SOUND ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT

",,J;:,T:##H:;'i{.l":!ff iJ#"X#HnT":Hldi:iflJ}#n
f$i"*il.:rfl s*i::tirmJ:*":Hl:m:l!{q:{"#r"
'#f h:##:il:lrl"*m:*;y'::;11:sJ",';'r":'*:"#'
at rtlt.cxcd k*N*" ?#,'tl#JriJi"

toO t,o

ba 0'bo
Q,O

,ffi
r{r thirl. brioK
qa o,oL

.r ab$fid;s o4ldd' ro 1ebn'

n? ot po16d

€ lhe sum of all room surlace areas tlmes

The to€l room absorptlon {l bv:
coetficients) tor a space can be tound
,*, ii!r*""" "l'J "bsolplron
,' a*lSa
wher6 a = lotal room absorp{on {sabins)
S = sur{ace area {n'l
"r at given ftequency (decirnal petcent I
= """i0-rl*tp''t" "oefiicient

/tZ so$o affiPric

 Nola: To fnd cleric ssbint divide , by 10.76.
Absorplion coofficienls for lruilding .nrte.ials normally vary t om aboul
0.01 ro 0.99. How€ver. acoustica! tesling laboBtories sofletimos repon coef_
ficienls whiEh exceed peafect absorpion of 'l_0. This oppafeft irrpossibility can
occur Llecause ot peculia.ities of lesting me$ods {e.g., effects from si:e of
test sp€cimen or exposed edges ot tesr samples I and diftraclion ot sound
energy.
Materials wjrh mediuln io high sound absoetion coeffici€n$ {usuallv
> O.5O) are refeneaf lo as soundabsorbtng: those wrth low co€lfictent9 {usu-
alv < 0.201 ate sound @flectng. The effect ot a dffurence in coefiicients be.
lween tl&o mateaals al a givsn frequency is shown by th€ io owing 1able.

Ditterence h Coefficient Eftect for Most Situations

< o.'lo Lille {usiJally rot noriceable}

0.10 ro 0.40 Noliceabie
> 0.40 Congide.6ble

Exceptions 10 the ditference in absorption coeffici€nt a given in lhe table

are aooms used for hearing research, testing ot solnd,absorbing mateaials, and
the like. For €xample, aeveabeaation rooms used to measure 'random inci,
dence" q's must have hjghly refleclive surlaceg ( < < 0.20 ) . aven very small
difforenees in o foa the enclosang surfaces aae therefore extrohely impo{ant.

Ndto: Soud absopion coetficients tor normal ncic,onco a. {i-€ , sound waves pe}pen
ft€ surJace of th€ absorb€rl san be m6sured us'ng a closed robe. catted an
dicolar ro
idpedance tube With the sarnple to be resred placed at one end of rhe trbe, pu.e
lones can be gen€rated and nieas!.ed wj$in lhe tube 10.,ete.mine rhe absorprion afli-
ciency ot rhe sample, Fo|nalerials with low abso.ption co€tllc|enls, q.yol2; fof mate.
ials wirh very high coeflicienB, o4.:s. Oerails ol the tesr are grven bV ASTM C 384.

50r^o ABsofiPTtori .l:l

SOUND AASOBPTION DATA FOR COMMON BUILDINS MATSRIAIS
AIII'

r**.;ffi
FURNISHI GS

oo2 0.02 003 004 005 0.o7 0.o5

2. &idr, dglaad
oor o.ol oo2 002 002
-d Par6d
o.ot oo2 ooa 006
00t oG
4. Cqrrds blodl, p.htld d to 006 o.o€ o.@
hay lla,!. CrsJ o 1s o.o5 oo4 oo3 0.o2 oo5
t. Gk3i.
035 I)2s o ra o 12
d. 6a9 sd.dY lido* 991
7 qpsm bdd. 1/2 , tli.k (6tL<l to 2 x 4.. 16 h o2g o.ro oo5
dl
056 0.14 o.Oa o.o4 o t2 Oll olo
6 Gvas !€rd, t br6.5/6 d lhr* lelo*€d b 1 x
3s. rO i. d si$ ,isP...n rad $& fi,s

s. C6€rurio. m.8 s.6 2 Iw€6 oi 6/3*\'1t*r o.2t o.u 0.1o oo7 o.l3 ooe o ro

oo1 oo1 oo2 9y

o.o1 o.ot oo4 006
;;i 6& oo: oo3 oo5
ftcr d bml o.ii odi oor o.o5 006 9t 006
12. Fbnd d .6n.@ blo.l ld Ih
ia o ro oc 006 oo. oo3 oo5
"ii oi ov o.os oro 01! o15
14. Pryw@d, 3,|8ft p8drE
i* 6ro oro o1o oo7 oo2 olo
oii ooo oor o.t5 or3 ort o1o
16, V6no!- urds, nar.t
ttlh aist ct b.fid 6ii o.Ii o ro c@ oo€ od o ro
1?, Wood, 1/4h P.i.]ii$
sd tin € bd*d 6 rs o rl ooe 0tl6 tl06 oos o 1o
l!, Wad. 1{ pard,..g

c|ffi o3t o.3s o25 035

19. Cflryere tro.L,
20 t shs€0h dr.FY ovvd nd 6 *d lfit'
lO
o-24 035 o,lt
Sondr.n d.B d i6 lrdrElffi
2l irit dudwathr ddpory' 1a d/Yd dat'd b rd '€
J
o3r o,4S O.tn 0.70 060 0.55

t'..2 i E 1 i ot wdl
fIdY 7o 0 65
ol
22 He&we4hl d6ott 16d/vd.dap€diorE @ o35 0.55 0.72 0039
23 ra..sb$ IrbG c6rn 3 l/2 d/xP d'sd b H
03! O6a OA3 0t6
@ tfids TE d-pd tE dAls bdn! rtu @Frv
l@ o l2 id ). li$ 96q tF lo*neqi'rsl

2a. sl'€ddedlD.d l|db..d. 2 io ftcr d 6do o.ra 0,26 0.6t 09! 064 0.92 0'6{)

(m'' Al 03a
25 In &b6r ruFd b.h'd @o fFrg or5 042 0.€o o8o o'92
o15
i c-!ri ""."y. - s,a" F l.alsd nwrd r.6!oJd 0!7 041 0,63 o.85 0.95 o'70
b.hn
*'l)m
zr
wnh
tiJ, i r z. n p",'*.g, xto.a rl ts_-ae"ot o'o 0.90 0.60 o5o o40 030 0,65

mle3,1196 ope a6! n6 2 l/zi^ gb$ lnd n

0q2 0.02
!tu!!d, i.6bd 4 8!tt t s dse
29. 1'b
oo2 0.02
ola o.1r
006
32. wood pd@€l d d@o
e .dd6 0.60 0.65 0.30
$ c€'!€t. h@rt,
34 Crpq baw. on to4 tu6bs
o.71 0.73 0.55

35, Csp.t rEa'r, wih ''p.'noAra btx b'cr''g

d tM o48 0.63 0.35

ool 006 oto om o45 065 020

o,o1 o,or o.o? oo2 o.o2

cvftd bdft,, l/2,t|n.k ots 0.r0 0.05 004 0o7 009 0.06
34.
Ops6 bo:d, ,/2 irtr tt& h ssP'Nie sv$e 0.15 o.ro o@ 0.o4 0.o7
39.
0,t4 o.10 0.06 0q5 ().o4

41. At@d. 3/3 h fid( or8 0.22 0.17 009 010

42, Acd4lL, bord. 3/4 in !t k. t! (4'cm sF!6 o.re o$ 083 099 0.99 0J4 0'S6

* i"&.d'*oa ronto,,a z t dr'i' d b{ gr'd 0.t9 0.61 o.53 073 0.88 o.t4 0.66

52 sothal As6@rloN
 n*t p..d snd{b$dE @r.€{ 060 o8o oei o.78 0.6r) oE
lli:r, pde sardrbsrt E @lqd, 2. d!.ti
*"., "'** o,* o.38 ora o.ro 0.75
|ff !], "''- -l
!r€r.d ..atlo$. fi6ds, r a rhict 6 dBae {nig_ qlg 0.t5 o.ge o93 0,76 0'76
Gh.s [* eI r&.a 12 @/yd
Gb55 rsq ru, r.br, 3' l/2 a/yd I fr.e sq.+
0.35
g,?3 o-95 o.?€ q5? o.&
.a&69 it tui ftrqroraie.l
o.38 o.tt 0o9 0.06 o tt
ftlywtwE rorn. I n rh.( ola d4 |etH.d
t*r gB*tuqd FEk, | 6 $Et b, 13 h OO7
o, 0,60 O.a5 o.!o
a.tr sprcad t3 in rpdd. !{erdrded 1A it b.iow
O
0.60 O6t O4s

Hol F34Ostod 9*Eli I . nt* aY ts ln o 10 o.62

o..tr rr6c3d 6 | /2 ir .p*. e{p.id.d 1.1t i,33 1.38
12 n borrd

f.bic wd"!tFr.r0.d !oi., !i1t poiiordod k t 0.31 0.56 0,67

r..rlEadat (dEkE .d ts. u,leFsd
A||eo. kr.d d d",
O 4{ o.55 o.bo
rrs|egds.3.{.dh!Is6fr
'rhoe'€lEd O 39 ot2 o.i7
os nt q w&d s.mesia"s
srd',E hror'€ry d63.d *; rr ener{ft osr "ii
i-.i

o.th,60
0 ?t-{,75

Oi!d. hG. *!d trEB! 4 h dtc{

G€9 ilea br6g@, { h$
gEr ft61l' r.!{ . h a$.r
IF4 bdss r.r. 20 rC Sor!.r .€ d rR a t dl
u/itrd slG t.gnrvle fldl

ffi ?ffi ffils.{ffi,tr"trs"tr&H*P'Y'tri}ffi *iffi rle:

ffi:'
to.fidonls lor op€niilgs d.p€"0 o.l

Test ftetarenae
"o"o.pri* "J "roc "o*,m
o, oppodro side.

"Standard lesr Merhod to. Sound Absorp$on

ard Sound ADsorflion Codn isns bv
rE Heverberaton Boom [/e$od,' ASTM C 423 Avsihbt€ r.orn Amencan
Societv t;.
r€st,ng and MaGridh (ASTMJ. l916 Race Sv€€r. pHtsdelphia, pA l9to3.

So!rces
L L B€rane*. AudEnce aod Cbstr Absorplon E La
f--
rye l1al.s.. Joumat ot rta
acousaicat Soderv ot Am.,rca, JanrErv 1969.
2 A. N &,rd 6r at- _Dsta for rhs Ac@sric Oesig. ot Srud,o3, gfirsh Broadcasnnq
Corporajof', BBC En$neen.g Monosaph no. -64 Novemb€, 1966
3 E.J.EvanE€ndI N Baztey. ..Sou.d Absolbrng Ma|€nah... HM Srar,o^ery Oiqce,
London. 1964.

sd.rro AtsofipnoN 53