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Acoustics for Beginners

Name: Acoustics for Beginners
Rating: 4.6 (68 reviews)

Foundational knowledge in acoustics including project case studies

Created byChris Field

Last updated 3/2024

English

What you'll learn

To gain an understanding of the fundamentals of acoustics and sound in the built environment.
Entry level acoustic knowledge for students or curious people who are interested in sound and acoustics.
Apply knowledge of acoustics to the design of spaces in the built environment.
Experience project case studies where acoustic design is critical for the success of sustainable indoor spaces.

Course content

5 sections • 32 lectures • 3h 6m total length

What is sound?1:25
The definition of sound and how it is created.
How our ears work1:44
A simple explanation of how our ears work and how we perceive sound.
Describing sound13:51
Frequency, wavelength, speed of sound, frequency spectra, octave bands, third octave bands, sound pressure level, A-weighting.
Decibel arithmetic6:20
Measuring sound5:12
Measuring sound using a sound level meter - introduction to time weightings and statistical measurement parameters.
Sound levels1:37
The difference between sound pressure level (Lp) and sound power level (Lw).

Sound propagation outdoors0:59
5 factors affecting how sound behaves outdoors - distance, source size, directivity, screening, location.
Sound decay with distance1:33
Sound decay with distance away for an omnidirectional (spherical) sound source.
Source directivity and location5:35
Directivity index, location of the source, hemispherical radiation, 1/4 sphere radiation, 1/8 sphere radiation.
Screening by barriers7:51
Source size, path difference, barrier dimensions, 2D example, Excel calculation.

Airborne and structureborne sound6:01
The difference between airborne and structureborne sound, demonstration using a music box.
Sound insulating constructions9:24
Wet and dry wall constructions, typical wall and glazing construction details and corresponding acoustic performances (Rw).
Impact noise1:48
Impact noise generation and radiation.
Sound insulating floor systems10:21
Typical floor construction details and the corresponding acoustic performances.
Impact noise reduction1:19
Guidance for impact noise reduction.

Strategies for placement of acoustic treatment3:58
Guidance on locations to place acoustic treatment for various indoor spaces.
Acoustic treatment for music3:12
Guidance on locations to place acoustic treatment for music spaces.
Acoustic treatment for speech7:43
Guidance on locations to place acoustic treatment for spaces used for speech.
Diffusive surface finishes5:14
Project example of the design of diffusive surface finishes in a theatre.
Room acoustic modelling4:51
Introduction to 2D and 3D room acoustic modelling in the design of indoor spaces using Matlab and AutoCAD.
3D Room acoustic modelling software6:40
Overview of 3D room acoustic modelling software with tips for building good quality models including project examples.
Auralisation of room acoustics3:17
Project example of using an auralisation to demonstrate speech intelligibility in an atrium space.
Acoustics for open plan offices8:39
Ray tracing visualisation to demonstrate late reflections and diffusion in an open plan office.
Impact noise in a residential apartment14:45
Project example of impact noise reduction in a residential apartment with auralisations.
Daylighting and acoustics3:58
Project examples of where daylighting and acoustic designs interact.
Swimming pool acoustic design5:16
Auralisation demonstration of the PA design of Beijing Olympic Watercube swimming centre.
Acoustic privacy in meeting rooms and offices8:19
Sound transmission paths between private offices, acoustic privacy ratings, auralisations of acoustic privacy provided by wall partitions.
Theatre acoustic design17:13
Project example of the design of a theatre including acoustic measurements taken in the theatre.

Requirements

No specific skills needed
Some mathematics skills needed for more advanced concepts

Description

This course is aimed at anyone who is curious about the fundamentals of sound and acoustic design. It is a foundational course in acoustics targeted at the beginner level. It provides an introduction to acoustic theory and applications of acoustic design in the built environment .

It is assumed that students have a basic understanding of mathematical concepts, but it is not essential to progress through this course.

Topics covered include: what is sound, how we hear sound, measuring sound, sound outdoors, sound in rooms, acoustic properties of materials, sound insulation and impact noise. Demonstrations of concepts are provided with visualisations, videos and auralisations (audio files).

Twelve case study topics are presented based on real engineering projects. The case studies range from the design of a theatre, acoustics in offices and impact noise in a residential apartment .

By the end of this course students will have enough background knowledge in acoustics to understand how sound and acoustics influences engineering and architectural designs in the built environment.

Detailed course content:

Section 1. Basic acoustics

1 What is sound

2 How our ears work

3 Describing sound

4 Decibel arithmetic

5 Measuring sound

6 Sound levels

Section 2. How sound behaves outdoors

7 Sound propagation outdoors

8 Sound decay with distance

9 Source directivity and location

10 Screening by barriers

Section 3. Sound within spaces

11 Sound propagation in rooms

12 Acoustic properties of materials

13 More detail on sound absorption

14 Sound absorption vs sound insulation

Section 4. Sound transfer between spaces

15 Airborne and structureborne sound

16 Sound insulating constructions

17 Impact noise

18 Sound insulating floor systems

19 Impact noise reduction

Section 5. Acoustic Case Studies

20 Strategies for placement of room acoustic treatment

21 Acoustic treatment for music

22 Acoustic treatment for speech

23 Diffusive surface finishes

24 Room acoustic modelling

25 3D Room acoustic modelling software

26 Auralisation of room acoustics

27 Acoustics for open plan offices

28 Acoustic privacy in meeting rooms and offices

29 Impact noise in a residential apartment

30 Daylighting and acoustics

31 Swimming pool acoustic design

32 Theatre acoustic design

Who this course is for:

Curious people who have an interest in sound and acoustics.

Acoustics for Beginners

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Basic Acoustics6 lectures • 30min

How sound behaves outdoors4 lectures • 16min

Sound within spaces4 lectures • 19min

Sound transfer between spaces5 lectures • 29min

Acoustic case studies13 lectures • 1hr 33min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: