Analysis of a wooden specimen's mechanical properties through acoustic measurements in the very near field.

This paper presents the method for prediction of some basic mechanical parameters of a wood specimen by using simple instrumentation. The standard acoustic method for assessment of modulus of elasticity using the impulse excitation is extended by using a recording in the very near field. In this way, visualization of vibration patterns of the analyzed sample was accomplished for all modes below 5 kHz. This enables detection of signals with a good signal-to-noise ratio over a wide frequency range which is then used for loss factor assessment.

Indoor sound level spectra of public entertainment premises for rating airborne sound insulation.

Public entertainment premises are significant sources of urban noise pollution. In this paper, indoor sound level spectra for different types of entertainment premises have been analyzed. While most of the spectra lie between two standardized curves proposed by the ISO 717-1:2013 (The International Organization for Standardization) standard, spectra recorded in discotheques show a pronounced spectral level below 160 Hz as a result of an intensive use of subwoofers. This indicates potentially inappropriate rating of sound insulation against such specific low-frequency noise by standardized spectrum adaptation terms. A modified spectrum adaptation term for a single-number rating of sound insulation under such circumstances has been proposed.

Microphone array geometry optimization for traffic noise analysis.

This paper outlines an approach for obtaining microphone array geometry for use in traffic noise analysis. The designed array has a smaller number of microphones compared to existing solutions, thereby reducing the cost of system realization. The array geometry is irregular, consists of 24 microphones, and was obtained by an optimization procedure that minimizes beampatterns sidelobes. Microphone position optimization was performed in the frequency band from 300 Hz to 2000 Hz, defined by traffic noise characteristics. The designed array is used in ongoing research dedicated to the analysis of angular distribution of incident traffic noise sound energy impeding a facade in urban environment.

An approach to numerical quantification of room shape and its function in diffuse sound field model.

This paper deals with an approach to the numerical quantification of room shape and its possible role in diffuse field modeling. The normalized shape factor of the room is introduced as a function of the room volume and the room interior surface. It was shown that in real rooms the value of normalized shape factor ranges from about 0.57 to 0.9. Some simple transformations of well-known formulas by introducing the room shape factor are also discussed. Such approach seems appropriate in architectural acoustics courses as a straightforward way to explain the factors influencing the acoustic response in a room.

Multifractal analysis of visualized room impulse response for detecting early reflections.

This paper describes an improved method for detecting early reflections in the initial part of the room impulse response using multifractals. The proposed method uses the two-dimensional multifractal analysis. The room impulse response is visualized as a spectrogram image which is then subjected to the multifractal analysis. The algorithm is based on describing local regularity in the image using distribution of Hölder exponents. The time positions of the selected Hölder exponents in the image are utilized in detecting early reflections. The obtained results show better efficiency of the proposed algorithm compared to the previous one-dimensional multifractal analysis based algorithm.

The influence of proscenium boxes on acoustic response in historical opera halls.

In some historical opera halls there are boxes located around the proscenium, commonly called proscenium or "director" boxes. These boxes have a certain influence on the initial part of the impulse response of an opera hall on the singer-auditorium, singer-singer, and singer-orchestra pit paths. During the reconstruction of the Ljubljana opera hall, measurement of a scaled model was performed to quantify the influence of proscenium boxes on the hall's impulse response. Some variation in box configuration on the acoustic response was also tested. This paper describes the results of this research.

On the suitability of ISO 16717-1 reference spectra for rating airborne sound insulation.

A standard proposal for rating airborne sound insulation in buildings [ISO 16717-1 (2012)] defines the reference noise spectra. Since their shapes influence the calculated values of single-number descriptors, reference spectra should approximate well typical noise spectra in buildings. There is, however, very little data in the existing literature on a typical noise spectrum in dwellings. A spectral analysis of common noise sources in dwellings is presented in this paper, as a result of an extensive monitoring of various noisy household activities. Apart from music with strong bass content, the proposed "living" reference spectrum overestimates noise levels at low frequencies.

Measurement of reverberation gain in an urban environment.

Multipath propagation within an urban area introduces a specific type of reverberation in response to sound excitation. That appearance affects the level of ambient noise produced by strong sound sources. In this paper, the signals recorded during the 1999 bombing of Belgrade were used to analyze the characteristics of reverberation in that urban environment. Six recorded signals were selected among more than 50 explosions recorded at that time. Due to the impulse nature of sound sources, the recorded signals represent the impulse responses of that area. The measured reverberation time T30 is about 7 ± 1 s in octaves between 31.5 Hz and 1 kHz. There is a variation of decay slope in time that is verified by differences between values of T10 and T30. The reverberation gain calculated from recorded signals is 2-7 dB, depending on the global position of the sound excitation point as well as its micro-location according to its position among the surrounding buildings. A variation of gain over octave bands is in the interval of approximately 3 dB. Information about reverberation gain in urban environment can be useful in a quick estimation of noise level produced by strong sound sources in a large area of urban environment.

Ambient noise in large rivers (L).

This paper presents the results of hydroacoustic noise research in three large European rivers: the Danube, the Sava, and the Tisa. Noise in these rivers was observed during a period of ten years, which includes all annual variation in hydrological and meteorological conditions (flow rate, speed of flow, wind speed, etc.). Noise spectra are characterized by wide maximums at frequencies between 20 and 30 Hz, and relatively constant slope toward higher frequencies. Spectral level of noise changes in time in relatively wide limits. At low frequencies, below 100 Hz, the dynamics of noise level is correlated with the dynamics of water flow and speed. At higher frequencies, noise spectra are mostly influenced by human activities on river and on riverbanks. The influence of wind on noise in rivers is complex due to the annual variation of river surface. The influence of wind is less pronounced than in oceans, seas, and lakes.