The acoustics guide
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1 What is acoustics? Acoustics is the science of audible sound. The word acoustics derives from the Greek “to make oneself heard”.

What is sound? Sound is pressure waves in the air. The ear interprets the variations in air pressure as sound. The sounds have different characteristics because of the difference in wavelength – they are defined as either short or long. Long sound waves Short sound waves Dark tones Light tones Reverberant time Reverberant time is one of the things one talks about when explaining the acoustics of a room. It is used to describe the ”echo effect” of a room. Smooth bare walls, floors, ceilings or other similar surfaces reflect the sound waves, and the sound bounces right back, causing a diffuse...

Sound is measured in decibel

2 The acoustic environment is important

2. The acoustic environment is important Every day, we are surrounded by sound. It can be the sound of fans, talking colleagues, ringtones, general scraping noises, the echoes of foot-steps or background music. In an office, the acoustic design of the room affects the staffs health and productivity. If we are subjected to a lot of noise, we get stressed out and fatigued. A bad acoustic environment in an office is often caused by a reverberant time that is too long in relation to the size and functionality of the room. The same problem can be found in a number of other environments as well,...

3 Acoustics terminology To create a good acoustic environment, it is crucial to understand these three terms within the field of acoustics:

Absorption Absorption means that the sound that hits a surface gets absorbed and transformed into heat. The sound energy is very small however, so it is impossible to detect the heat on the surface! A clothed acoustic screen absorbs sound – it ”eats it up” – thus creating a pleasant acoustic environment.

Diffusion Diffusion means that a sound hitting a surface ”shatters”, which helps one avoid unpleasant sound reflections – in other words echoes. Using diffusion is often a good compliment to absorption in the process of creating a good acoustic environment.

Attenuation Attenuation means that an object (for instance, a screen) shields off and lessens the sound level from one side of the object to the other. A good screen can attenuate the sound level with 10–15 dB between two work stations. Compare this to a wall, which normally attenuate 35 dB or more.

Our acoustics assortment range will be described using the following symbols:

4. Acoustics assortment range Floor screens Classic floor screens creates spatiality and solves acoustical problems. Our floor screens can be assembled into systems for an easy way to create a better acoustic environment at the work place. Screens are the perfect product for open office landscapes – with these you have the possibility to create smaller, separated work spaces. Table screens These work in the same way as floor screens, but are mounted to desks instead of the floor. Table screens are smaller than floor screens, and because of this they are not as efficient as floor screens....

4. Acoustics assortment range Hanging These absorbent work well as a free hanging solution on their own or as a compliment to other acoustic products. In situations in which traditional screens are not the optimal solution, either because of lack of space or other reasons, these hanging versions work excellently. Wall mounted Wall mounted absorbent are often a suitable option for environments in which traditional screens does not work. There are also times in which the acoustics needs a lot of work, and in those situations it is preferable to combine for instance floor screens with wall...

5 Room environments Different environments require different types of acoustic products.

Cafeteria/dining area Small silent rooms -n Lobby/entrance area

Activity based room

All of Abstracta’s products are listed at acousticfacts.com Acousticfacts.com is an initiative to raise the quality with which interior design companies account for acoustic properties on their products, so that a correct and factual comparison between two different products can be done directly. This is a guarantee for you as a costumer that all technical data are correct and they fulfil international, European and Swedish standards. If you want to know more about the acoustic data of our products, please visit www.acousticfacts.com. We collaborate with SP regarding tests on stability,...

The register below lists Abstracters products, their acoustic properties and in which versions they are available.