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An Introduction to Noise Control in Buildings

J. Paul Guyer, P.E., R.A., Fellow ASCE, Fellow AEI

Course Description

This course will introduce you to the basic principles and terminology of acoustics, and noise control engineering in buildings. You will learn about sound pressure levels, sound power levels, sound intensity levels, vibration levels, frequency, temporal variations, loudness, vibration transmissibility and vibration isolation. You will learn about Noise Criteria (NC) and Room Criteria (RC) curves and how they are used in acoustical engineering projects. Speech Interference Levels (SIL), Sound Pressure Levels (SPL) and Room Constants are also introduced, and you will see how the principles of sound Transmission Loss (TL), Noise Reduction (NR) and Sound Transmission Class (STC) are used in project design. The information you will get from this course will allow you to apply basic acoustical engineering principles to a variety of projects, and will give you the background you need to advance to more sophisticated analyses on more demanding acoustical challenges such as those associated with design of concert halls and recording studios.

Course Outline

1. INTRODUCTION
2. FUNDAMENTALS OF ACOUSTICS
2.1 Decibels
2.2 Sound Pressure Level
2.3 Sound Power Level
2.4 Sound Intensity Level
2.5 Vibration Levels
2.6 Frequency
2.7 Temporal Variations
2.8 Speed of Sound and Wavelength
2.9 Loudness
2.10 Vibration Transmissibility
2.11 Vibration Isolation Effectiveness
3. NOISE CRITERIA
3.1 General
3.2 Noise Criterion (NC) Curves
3.3 Room Criterion (RC) Curves
3.4 Speech Interference Levels
4. SOUND DISTRIBUTION INDOORS
4.1 Effect of distance and absorption
4.2 Sound absorption coefficients
4.3 Estimation of Room Constant
5. SOUND ISOLATION BETWEEN ROOMS
5.1 Sound Transmission Loss (TL)
5.2 Noise Reduction (NR)
5.3 Sound Transmission Class (STC)
6. TRANSMISSION LOSS CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMON BUILDING MATERIALS

Learning Objectives

Intended Audience

This course is intended for engineers and architects who want an introduction to noise control in buildings that they can apply immediately on straightforward projects, and that will give them the background they need before advancing to more acoustically sophisticated projects such as concert halls and recording studios.

Benefit for Attendee

This course will give engineers and others an understanding of basic principles and terminology needed to integrate acoustical considerations into their building design projects.

Course Introduction

This is an introduction to noise control in buildings.  It is a basic treatment that will introduce designers to some important principles and terminology.  In simple applications on real projects the information provided will give designers a good start in addressing acoustic control issues.  For more acoustically complex projects designers will use more detailed principles. 

About Course Author

Paul Guyer is a registered mechanical engineer, civil engineer, fire protection engineer and architect with over 35 years experience in the design of buildings and related infrastructure.  For an additional 9 years he was a senior-level advisor to the California Legislature on infrastructure and capital outlay issues.  He has designed and supervised the design of hundreds of construction projects requiring the preparation of detailed working drawings and specifications for federal, state and local public agencies and private companies.  He is a graduate of Stanford University and has held numerous national, state and local positions with the American Society of Civil Engineers and National Society of Professional Engineers.

Course Content

The course content is contained in the following PDF files:

An Introduction to Noise Control in Buildings (a PDF file, 7.3 MB)

Lecture Slides (PDF file, 24 pages, 1.6 MB)

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.

Because this course is offered as a "live" course, you are required to attend the webinar at the scheduled time and date. Please check the Webinar Schedule under course description on our website for currently scheduled meeting date and time. We will send you an invitation to the webinar through email approximately 24 hours before the webinar (confirmation of the receipt of the invitation is required). The certificate of completion will not be issued unless you attend the webinar and pass a quiz. Thank you for your cooperation.

Course Summary

This course provides an introduction to noise control engineering for buildings.  It provides engineers and architects with an introduction to acoustical engineering principles, the tools to use in straightforward building design projects, and an introduction to principles that can be used on more acoustically challenging building design projects.

Quiz

Before you attend the webinar, you need to print the quiz questions from your browser for the discussion during the webinar. At the end of the webinar, you need to complete the quiz and submit your answers to obtain the PDH credit (quiz deadline: midnight on the webinar date).

Take a Quiz

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.