SOUND

TRANSMISSION
Sound is transmitted by a
medium, which can vibrate: most
often we are concerned with
airborne sound, but it can also
be transmitted by liquids or
solids.
In a free field
sound is reducing with the square of distance, from
the source.
This means that for every doubling of distance, the
sound level is reduced by 6dB (if intensity is
reduced by a factor of 4, then L = 10 × log 4 = 6dB).
The additional molecular absorption in air at high
frequencies
will change the sound spectrum, by filtering
out the higher frequency components.
 Ground cover
✘ may cause a surface friction, thus reducing
the sound, which is noticeable if both source
and the receiver are near ground level.
 Ground cover
✘ Paved surfaces give no such reduction,
but the effect of tall grass, shrubs and
trees can be quite significant.
 Wind
reduces sound upwind
from the source and
increases it down wind,
not only because of
the velocity effect, but
due also to the
distortion of the
spherical wave front.
Fig. 3.18 the arrows show the hypothetical ‘sound rays’ as they are deflected.
The small vector diagram is an enlargement of the top of a wave front.
Temperature Daytime

as the temperature
near the ground is
higher, sound travels
faster, and so sound in
a lower layer
overtakes that in
higher layers, so the
‘sound ray’ is curved
upwards
 Nighttime

when temperature inversion

occurs (the ground surface is cooled
by outgoing radiation), it is in the
upper (warmer) layers where the
sound travels faster, thus ‘sound
rays’ are deflected downwards,
reinforcing the sound near ground
level
 sound can be transmitted from one room to
another not only through a dividing partition, but
through a number of flanking paths

Flanking noise is noise reaching a

room by an indirect path.
Sound insulating properties of a partition or
dividing wall can be expressed in two ways
(1) (2)
as a sound reduction as transmittance (τ),
index (SRI) or which is a coefficient
transmission loss (TL) of intensity (I) or rate
– the two terms mean of energy
the same – in units of transmission
dB;
 Sound energy incident on a solid object (such
as a partition) would be distributed three ways:

part of it the
part of it
can be reminder
absorbed transmitted
reflected
(α) (τ)
(ρ)
If the sound intensity on the source side is Is, the transmitted
(received) sound intensity will be
Ir =Is×τ
But if the sound level on the source side is Ls, then the sound
level on the receiving side will be
Lr =Ls−TL
Thus, TL ∝ (1/τ) (or the loss is proportionate to that NOT
transmitted).
The relationship is TL=10log(1/τ) =10(−log τ)
 Transmission is also frequency dependent.

Thus, the mass

If a molecule law also states
its dampening
of a body has that TL will
effect will be
to vibrate increase by 6dB
greater for every doubling
faster
of the frequency.
Therefore, the TL graph as a function of frequency will show
an upward slope. This TL will however be reduced by (a)
resonance and by (b) coincidence.
The first The second,
depends on the coincidence,
resonant depends also on
frequency of the angle of
the wall. For incidence of
sounds at this sound, as the
frequency (or its incident wave
upper fronts sweep
harmonics), the the wall
TL is very much surface.
reduced.
 For double-leaf walls or partitions (provided that the
two leaves are not connected) the TL value will be some
8dB higher than if the same mass were used in one leaf,
for example

✘ TL=45dB
110mm brickwork
✘ 220mm brickwork TL=50dB

✘ 270mm cavity wall TL=58dB

This improvement is however reduced at the resonant frequency,

and at this frequency the TL of the cavity wall could become less
than the solid double thickness wall.
It is adviced that
The cavity should be at least 100mm as the
resonant frequency of this cavity would be lower.
With light materials, the resonant frequency can be well
within the audible range, so the cavity should be wider.
 Question
1.) For every doubling distance in a free field, the
sound is reduced by how many decibels?

a.) 8 dB
b.) 3 dB
c.) 6 dB
d.) 4 dB

c
 Question
2.) What causes a surface friction that reduces the
sound, which is noticeable if both source and the
receiver are near ground level. ?
a.) water level
b.) ground cover
c.) air space
d.) glass
b
 Question
3.) During daytime, as the temperature near the ground is
higher, sound travels faster, and so sound in a lower layer
overtakes that in higher layers, so the ‘sound ray’ is _____

a.) curved upwards

b.) curved to the right
c.) curved downwards
d.) curved to the left
a
 Question
4.) Transmission is dependent on what?
a.) vibration
b.) resonance
c.) frequency
d.) absorption

c
 Question
5.) Sound energy incident on a solid object (such as
a partition) would be distributed three ways:
reflected, absorbed, and ______
a.) deflected
b.) refracted
c.) converted
d.) transmitted