Noise reduction in day-care centres by reducing reverberation time: Analyses and case studies is a study conducted on behalf of the Canadian IRSST. The aim of the study is to:
– examine the effects of acoustic materials and their impact on noise reduction and reverberation time.
– give concrete examples of noise reduction obtained through using acoustic treatments in day-care centres;
– develop a simple method in order to assess potential noise reductions by using acoustical treatments.
Based on acoustical measurments in twenty day care centres, solutions combining acoustic ceiling and wall absorbers have been proposed, implemented and validated.
– installation of an acoustic ceiling complying to Absorption Class A, according to EN ISO 11654:1997
– installation of a sixty centimetre band of acoustic panels on the upper part of the walls, also with Absorption Class A.
Highlights
– the treatement lead to an average reduction in noise levels of approximately 6 to 7 dBA
– part of the reductions obtained were the result of changes in the behaviour of the children and eventually in that of the childcare workers who started to talk more quietly in a less noisy environment.
– a simple formula in order to estimate the noise reductions depending on the acoustic materials installed has been defined
Download the full document (free of charge): http://www.irsst.qc.ca/files/documents/PubIRSST/R-463.pdf
The translation of the report from French was financed by Ecophon.
