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Acoustic Control
Clear Communication Channels
When a sound is produced in a room, the sound waves collide with the different objects therein.
While some of the sound is typically absorbed by people, objects, and walls and ceilings (depending on how absorbent to sound energy they are), a portion of it is also reflected into the room resulting in reverberation and echo. Spaces with a predominance of hard reflective surfaces, such as ceramic tiles, marble, or masonry partitions are more likely to succumb to high levels of reflected sound.
Reducing this reverberation time and echo by improving the sound absorption performance of walls and ceilings will help improve speech intelligibility (the quality of speech transfer to the listener) along with indoor acoustic comfort.
When designing high acoustic performance spaces, such as auditoriums and theatres for example, reflected sound is crucial to control. For communication purposes however, it is the direct sound that is relevant, not the reflected one. Hence, the effective absorption of sound reflections is particularly important in offices, classrooms and lecture halls.
A Balance with Privacy
Although clarity of sound is important for communication, it can nevertheless be a source of distraction when speech has clarity over a long distance.
It also reduces privacy for the speaker. In certain office environments, confidentiality can be a key requirement. In other sectors, such as hotels, hospitals, restaurants, and public spaces, acoustic privacy is a necessity for the well-being of the occupants.
Good acoustics ensure speech clarity at a short distance but a rapid decay over longer ones. At Saint-Gobain Gyproc, we offer innovative solutions for walls and ceilings to improve sound absorption and acoustic performance within all kinds of settings.