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Recent Advances in Architectural Acoustics and Noise Control
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Recent Advances in Architectural Acoustics and Noise Control

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Acoustics and Vibrations".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2025 | Viewed by 7814

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Gino Iannace

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Architecture and Industrial Design, Second University of Naples - Borgo San Lorenzo, 81013 Aversa, CE, Italy
Interests: vibration and damping; green materials; room acoustics; acoustic measurements; archaeological acoustics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Research in the field of architectural acoustics aims to increase the comfort and quality of life of people in living and working environments. Already in the fifth century BC, in the cities of Magna Graecia in southern Italy, it was forbidden to carry out noisy activities at night so as not to disturb the peace and sleep of people, while in ancient Rome, the noise of the cities was considered a problem for people's rest . The first written treatise on acoustics that has come down to us is that of Vitruvius in the first century BC, which describes how to improve the acoustics of theatres. Modern acoustics begins with the studies of W. C. Sabine at the end of the 19th century. Architectural acoustics includes the acoustics of closed environments, buildings, work environments such as schools or industries, and sports environments such as gyms and swimming pools. To have good conditions of acoustic comfort, the evaluation of the acoustic insulation and the control of the reverberation are required in order to obtain an environment in which a suitable quality of life is possible. In addition, indoor acoustics include topics such as opera houses, concert halls and auditoriums, schools, cinemas, gymnasiums, swimming pools, restaurants, and open spaces. The optimal conditions of acoustic comfort can be obtained with good planning and the application of suitable insulating or sound-absorbing materials. Studies on the applications of metamaterial acoustics are also appreciated. In this Special Issue, we welcome original research papers and review articles based on diverse topics in building acoustics, such as:

  • Acoustics of metamaterials;
  • Acoustic properties of green materials;
  • Acoustics in workplaces;
  • Nightlife acoustics in cities and historic centers;
  • Acoustic correction of closed environments;
  • Acoustic measurements;
  • Acoustic machine learning;
  • Speech intelligibility;
  • Acoustic design of closed environments;
  • Acoustics of ancient theatres in modern use;
  • Virtual acoustic reconstruction of historical places;
  • Acoustics of places of worship.

Dr. Gino Iannace
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • opera houses
  • concert halls
  • metamaterials
  • green materials
  • workplaces
  • nightlife
  • closed environments
  • acoustic measurement
  • ancient theatres

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 5111 KiB  
Article
Improving Engineering Design Using Smart Evaluation of Indoor Acoustical Climate of Dining Places
by Elzbieta Nowicka
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(5), 2700; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15052700 - 3 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 697
Abstract
The indoor acoustic climate of dining places often presents challenges for designers and their projects. In this type of enclosure, one of the fundamental factors determining the acoustic climate of a space is the acceptable speech reception in relation to sound alarm systems. [...] Read more.
The indoor acoustic climate of dining places often presents challenges for designers and their projects. In this type of enclosure, one of the fundamental factors determining the acoustic climate of a space is the acceptable speech reception in relation to sound alarm systems. This study discusses an index-based method for assessing the acoustic climate of dining places, such as restaurants and cafeterias, during the design process. These studies focused on the reverberation time and speech intelligibility as key parameters defining the acoustical climate. The analyses considered dining places (primarily restaurants) with different dimensions, geometries, and layouts. The method combines architectural parameters (such as volume or shape) and acoustical parameters (such as absorption or background sound) that influence the acoustical quality of dining places. The proposed method is assumed to provide a convenient evaluation of planned dining locations in terms of speech intelligibility. The method is based on the WR index parameter and serves as a functional tool for architects and designers in their initial drawings and when making design decisions. The method was verified using subjective assessments. Implementing this method provides possibilities to increase the comfort of restaurants and cafeterias and lower or avoid costs associated with improving the acoustic comfort of ready-to-use dining places. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Architectural Acoustics and Noise Control)
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17 pages, 2426 KiB  
Article
Research on the Performance, Measurement, and Influencing Factors of the Acoustic Environment in Hospital Buildings
by Xiao Lin and Chiung-Yao Chen
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(16), 7219; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14167219 - 16 Aug 2024
Viewed by 892
Abstract
In this study, the current noise situation in eight hospitals in central and northern Taiwan was investigated and analyzed. Recording equipment was utilized to measure environmental noise levels at the busiest points in the hospital lobby, specifically the pricing and medicine waiting areas. [...] Read more.
In this study, the current noise situation in eight hospitals in central and northern Taiwan was investigated and analyzed. Recording equipment was utilized to measure environmental noise levels at the busiest points in the hospital lobby, specifically the pricing and medicine waiting areas. Furthermore, the acoustic data of the recorded audio samples were analyzed to determine the psychoacoustic parameter, namely, loudness. Subsequently, correlation analysis was performed between the analyzed data spectrum and the subjective psychological noise value. Ultimately, it was found that the mid-frequency band (MF) had a greater impact on the subjects compared to the other two frequency bands. When comparing the correlation coefficient analysis with the prior factor analysis, the primary sources of intrusive noise affecting the subjects were identified. The mid-frequency band is predominantly attributed to footsteps and conversations, and the high-frequency band is predominantly attributed to broadcast sound. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Architectural Acoustics and Noise Control)
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15 pages, 4417 KiB  
Article
The Improvement in the Floor Impact Noise with Changes in the Glass Transition Temperature of an SBR Latex Mortar
by Chan-Hoon Haan, Won-Hak Lee and Chan-Jae Park
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(14), 6275; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14146275 - 18 Jul 2024
Viewed by 919
Abstract
It is most effective to reduce floor impact noise as close to the sound source as possible. In apartments, there are multiple layers in the floor system, from floor finishing to the structural concrete slab. Apart from the floor finishing, mortar lies at [...] Read more.
It is most effective to reduce floor impact noise as close to the sound source as possible. In apartments, there are multiple layers in the floor system, from floor finishing to the structural concrete slab. Apart from the floor finishing, mortar lies at the top layer of the floor system, followed by autoclaved lightweight concrete, insulation, and the concrete slab. The present study aims to identify the reduction characteristics of light and heavy floor impact noises by changing the glass transition temperature of an SBR (styrene–butadiene rubber) latex mortar. To achieve this, structural tests were undertaken to find the appropriate mix proportions of SBR latex in the mortar, meeting the glass transition temperature based on the physical test results regarding the latex mortar. As seen in the study method and process, because this study aimed to both increase and decrease the strength compared to general mortar, a 7% mixture ratio of Tg 4 °C SBR latex was decided upon for the strength increase, while a 5% mixture ratio of Tg −16 °C SBR latex was chosen for the strength reduction. A mock-up specimen was created using the SBR latex-modified mortar according to the identified mix proportions, and the characteristics of light- and heavy-weight floor impact noises of the SBR latex-modified mortar were then examined. Comprehensive analysis of the reduction performance of the floor impact noise revealed that the Tg −16 °C SBR latex-mixed mortar showed a reduction effect of about 2–5 dB for light-weight impact noise and about 7–10 dB for heavy-weight impact noise. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Architectural Acoustics and Noise Control)
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16 pages, 6475 KiB  
Article
Concert Halls as Nearly Adaptive Spaces
by Maria Cairoli and Sofia Agostinelli
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(8), 3250; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14083250 - 12 Apr 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1648
Abstract
Concert halls have led to increasingly complex spaces that cannot be thought of as static ‘containers’ anymore. This complexity makes them viable to be launched towards industry 4.0 and to be considered a function of the activities that they can provide during their [...] Read more.
Concert halls have led to increasingly complex spaces that cannot be thought of as static ‘containers’ anymore. This complexity makes them viable to be launched towards industry 4.0 and to be considered a function of the activities that they can provide during their life cycle. They are characterized by dynamic objects that contain sophisticated sub-systems and add to the capability to influence both environmental variables and user behavior. This article explains an adaptive concert hall at an early stage, in which a network of sensors that gather real-time data on environmental factors such as temperature, air humidity and air velocity are considered, focusing on their direct and indirect intercorrelations with the acoustic quantities to optimize the room acoustic response. The proposed methodology is controlled by a digital twin (DT) based on building information modeling (BIM), integrated with sensors, actuators, and acoustic measurements and algorithms. By analyzing the data, algorithms identify patterns, and an autonomous fine-tune setting is achieved, including the novelty for which a natural variable acoustic field becomes possible during a musical execution without the use of any electroacoustic system support. The hall becomes a natural active instrument to be included in the composer’s score. A case study is presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Architectural Acoustics and Noise Control)
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14 pages, 3661 KiB  
Article
Acoustic Simulations Applied to the Garden of Rufolo’s Villa in Ravello: Comparison between Different Scenarios
by Antonella Bevilacqua, Giovanni Amadasi, Gino Iannace and Amelia Trematerra
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(3), 1223; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14031223 - 1 Feb 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1015
Abstract
This manuscript treats the acoustic analysis of a garden located in Rufolo’s villa, south of Italy, which has already been studied to install some acoustic panels to improve the response across the seating area. After a campaign of acoustic measurements, acoustic simulations have [...] Read more.
This manuscript treats the acoustic analysis of a garden located in Rufolo’s villa, south of Italy, which has already been studied to install some acoustic panels to improve the response across the seating area. After a campaign of acoustic measurements, acoustic simulations have been conducted based on three specific scenarios, highlighting the effectiveness of a new acoustic shell (project C) over the existing conditions (project A) and option A shell (project B). The results coming from the simulations show that the values of the main acoustic parameters are significantly improved with the installation of a scientifically designed acoustic shell, to be closer to the optimal ranges. The comparison among different projects highlights that the acoustic response of the existing conditions is not optimal, and that a marginal improvement was found with the addition of vertical panels mounted at the perimeter of the stage in combination with suspended ceiling above the stage. This research study is addressed to potentially auralize the voice or sound of famous artists that would be performing within the new acoustic shell; furthermore, the outputs could even implement the website of the Rufolo’s villa for marketing purposes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Architectural Acoustics and Noise Control)
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18 pages, 10782 KiB  
Article
Digital Soundscape of the Roman Theatre of Gubbio: Acoustic Response from Its Original Shape
by Antonella Bevilacqua and Wladek Fuchs
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(22), 12097; https://doi.org/10.3390/app132212097 - 7 Nov 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1575
Abstract
The present work deals with the acoustic analysis of the Roman theatre of Gubbio, located in Italy, which has already been the subject of architectural studies. Using four specific scenarios, acoustic simulations were carried out to highlight the contributions of different architectural elements [...] Read more.
The present work deals with the acoustic analysis of the Roman theatre of Gubbio, located in Italy, which has already been the subject of architectural studies. Using four specific scenarios, acoustic simulations were carried out to highlight the contributions of different architectural elements to the acoustic response of this open-air theatre. The results were evaluated assuming that unamplified classical music and prose were the main functions of the space, as was the case in the past. The simulated results show that the values of the main acoustic parameters are closer to the optimal ranges borrowed from studies on enclosed theatres, since no criteria are available for Roman theatres. The comparison among different scenarios highlights the poor acoustic response of the existing conditions for a performing arts space. Some suggestions are presented regarding how the outcomes of this research study should be employed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Architectural Acoustics and Noise Control)
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