TABLE OF CONTENTS Each person relates to sound in a unique way that depends not only on the individual's perception but also on the context of the sound. Audiences seek the best sound quality available. Those outside the audience often find that other people's sound is noise. Thus there is a need for quality sound as well as for isolation from another sound. A general introduction to the concepts is given in this section.
As with other engineering applications, the objective is to assess the potential acoustical problems in advance and engineer accordingly. Acoustical solutions that are applied after the fact are compromises at best, limited mostly by cost. Doing the job right the first time is less expensive and avoids loss of revenue during retrofit. For example, selecting the correct floor construction for preventing sound from traveling to an adjacent floor will avoid the difficult application of sound-barrier construction to the floor or ceiling soon after the building has been commissioned.
This section serves as a useful introduction to architectural acoustics, encouraging further reading. For those who do not require extensive knowledge in this field, this section will help communication with architects, engineers, and acoustical consultants.
If assistance is needed in acoustical design, various resources are available. Sales representatives for building materials may be able to help, but one should be prepared for narrow and occasionally inappropriate advice on...
