Acoustics for thermally activated building systems

Cooling a room with a chilled ceiling combined with Ecophon Solo. The red and blue arrows represent natural convection and the curled arrows represent radiation.

Thermal comfort

Thermal performance is increasingly taken into consideration in the programming and design of office buildings. Many of these offices are using the thermal capacity of the structure mass to provide thermal comfort - they are using thermally activated building systems (TABS), also known as concrete core activation (CCA). This technique provides stable thermal conditions and is expected to be energy efficient in the long term. The thermal issues require much of the structure (typically concrete) to remain exposed to the room environment.

Acoustics

The use of free-hanging units provides flexibility and a multitude of acoustical solutions to acoustical design. Free-hanging units can be an efficient way to add absorption to a room.

In premises where, for various reasons, an overall ceiling cannot be used, e.g. where temperature is regulated via concrete slabs or where there are large areas of glass, absorbent islands offer an efficient way of creating a good acoustic environment. Absorbent islands can be designed as horizontally suspended units or for use as baffles.

Nevertheless, acoustically a complete wall-to-wall ceiling is generally a better solution than free-hanging units. This is especially emphasized at low frequencies.

Knowledge Guides

Our experience in this field dates back to the beginning of 2000 following frequent use of these techniques in continental Europe. This experience and the result of various tests we have conducted are summarized in our Knowledge Guides on acoustics and thermally activated building systems respectively. (See the right hand column for pdf download)

There is no real conflict between acoustics and thermal performance in buildings using free-hanging units. A coverage of 60% with sufficient distance between panels and appropriate mounting depth will secure both acoustic performance and thermal efficiency. Some general statements are summarized in the table below.

Covering with acoustic ceiling	No ceiling(exposed structure)	30% covering	60% covering	100% wall to wall ceiling
Acoustic performance	N/A	Weak acoustic solution. Requires acoustic wall panels.	Works in most cases. Acoustic wall panels are a useful complement.	Optimal
Thermal efficiency	Optimal	Works in most cases	Limited influence on thermal efficiency	N/A
Ecophon statement	N/A	Unsecure. Too little absorption	Optimal. Works well, acoustic wall panels are recommended.	N/A

N/A: Not Applicable

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Installation Guides

E-tools

Coshh Data

Quality Standards

Colours and Surfaces

Maintenance Guide

Sound Education

Ecophon and Sound Education – "view the resources from our international series of seminars on classroom acoustics". This is already a stimulating debate about a major issue which until now has been largely ignored.

Essex Study - watch the video

Watch this video to hear and see for yourself the difference good acoustic treatment has made to the staff and students at an English school.

Towards a better environment

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Please contact us for prices & availability on 01256 850977

RIBA Approved CPD Seminars

CPD subjects include Acoustic Comfort, Design Solutions, Education, Healthcare and Clean Industry. To book a CPD seminar please call 01256 850977 and ask for an Architectural Advisor.

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