption
ACOUSTIC AND feet (s1) of in sabins
ARCHITECTURE absorption (a1)
Wood 6,928 .03 208
Problem 2a: add 200 Plaster 7,440 .033 246
auditors at 4.17 each Metal 628 .01 6.3
200 x 4.17 = 834 Glass 408 .025 10.2
+ 504 Seats 550 .017 93.5
1338 504.01
RT = .05(80,800) units in
1338 sabins
= 3.0 seconds
 materials area in coefficient absorption
ACOUSTIC AND feet (s1) of in sabins
ARCHITECTURE absorption (a1)
Wood 6,928 .03 208
from table: the ideal RT Plaster 7,440 .033 246
is from 1 to 1.5 seconds Metal 628 .01 6.3
-corrections Glass 408 .025 10.2
1.5 = .05(80,800) Seats 550 .017 93.5
(1338 + x) 504.01
units in
1.5(1338 + x) =
.05(80,800) sabins
x = 1355.3