Design of Partition,

Enclosures and Barriers

Design of Full Partition

Objective is to reduce sound transmission from a noise source in a reverberant or semi
reverberant room that contains the source.
Source room

For steady state in receiver room

Receiving
room
R

12 = 21 + a

Power incident on source side of partition

= I1W Ap
Where I1w is sound intensity on source side and Ap is
area of surface of partition

12
21

I1W

12=Sound power entering the receiving room

12=Sound power entering the source room

Dc
= 1
4

p12
D1 =
0c 2

D1: sound energy density in source room

p1: rms sound pressure in source room

Thus, the sound power flowing into the receiving room 12 = I1W Ap

p12 c
12 =
Ap
2
0c 4

Transmission coefficient =

IT
Ii

The power flowing into source room:

p22 c
21 =
A
0c 2 4 p

Sound power absorbed in

the receiving room

= (I 2W Ac )

a = D2

c
Ac
4

Ac: Surface area of walls of the receiver cabin

p22 c
a =
A
0c 2 4 c

12 = 21 + a
p12 c
12 =
Ap
2
0c 4

p22 c
21 =
Ap
2
0c 4

p12 c
p22 c
p22 c
Ap =
Ap +
Ac
2
2
2
0c 4
0c 4
0c 4

p12 = p22 + p22

p22 c
a =
Ac
2
0c 4

p12 Ap = p22 Ap + p22 Ac

Ac
Ap

 Ac
p = p 1 +

2
1

2
2

Ap + Ac
1
Lp1 = Lp 2 + 10log10 + 10log10

p
Ap + Ac
Lp1 Lp 2 = TL + 10log10

p
Ap + Ac
Noise Reduction (NR) = Lp1 Lp 2 = TL + 10log10

p
NR: not only function of TL of partition, but also of the absorption in the receiving cabin,
Hence, the NR is generally less (for the partition with small TL & low absorption coefficients)
than the TL of partition material.
Generally the NR is lower by a few dB than the value predicted by NR equation mentioned
above, due to flanking transmission via mechanical connections and air leaks, etc.

 for hard board: 0.1;

for concrete: 0.02;
TL for laminated glass=35dB;

Ap + Ac
Noise Reduction (NR) = Lp1 Lp 2 = TL + 10log10

Using for concrete, and TL for laminated glass=35dB, the NR is found to be 28dB (which is
less than the TL of the partition)
If the receiver room is treated with hard board, instead of concrete walls such that =0.1 rather
than 0.02; then the NR improves from 28dB to 35.4 dB.
This shows that the treatment of the receiving room is important and plays important role than
only the TL character of the partition material.

Acoustic Enclosure
Enclosures do not eliminate or reduce source of noise. They only constrain it. Hence, should be
used as last resort.
When an enclosure is put around the source, its performance is restricted by 3 factors.
a) Transmission loss of enclosure material.
b) Isolation of vibration from source to enclosure structure.
c) Presence of air gaps and leakage
With careful design and construction, the enclosure can attenuate noise up to 40-50dB.

If the enclosure surface is at least 0.5m away from the major radiating surface, the treatment of
enclosure design is fairly simple.

An enclosure increases noise level within itself by establishing an internal reverberant field.
The sound pressure level at any arbitrary point inside an enclosure

Q
4
LP1 = L + 10log10
+
2
RE
4 r
The power flowing through the walls:

IE = IWIE AIE
Dc
IE =
AIE
42
p
IE = 1 AIE
4 0 c

AIE
RE =
1

Room constant of
enclosure

A1E =Internal area of the enclosure

including surface area of source

Lp1
Iw=Dc/4
(Dc/4)A1E

The power flowing out of the enclosure

OE = IE
OE

p12
=
AIE
4 0 c

=Transmission coefficient of enclosure walls

LOE = Lp1 + 10log10 ( A1E ) TL 6

If we consider the power radiated by enclosure

OE = I OE AOE
OE

2
pOE
=
AOE
0c

Lp1
Iw=Dc/4
(Dc/4)A1E

LOE = LpOE + 10log10 ( AOE )

If OE is power radiated and p2 is pressure at any distance r; Lp2 is SPL at distance r.

OE

LOE

4 r 2
= I
Q

Q
= Lp2 10log10 2
4 r

I r
Q =
I sr

= I sr 4 r 2
Q
Lp2 = LOE + 10log10 2
4 r

L!p

SPL without enclosure at a point at distance r

from the source,

# Q &
L!p = L +10log10 % 2 (
2
$ 4 r '

Lp2 = LOE

Q
+ 10log10
2
4 r

IL = L!p Lp
2

$ Q '
IL = L +10log10 & 2 )
% 4 r (
$ Q '
LOE 10log10 & 2 )
% 4 r (

Lp

Lp1
r

IL = L LOE
Q
4
IL = LP1 10log10
+ ( Lp1 + 10log10 AE TL 6 )
2
RE
4 r

L!p

Insertion Loss
Q
4
IL = TL + 6 10log10 AE 10log10
+
2
RE
4 r

Lp

Lp1
r

Noise Reduction:
NR = Lp Lp
2

Design of Barriers

Design of Barrier
r1
r

" Q
4%

LP 0 = L +10log10 $
+ '
2
# 4 r R &

r3

r2
r4

SPL Without barrier (where p0 is the pressure

without barrier at receiver)

Sum of refracted sound pressure from barrier edges = (pr)2

Due to average reverberant field in the room= (pb)2

p22 = pb2 + pr2

Lp2 = L pb + L pr
Insertion loss due to barrier = Lp0 - Lp2

Assumption: presence of
barrier does not change the
existing reverberant field

p 2 4 For reverberant field

=
0c R
Pressure due to only reverberant field

4
p =
0c
R
2
r

r1
r3

r2
r4

I
p2
4
( ) = =
=
c 0c 2 ( A ) c

r2

r1
r3

r4

Barrier performance depends on Fresnel diffraction at barriers. According to Fresnel diffraction

theory, only that portion of wave field from the sound source that is incident on the edges of
barrier contributes to the wave field that is diffracted over the barrier.
Mean square pressure in the diffracted field is given by:
n

1
p = p

3
+
10
N
i =1
i
2
b2

Fresnel Number
Where

Ni =

pd20

2 i

2
d0

i = (r1 + r2 ) (r3 + r4 )

is the mean sq. pressure due to direct field assuming no barrier

Q
p =
0c
2
4 r
2
d0

1
2

pb2 =
0c

2
4 r
3
+
10
N
i =1
i
n

1
QB
Q
=
Q

p =
0c where B
2
3
+
10
N
i =1
i
4 r
2
b2

p22 =

QB
4

c
+
0c
0
2
4 r
R

4
QB
Lp2 = L + 10log10
+
2
R
4 r
4
Q
LP0 = L + 10log10
+
2
R
4 r
4
4
Q
Q
IL = LP0 Lp2 = 10log10 2 + 10log10 B 2 +
R
R
4 r
4 r

For free field

Q
IL = 10log10

Q
B
n

1
IL = 10log10

3
+
10
N
i =1
i

Simplified expression for semi infinite barrier in free field environment

a
S

H
D

IL = 10log10
2
H
3 + 10
R

D>>R>>H

H2

2R