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Rock music really is getting louder and record companies are using digital technology to turn the volume on CDs up! Sound levels are being artificially enhanced so that the music punches through when it competes against background noise in pubs or cars. Read more here!
Scientists from the University of Sheffield in United Kingdom suggest there is a link between an area's daytime noise levels and the number of birds singing at night. Read more here!
"Sound design of open plan offices” is a Nordic research project that started 2006 and will be finished 2008. The project is partly financed by the Nordic Innovation Centre and has delegates from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The aim of the project is to identify acoustical parameters with relevance for the acoustical conditions in open-plan offices. So far, measurements has been carried out in five offices, two in Sweden and one each in Denmark, Finland and Norway. The staff in these offices has also respond to a questionnaire that reflects the present acoustical environment. Next step will be acoustical improvement of some of the offices followed up by measurements and a new round with the questionnaires.
For more information contact: Erling Nilsson
Many acousticians and researchers will gather at one or more of the bigger acoustic conferences this summer. Noise at work will be in Lille, France, Spain will have the ICA conference in Madrid and ISRA in Sevilla. Ecophon will present several papers during the conferences. Some of the abstracts can already be accessed:
Noise at Work:
Marc Janssen - room acoustic interventions at a Thorax ICU
Pierre Chigot - Alternative room acoustic descriptors for open plan offices - progression in standardization
ICA:
Markus Oberdörster - "Modern teaching" needs modern conditions – room acoustics as and ergonomic factor
Carsten Svensson - Duth Practical Guideline NPR 3438 - Ergonomics - Noise at the workplace
Pierre Chigot - Alternative room acoustic descriptors for open plan offices - progression in standardization
ISRA:
Erling Nilsson - Sound decay and steady-state level in rooms with absorbent ceiling treatment
Nils-Åke Andersson - Classroom acoustics measurement and evaluation">
Sound levels in Health care premises have increased dramatically over the years, negatively affecting patient recovery as well as staff performance. Ecophon has recently published a knowlegde booklet on the sound envrionment in Healthcare premises, called Care about Sound. It describes the current noisy situation, lists relevant research and demonstrates through cases how well planned sound environments benefit the patient care in the end. Starting with an international version in English, other languages are planned to follow later this year.
To order a copy please contact your local Ecophon representative
