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Acoustics Management
Katie Barrett
Introduction The Acoustics Project is trying to reduce the amount of
sound pollution in the Murray Library on campus. The top
floor of the library was redesigned two years ago to a
more open study area with a cafe right in the middle.
With this redesign, a lot more sound was introduced into
the space. This sound travels from the cafe counter and
tables around it to the circulation desk and stacks. We
are working to mitigate the amount of sound pollution
that was a consequence of the redesign without blocking
the open floor concept.
Clients Our client is the Murray Library, located on the Messiah
College Campus. We are working to serve both the staff
of the library and the students who study there.
Further Information Further information on this project can be found at https://www.dropbox.com/home/
Infrastructure/Projects/Acoustics%20Project.
Results We have spent this year gaining a base of knowledge about acoustical design and
testing. Before this project, Messiah College Engineering had not done any project
involving acoustical testing. Our first phase involved a lot of research on what val-
ues and data we would test at once we started and how we would quantify sound
reduction.
After research, we started testing. For these tests, we talked to the library about
which areas they determined noisy and which areas were receiving a lot of sound.
The library deemed the stacks where students study and the desk of a librarian, Jo-
anna, as areas that received a lot of noise. We completed a lot of testing in the first
semester, but unfortunately with faulty data loggers. We completed our retesting in
January 2015. Our testing focused on determining the transmission of the library
space: if a sound was produced in one area, how much of it carried over into anoth-
er area.
The recommended decibel level for a library is between 30 dBa and 40 dBa. Ambi-
ent testing in the library found the average decibel level at Joanna’s desk to be 50
dBa and the stacks to be around 40 dBa. For comparison purposes, a decibel in-
crease of 10 dBa makes a noise sound twice as loud to the human ear.
Acknowledgements John Harro
Duane Troyer
Thien Nguyen
Dan Vivolo
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brian Swartz
Professional Advisor: Mr. Bill Frantz,
Armstrong Industries
Mr. Todd Kister, Acoustical Testing Intertek
Mr. Eric Miller, Acoustical Testing Intertek
Results Since then, we have researched many different options for sound reduction, including sound
masking, sound blocking, sound paneling, transparent absorptive window covers, and local
sound absorption. After meeting with the library and researching plausibility, we determined
that our best option was sound paneling or plexiglass sound blocking.
Proposal Since we determined the most effec-
tive results, we have found multiple
companies that offer sound panels
that can also be artistic. This satis-
fies the aesthetic priority of the li-
brary. The pictures to the left are
tiles from Kirei Echopanel and Beax.
Location Decibel Output
Original Decibel Level at Receiver
Decibel Level at Receiver
After Noise
Transmission Producer Receiver
Cafe Joanna’s Desk 80 45 50 5
Lobby Joanna’s Desk 80 46 50 4
Circulation Desk
Joanna’s Desk 80 47.5 52 4.5
Cafe Back Wall of Stacks Area
80 36 37 1
Lobby Back Wall of Stacks Area
80 36 37.5 1.5
Cafe Stacks Front
Tables 80 37 37.5 0.5
Lobby Stacks Front
Tables 80 37 38.5 1.5
Transmission of Different Areas of the Library Paneling Locations Blocking Locations