Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

It is a well known fact that the acoustical properties of a building are seldom the main focus of the design. Constructive constraints and aesthetic aspects take centre stage in the early stage of design. As a consequence, the acoustic properties of the building may be insufficient and have to be improved by a costly reconstruction. One possibility to circumvent this problem is to use numerical tools that are able to predict the acoustical behaviour of a building at the early design stage. Here, a numerical tool, based upon the Finite Element Method (FEM), is presented. This tool is used to simulate building acoustic problems. A fully coupled formulation allows consideration of the complex interactions of materials and components. Air-borne sound, structure-borne sound, and sound insulation can be modelled. Example calculations show how numerical simulations can influence the design of a building. Further, numerical simulations can complement measurements and reduce the number of costly experiments, and also indicate improvements in sound insulation.

Keywords

acoustics damping joints finite elements

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Meier

Schmitz

, and Raabe

, Inter-laboratory Test of Sound Insulation Measurements on Heavy Walls, Part II – Results of Main Test, Building Acoustics , 1999, 6 (3/4), 71–84.

Gibbs

B. M.

, and Maluski

, “Airborne sound level difference between dwellings at low frequencies”, Building Acoustics , 2004, 11 (1), 61–78.

Brunskog

, and Davidsson

, “Sound transmission of structures. A finite element approach with simplified room description”, Acta Acustica united with Acustica , 2004, 90 (2), 847–857.

Tadeu

, and António

, “Acoustic insulation of single panel walls provided by analytical expresssions versus the mass law”, Journal of sound and vibration , 2002, 257 (3), 457–476.

Osipov

, and Vermeir

, “Sound Transmission in Buildings with Elastic Layers at Joints”, Applied acoustics , 1996, 49 (2), 141–162.

Clasen

Langer

, and Schanz

, “Efficient Simulation of Sound Insulation in Building Acoustics”, Proc. of the Joint Congress CFA/DAGA04 , SFA, DEGA, 2004, 303–304.

Clasen

, and Langer

, “Numerical Investigation of the Influence of Joints on Airborne Sound Insulation”, Proc. ICSV 12 , Lisbon, 2005.

Helmholtz

, Theory of air oscillations in tubes with open ends, Reine Angew. Math. , 1860, 57, 1–72.

Timoshenko

, On the correction for shear of the differential equation for transverse vibrations of prismatic bars, Philosophical Magazine , 1921, 41, 744–746.

10.

Knothe

, and Wessels

, Finite Elemente, 2nd edition, Springer, 1992.

11.

Langer

, and Antes

, (2003) “Analyses of Sound Transmission through Windows by coupled Finite and Boundary Element Methods”, Acta Acustica united with Acustica , 89, 78–85.

12.

Kling

, and Schmelzer

, “Damping in Building Acoustics – Determination of Material Damping by using a N-parameter-model (in German), Proc. DAGA '06, 2006.

13.

CEN 12354–1:2000 Building acoustics – Estimation of acoustic performance of buildings from the performance of elements – Part 1: Airborne sound insulation between rooms.

14.

Kuttruff

, Room acoustics, 2nd edition, Applied Science Publishers, London, 1979.

15.

Zienkiewicz

O. C.

, and Taylor

R. L.

, The finite element method , McGraw-Hill, 1989.

16.

Morse

Philip M.

Ingard Uno

, Theoretical acoustics , Princeton University Press, 1986.

17.

Cremer

Heckl

, and Petersson

B. A. T.

, Structure-borne sound: Structural vibrations and sound radiation at audio frequencies, Springer, 2005.

18.

Christensen

R. M.

, “Theory of viscoelasticity: An introduction”, 2nd edition, Academic Press, New York, 1982.

Finite Element Approach for Flanking Transmission in Building Acoustics

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References