Noise propagation in open‐plan space with barriers

Open‐plan spaces have, in general, the distance between the floor and the ceiling much smaller to the other dimensions. This feature permits modeling sound propagation using the image source method, considering only reflection on the ceiling and the floor, which are represented by two infinite parallel planes. This paper presents some results of a computation simulation developed to represent this model. The computation program calculates the sound pressure level and the insertion loss in an open‐plan space in the presence of a barrier and of a belt of absorbing material placed to the ceiling over the barrier and permits simulation of the conditions of a test method specific of open‐plan spaces, the ASTM‐Designation E 1111 (Standard Test Method for Measuring the Interzone Attenuation of Ceiling Systems). The results show the existence of points of weak insertion loss in the shadow zone and that a belt of absorbing material on the ceiling permits the increase of the barrier efficiency. For validation of th...