This is where mathematical modeling methods come to the rescue, and the study itself can be termed numerical analysis or simulation.

In building acoustics, various modeling methods are applied, which represent actual physical phenomena with varying degrees of accuracy. They allow for the analysis of noise and vibration transmission through partitions, sound propagation and absorption within an interior, as well as its distribution around the building and beyond the property boundaries.

The Sabine Model

One of the most well-known methods for calculating sound absorption in a room is the Wallace Sabine model, developed at the end of the 19th century. The formula used establishes a relationship between the total absorption of all surfaces, the volume of the room, and the RT60 parameter (reverberation time), which represents the decay time of a sound by exactly 60 dB after its emission ceases. Based on the Sabine method and the target reverberation time values, it is possible to select the type of acoustic absorbers and the required quantity (in square meters) to be introduced into the interior.

Simple, Yet Relatively Narrow in Scope of Application

Reverberation time is predicted correctly only in cases of acoustic absorbers with a low absorption coefficient, distributed evenly across the surfaces of the room under analysis. Furthermore, it does not allow for determining the optimal placement and shape of the absorbers, or estimating the influence of standing waves. This method also fails to calculate the acoustic pressure distribution or parameters related to speech intelligibility.