Analyzing the Acoustic Performance of Unglazed Terracotta in an Indoor Office Environment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38027/jsalutogenic_vol3no1_6Keywords:
Acoustics, Office Setting , Terracotta , Speech Transmission Index (STI) , Reverberation TimeAbstract
Work environments commonly address users' thermal, visual, and spatial comfort; however, acoustic comfort tends to be neglected, leading to potential discomfort. Terracotta, a durable indigenous material deeply ingrained in Indian households for centuries, is conventionally utilized in constructing roofs, floors, and decor but remains unexplored for its acoustic attributes. This study evaluates the acoustic performance of unglazed terracotta tiles as a salutogenic resource, employing the reverberation room method (ASTM C423) and the impulse response method (ISO 3382-2) in an indoor office space. Parameters such as sound absorption, background noise, sound pressure level, Speech Transmission Index (STI), Reverberation Time (RT), and noise curves are meticulously measured both pre- and post-placement of terracotta specimens using a Bedrock SM90 Class 1 Sound Level Meter. The findings from this research aim to encourage architects to consider terracotta as a prospective material for enhancing acoustic conditions within built environments. Upon analyzing the reverberation, speech intelligibility, background noise, signal-to-noise ratio, and noise curve evaluations, it was observed that terracotta demonstrates high effectiveness as a panel absorber, especially in higher frequency ranges. Further improvements were noted when the panels were given a foam backing, suggesting potential as an effective acoustic panel.
Downloads
References
Abdolreza, T., & Chandramohan, M. (2022). Analysis of the acoustic tile shapes effectiveness towards noise absorption. Journal of Innovation and Technology, 2022(08), 1–7.
Alade, K. A., Oyebade, A. A., & Nzewi, N. U. (2018). Assessment of the use of locally available materials for building construction in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Journal of Construction Business and Management, 2(2), 36–41. https://doi.org/10.15641/jcbm.2.2.449
AlOmani, A. M., El-Rayes, K., & Altuwaim, A. A. (2021). Optimizing the use of acoustic materials in office buildings. Scientific Reports, 11, Article 20652. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-00082-3
American National Standards Institute. (2008). American National Standard criteria for evaluating room noise (ANSI/ASA S12.2-2008). Acoustical Society of America.
Arenas, J. P., & Sakagami, K. (2020). Sustainable acoustic materials. Sustainability, 12(16), Article 6540. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12166540
ASTM International. (2020). Standard test method for sound absorption and sound absorption coefficients by the reverberation room method (ASTM C423-20). ASTM International. https://doi.org/10.1520/C0423-20
Bourikas, L., Gauthier, S., Khor Song En, N., & Xiong, P. (2021). Effect of thermal, acoustic, and air quality perception interactions on the comfort and satisfaction of people in office buildings. Energies, 14(2), Article 333. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14020333
Caradonna, R. (2023). Acoustics of open-plan offices (Doctoral dissertation, Politecnico di Torino). https://webthesis.biblio.polito.it/24674/
Field, C. (2008). Acoustic design in green buildings. ASHRAE Journal, 50(9), 60–70.
Foged, I. W., Pasold, A., Hilmer, J., Søndergaard, A., Rossi, G., & Walker, J. (2022). Development and testing of novel acoustic clay tiles. Journal of Architectural Engineering, 28(2), Article 05022004. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)AE.1943-5568.0000536
Fontoba-Ferrándiz, J., Juliá-Sanchis, E., Crespo Amorós, J. E., Segura Alcaraz, J., Gadea Borrell, J. M., & Parres García, F. (2020). Panels of eco-friendly materials for architectural acoustics. Journal of Composite Materials, 54(25), 3743–3753. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021998320918914
Gramez, A., & Boubenider, F. (2017). Acoustic comfort evaluation for a conference room: A case study. Applied Acoustics, 118, 39–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apacoust.2016.11.014
Hodgson, M. (2008). Acoustical evaluation of six "green" office buildings. Journal of Green Building, 3(4), 108–118. https://doi.org/10.3992/jgb.3.4.108
International Electrotechnical Commission. (2003). Electroacoustics—Sound level meters—Part 1: Specifications (IEC 61672-1:2003). IEC.
International Electrotechnical Commission. (2011). Sound system equipment—Part 16: Objective rating of speech intelligibility by speech transmission index (IEC 60268-16:2011). IEC.
International Organization for Standardization. (2008). Acoustics—Measurement of room acoustic parameters—Part 2: Reverberation time in ordinary rooms (ISO 3382-2:2008). ISO.
Jensen, K. L., & Arens, E. (2005). Acoustical quality in office workstations, as assessed by occupants. In Proceedings of Indoor Air 2005: The 10th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate (pp. 2401–2405). Tsinghua University Press.
Lee, Y. S. (2010). Office layout affecting privacy, interaction, and acoustic quality in LEED-certified buildings. Building and Environment, 45(7), 1594–1600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2010.01.007
Mahbub, A. S., Kua, H. W., & Lee, S. E. (2010). A total building performance approach to evaluating building acoustics performance. Architectural Science Review, 53(2), 213–223. https://doi.org/10.3763/asre.2009.0032
Mealings, K. (2016). Classroom acoustic conditions: Understanding what is suitable through a review of national and international standards, recommendations, and live classroom measurements. In Proceedings of ACOUSTICS 2016 (pp. 1–10). Australian Acoustical Society.
Meng, Q., An, Y., & Yang, D. (2021). Effects of the acoustic environment on design work performance based on multitask visual cognitive performance in office space. Building and Environment, 204, Article 108296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.108296
Morel, J. C., Mesbah, A., Oggero, M., & Walker, P. (2001). Building houses with local materials: Means to drastically reduce the environmental impact of construction. Building and Environment, 36(10), 1119–1126. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0360-1323(00)00054-8
Murgia, S., Webster, J., Cantor-Cutiva, L. C., & Bottalico, P. (2023). Systematic review of literature on speech intelligibility and classroom acoustics in elementary schools. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 54(2), 459–479. https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_LSHSS-21-00181
Neri, M. (2022). Thermal and acoustic characterization of innovative and unconventional panels made of reused materials. Atmosphere, 13(11), Article 1825. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13111825
Nowicka, E. (2020). The acoustical assessment of commercial spaces and buildings. Applied Acoustics, 169, Article 107491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apacoust.2020.107491
Pavithra Raj, J. S., & Amalan Sigmund Kaushik, S. (2024). Assessment of acoustic comfort in a hostel building inside an educational campus. Sustainability, Agri, Food and Environmental Research, 12, Article e774. https://doi.org/10.7770/safer-V12N-art774
Rambaldi, E., Prete, F., & Bignozzi, M. C. (2015). Acoustic and thermal performances of ceramic tiles and tiling systems. Ceramics International, 41(6), 7252–7260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2015.03.032
Ricciardi, P., Belloni, E., & Cotana, F. (2014). Innovative panels with recycled materials: Thermal and acoustic performance and life cycle assessment. Applied Energy, 134, 150–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.07.112
Suardana, N. P. G., Sugita, I. K. G., & Wardana, I. G. N. (2020). Hybrid acoustic panel: The effect of fiber volume fraction and panel thickness. Materials Physics and Mechanics, 44(1), 77–82.
Trocka-Leszczynska, E., & Jablonska, J. (2021). Contemporary architectural design of offices in respect of acoustics. Applied Acoustics, 171, Article 107541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apacoust.2020.107541
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Amalan Sigmund Kaushik S, Sangeetha Devarajan, Ambika K (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.