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MEMTECH |
illbruck-sonex noise
control |
architectural l
broadcast / audio |
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SONEXvalueline™ Baffles Improve Communication
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Even before she reached for the phone, the woman working the customer service counter at the Tweed-New Haven Airport knew the announcement she was about to make would not be heard. Like most airports, this one suffered from enormous reverberation problems. She might be speaking clearly, but the public address system turned her words into a confusing, unintelligible soup. The acoustic problem dated back to the building's original design. Built as an airplane hanger, the 229,000 cubic foot space that is now the airport's terminal was never intended to be acoustically friendly. Every surface seemed to exacerbate reverberation – reflective glass block walls, vinyl-covered concrete flooring and a steel ceiling. To make matters worse, these hard surfaces were parallel to each other, which allowed sound to bounce freely from wall to wall and ceiling to floor with minimal diffusion. |
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The noise problems did not go unnoticed, says Airport Manager Susan Lewis. "I received complaints from the airlines, rental car agencies, food concessionaires and passengers," she says. "No one could understand the announcements." It was clear something had to be done
An illbruck representative was called in to solve the noise problem. After considering several options, illbruck recommended SONEXvalueline™ baffles. Made from Class 1 fire-rated willtec® foam, the baffles were a safe, affordable choice for the small airport.
Three hundred and fifty baffles were hung from the ceiling, providing significantly better sound absorption than acoustic treatments attached to the wall or ceiling because they could absorb sound on all sides.
Upon completion of the project, illbruck conducted a follow-up RT60 test to determine the final effectiveness of the solution. The baffles lowered the reverberation time to 1.8 seconds, which was a full 10% better than the design target. Airport employees and travelers were equally pleased with the results. "People have commented on how nice it is to finally be able to understand the public address announcements," Lewis says. "I've also heard many people say that they think the baffles enhance the look of the facility, too."
illbruck manufactures a broad range of attractive acoustical ceiling tiles, wall panels, baffles, and other noise control products for commercial and industrial applications, including: SQUARELINE® Metal Ceiling Tiles, HARMONI™ and WHITELINE™ Ceiling Tiles, CONTOUR® Wall and Ceiling Tiles, FABRITEC™ Wall Panels, SONEX® Wall Panels and Baffles, and PROSPEC® Barriers and Composites.
For more information contact:
salesinfo@memtechacoustical.com
Memtech
Incorporated,
9033 General Drive, Plymouth, MI 48170
Phone: 1-800-634-4471 or +1 (734) 455-8550
Fax: 1-800-634-4472 or +1 (734) 455-8552
Email:
salesinfo@memtechacoustical.com
