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http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924101414914
SOUND
REFLECTIONS
FOREWORD
WE are undertaking in
tions," to present the
"Sound Reflec-
accumulated
knowledge gained by our Acoustical Engi-
neers in extensive practical experience, to-
gether with such other available information
on the subject as may be interesting.
Certainly architects are entitled to this
information, since it is to their vision and
courage that credit is largely due for the
development of the Science of Architectural
Acoustics to its present usefulness.
\ President
[3]
ACOUSTICS
5y George C. Hannam, M. E.
Manager, Dept. of Architectural Acoustics, Junius H. Stone Corp.
New York City
lis position of importance in every-day life; acoustics
formerly a gamble; attacking the subject scientifically;
a definite scientific basis established; factors governing
acoustics;echo; interference; reverberation; a reterberation
problem worked out; wire stretching; other fallacies.
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[4]
A Definite Scientific Basis In this case the sound spreads in
Established a hemispherical wave, diminish-
Before 1895 but little definite ing in intensity as it increases in
information was to be obtained size. If instead of one person,
by an architect on tlie subject. there is a large audience, the
He was guided in large measure intensity decreases more rapidly,
by his own limited experience or due to the absorption occasioned
by studies made in existing build- by the clothing of the people.
ings. The late Professor Wallace The upper part of the sound from
C. Sabine, of Harvard University, the speaker in such an audito-
is to a considerable extent respon- rium is entirely lost. The first
[Sl
:
[6]
Audience per person 4.7 ber was a xylophone solo with
Hair Felt 1" thick S3
orchestral accompaniment. The
It frequently of assistance to
is echo was so pronounced that at
compare the reflection of sound one time the leader of the or-
waves with the reflection of Hght chestra beat time to the echo,
waves. A white ceiling will re- whereas the players who were
flect about ninety-five per cent of immediately around the xylo-
the light striking it. The same phone kept time to it. Those
surface painted a dull black will farther away kept time with the
reflect at the most but five per leader, and the resulting con-
cent of the light. A glazed tile fusion can well be imagined.
ceiling will reflect pinety-nine per Curved surfaces should be
cent of the sound striking it. The avoided in the design of an audit-
same surface covered with one orium as far as possible. When
inch of hair felt (the best sound used, the center of curvature
absorber) will only reflect forty- should be located a considerable
seven per cent of the sound. distance from the location of
Increasing the thickness of the seats. The harmful efltects pro-
felt will further reduce the per- duced by a dome, curved ceiling,
centage of sound reflected. pendentives, etc., cannot be en-
tirely overcome by acoustical
Echo treatment because such surfaces
Echo is a special case of rever- cannot be made totally absor-
beration. Ordinarily the pro- bent. Surfaces covered with felt
longation of a sound after the one inch thick will absorb fifty-
source has ceased vibrating is three per cent of the sound energy
continuous until it becomes in- striking it. Forty-seven per cent
audible. When the sound, in- willstill be reflected, which is
[7]
will meet the condensation wave form of energy, generally heat.
of another, causing the sound at This process is called absorption.
this place to be re-enforced; or, The duration of a sound after the
should one path be slightly source has ceased vibrating is
shorter than the other so that the called reverberation. When the
condensation wave of one meets duration of audibility of the
the rarefaction wave of the other, standard sound used exceeds the
there will at this point be no sound. ideal amount, the reverberation
An interesting example of this is excessive. By using the form-
phenomenon is the tidal inter- ula developed by Professor Sabine
ference observed on the Tongking it is possible readily to determine
Peninsula in Asia. The tide of the reverberation for any room
the Pacific Ocean enters the from the plans. From experience
Chinese Sea through two chan- I know the desirable reverbera-
[8]
: ,
[9]
very excessive, and it would be treatment required, namely, 6,007
difficult, if not impossible, to sq. ft. The ceiling area is 6,000
hold" court in such a room. An sq. ft. sothat treatment applied
increase in the number of persons to this surface will accomplish
present will accomplish a reduc- the desired results.
tion in the reverberation due to
the additional clothing intro- Wire Stretching
duced. The reverberation can I am frequently asked regard-
readily be determined for all
ing the value of stretching wires
audience conditions. to overcome acoustical difficul-
Substituting l.S seconds the
ties. The fact that they have
.
square foot of felt, .53, we get tion, it, would be a decided dis-
advantage because an undue
the number of square feet of
110]
prolongation of each sound would I know a court-room where
be produced. It is desirable in wires were stretched the length
both speech and music to have of the room and connected with
each sound absorbed quite rapid- cross wires that were attached to
ly so as not to interfere with the ventilator grills. The clerk of
proper, hearing of succeeding the court told me they thought
sounds. the undesirable reverberation
Sometimes it is claimed that would be carried by the wires
an echo can be broken up by to the ventilators and then out
sitretching wires in front of the of the room by the current of air.
dffending surface. Experience "It seems plausible," he added,
pjroves this cannot be accom- "but unfortunately it doesn't
plished. The sound wave, due work."
t!o its 'large wave front, passes Other Fallacies
tftirough the wires with practi- There are many features of the
cally no change. The action can design of a room that are erro-
b/e studied by watching an ocean neously blamed for the faulty
wave pass through a row of piles acoustical conditions. sus- A
stpaced at various intervals. There pended ceiling, e.g., is thought by
is some disturbance noticeable at some to be set in vibration by
tlie piles but a few feet beyond the sound waves, thus producing
the wave presents a united un- the undesirable reverberation.
broken front. While making an examination of
j
The reason for the misunder- a council chamber, I was told by
standing regarding the use of the Board in charge that they
vii'ires is probably due to the fact thought the trouble was produced
tjiat they have been used for by the barrel vault ceiling, which
ytears as a means for support and due to the suspended construc-
hunting for decorative purposes. tion, was set into vibration by
An improvement in the acoustics the sound waves. They showed
has frequently been noticed and me bags filled with sand which
the credit for the change has been they had placed on top of the
given to the wires instead of to ceiling to stop the supposed
the flags and bunting. It is vibrations. No benefit was ob-
simply the presence of additional tained. The force of the sound
st)und absorptive materials, placed waves produced in this room was
ift usually a particularly desirable actually too feeble to produce
Icjjcation, that causes all sounds to even a microscopic vibration.
be absorbed more rapidly, thus The trouble was due to the use
reducing the period of reverbera- of hard, fire-proof building ma-
tion or making a surface almost terials, without the introduction
totally absorbent, which other- of sufficient sound absorbing ma-
wise Would produce an echo. terials to neutralize their effect.
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