Themes

Architectural and building acoustics is concerned with improving the sound in rooms: we might want to reduce the background noise in a recording studio; improve the design of a public address system to make speech more intelligible, or put acoustic treatments on walls to make music in a concert hall sound better. We carry out research into new methods for measuring and predicting how sound moves within rooms and buildings. Another key element is measuring peoples’ responses to sound so we can understand what people want from a room design. This enables us to develop innovative ways to design rooms and building elements.

• Acoustic diffusers for performance spaces
• Database of scattering from room surfaces
• Diffusion and scattering coefficients for room surfaces
• Acoustic materials for high quality listening and performance spaces
• Diffuse screened rooms using pseudorandom phase reflection gratings
• Turning Schroeder diffusers into room acoustic absorbers
• Measurement of rooms using naturalistic signals
• Concert hall acoustics exhibition
• Predicting the sound insulation of metal cladding
• Improving stage acoustics for musicians
• Acoustics of small critical listening spaces
• Adaptive beam tracing for room prediction
• The application of virtual reality in the teaching of acoustics
• Enable Network (Built Environment Research Network)
• Computer modelling of the acoustics of enclosed spaces
• Absorption of theatre seating

Contact: t.j.cox@salford.ac.uk 

• The Positive Soundscape project
• Methods for assessment of low frequency noise
• Policy applications of soundscapes
• Uncertainty in environmental noise monitoring
• EPSRC Ideas Factory, A noisy future?
• Sustainable acoustics in 24 hour cities
• Noise from pubs and clubs
• Wind turbine noise
• Hearing loss in the built environment: The experience of the elderly
• Reduction of aircraft noise by nacelle treatment and active control (RANNTAC)
• http://www.acoustics.salford.ac.uk/schoolsCalibration laboratory
• Sound quality assessment

Contact: a.t.moorhouse@salford.ac.uk 

The propagation of sound outdoors has a direct impact on the quality of life in the built and human environment. The intermingling of human activities in modern cities creates a constant conflict between the desire for soundscape quality and the need for transport and commercial activities that make noise. Even in semi-rural areas, distant noise from sources such as motorways can ruin tranquillity. To allow us to control sound outdoors, we first need to be able to understand and predict how sound propagates and interacts with the environment.

We are particularly interested in the effect of changing and turbulent atmosphere on sound. We have a world-class measurement capability, for instance we conducted a world first field trial of sound propagation with simultaneous and detailed measurements of range dependent wind conditions using LIDAR and SODAR. We have a long track record of developing methods for predicting sound propagation, for example we supply the software to QinetiQ Ltd. to use in their helicopter noise prediction model.

We also exploit this knowledge to allow us to monitor meteorological conditions using sound. Acoustic remote sensing (SODAR and RASS) technology allows us to explore issues such as air quality and wind farm siting.

• Correlation techniques for the study of outdoor noise propagation
• Meteorological conditions and their influences on outdoor sound propagation
• Outdoor sound propagation
• Acoustic Signature Control: Enhancement of HELIACT Fast Propagation Module
• A Fast Fortran Module for Sound Propagation and Related Meteorology Prediction
• Research into the influence of atmospheric conditions on the propagation of sound - simulation of sonic profiles
• Monitoring of Aircraft Wake Vortices
• UpWind
• WInd energy Sodar Evaluation (WISE)
• Sound Speed Profile Structure and Variability
• Distributed acoustic array for Antarctic research
• Wind-generated sound from complex objects
• Acoustic tomography of wind and temperature fields
• The inverse problem in acoustic profiling

Our research covers both fundamental and applied work and is funded by research councils, EU and industrial support. For more information contact: y.w.lam@salford.ac.uk

• Active room acoustic diffusers
• Development and perception of spatial sound reproduction systems
• Musical acoustics
• Clean audio project - surround sound quality
• British Council Real UK Project
• Carbon fibre composite for the audio industry
• Active Shielding -An Innovation Based on the Differential Potential Method
• Processing for binaural and multi-media communications
• Real time visual displays in voice department
• DML loudspeakers in arrays
• Audio signal processing

Contact: b.g.shirley@salford.ac.uk