It is common in building projects that new materials and constructions are being proposed by architects and interior designers. In many cases, the acoustic performance of these materials is unknown and has to be predicted. Besides, when developing new products or building systems we use prediction tools, before testing products in the laboratory or in-situ.
During our consultancy work, various acoustic models are used to predict the acoustical behavior of materials, rooms and buildings. These consist of existing software packages and our own calculation models developed for specific applications. Some of the calculation models developed by Level Acoustics & Vibration are distributed by our subsidiary Level Tools.
Some of the prediction models we use are listed below.
Sound insulation of materials
We can estimate the sound insulation of various types of materials and constructions with the program Bassist (formerly known as BASlab).
Sound insulation between rooms
We can estimate the sound transmission from room to room using the program BASluco (in future part of Bassist) and SoViST (Sound and Vibration Steel Timber).
Sound transfer via building junctions
Sound and vibrations are transferred via building junctions such as the floor-floor, wall-floor and wall-wall connections. FEM modelling in ANSYS is used to calculate the transfer of sound and vibrations via building junctions. Moreover, Level A&V has a tailor-made FEM core for this very purpose, named Cellist, that discretizes structures in rectangularly meshed plates and beam elements. Cellist is entirely written in MATLAB®, allowing us to adapt (and expand) it’s pre-processing, processing and post-processing routines to the project’s requirements.
Sound absorption of materials
We can estimate the sound absorption of materials using the program WINFLAG and BASabs.
Room acoustical predictions of rooms
For detailed analyses of rooms acoustics the programs CATT Acoustics and Treble are used. These programs are based on image source modeling and ray tracing in a geometric model of the room, for Treble complemented by wave-based modelling for the low frequencies. Auralisations give an impression of the end-result.
Ventilation noise
The noise caused by air handling systems is calculated via our own implementation of the calculation model based on the Dutch ISSO-publicatie 24 Installatiegeluid.
Noise emission
For calculations of noise emission to the environment (such traffic noise, music and equipment noise) we use the software package Geomilieu.
