The acoustic comfort of dining rooms

Whether it comes to a canteen (in a school, a university, an administration, a company) where one wants to take a break and get one’s strength back, or whether it comes to an establishment selected to share a moment of conviviality (e.g. with family, with friends) or to have a business discussion (in a professional context) while having a meal there: the acoustic comfort of the dining rooms must not be neglected.

In the first case, the acoustic comfort is necessary to regenerate oneself and to be able to exchange validly with comrades, colleagues; in the second case it is essential for a moment of relaxation and proximity to keep all its promises; in the latter case, it is obligatory to get along.

It is therefore necessary to ensure that the dining rooms are always spaces within which the amplification of sound levels (due to the reflection of acoustic waves on the walls: floor, walls, roofing) is limited to an acceptable level, to avoid excessive noise increases.

For this, the implementation of materials sufficiently absorbing sound (especially at medium and high frequencies i.e. in the octave bands centered on 500 Hz and 1000 Hz, corresponding to the human voice) should be considered.

Depending on their sound absorption coefficient (which can reach 100%), a greater or lesser quantity of materials must be used to limit the phenomenon of reverberation, the importance of which increases with the volume of the dining room.

Such materials can be installed in the form of ceiling slabs and other suspended elements, in the form of wall cladding or in the form of screens, which then also participate in the limitation of the propagation of noise in the restaurant.

There is something for everyone (in terms of decoration) and for all budgets ; the experience acquired by the human resource of ITS in this field allows to make the right choices in terms of selection of materials (taking into account their acoustic properties, but also considering all the other technical aspects that must be taken into account), definition of implementation modalities and determination of quantities with respect to the objectives of each project.

Several performance indicators are to be considered in relation to the acoustic comfort of restaurant rooms:

• the reverberation time i.e. the duration (in general: expressed in seconds), required for the sound level existing in a room to decrease by 60 dB when the noise source is instantly interrupted
• the spatial decay rate slope (expressed in decibels) of the spatial sound decay curve in a given distance range, when the distance to the source doubles

An on-site diagnosis, based on reverberation time measurements / spatial sound decay rate using an electro-acoustic equipment, is appropriate for the analysis of the situation in relation to the applicable criteria and for optimizing the works in terms of acoustic correction of the restaurant rooms.

ITS can improve the acoustical comfort of dining rooms, whether it is the construction of an establishment or its renovation.

An in-depth study, conducted by a specialized and experienced human resource, allows meticulous consideration of all the contextual elements necessary for the success of such projects:

• the calculations and sizing carried out with reliable and precise simulation tools establish the confidence that can be placed in the resulting opinions and recommendations, which are formulated by an acoustic engineer, graduated in building physics
• the careful selection of products and constructive systems with proven technical characteristics are the basis for the precise pricing of the implementation of suitable and safe progress paths
• the installation by a highly qualified workforce, with the love of a job well done, advised by the ITS design office, guarantees the achievement of objectives and the respect of deadlines

The acoustic comfort of restaurant rooms, as obtained when ITS is called upon, is in line with its slogan "Choice soundscapes, everywhere".