Presenters
Dr. Robert D. Celmer, P.E.
Dr. Michelle C. Vigeant
University of Hartford

Description
Part 1 – Classroom Activity Noise
The ANSI standard for schools (S12.60-2002), gives specific room acoustic performance criteria, including appropriate background noise levels. However, the background noise criteria does not address sound generated by classroom occupants. This talk describes a study that was undertaken to quantify activity noise levels within classrooms. A comparison of the average overall dBA and spectral results and their implications for the standard will be discussed.

Part 2 – Listener Envelopment and Late Lateral Sound Level
Listener envelopment, the sense of being immersed in the sound field, has been shown to correlate with the objective parameter late lateral sound level (GLL). A study was carried out to investigate if GLL is related to the total acoustic absorption in a hall. The presentation will include a discussion about a detailed room acoustics computer model of a hall and validated using the measurements. In addition, a discussion of the model’s accuracy in terms of its predicted GLL values and an evaluation of the proposed relationship between GLL and total acoustic absorption will also be included.