- Sound baffle
A sound baffle is a construction or device which reduces the strength (level) of
airborne sound . Sound baffles are a fundamental tool ofnoise mitigation , the practice of minimizingnoise pollution orreverberation . An important type of sound baffle is thenoise barrier constructed alonghighways to reduce sound levels at properties in the vicinity. Sound baffles are also applied to walls and ceilings in building interiors to absorb sound energy and thus lessenreverberation .Highway noise barriers
The technology for accurate prediction of the effects of
noise barrier design using acomputer model to analyzeroadway noise has been available since the early 1970s. The earliest published scientific design of a noise barrier may have occurred inSanta Clara County ,California in 1970, for a section of theFoothill Expressway inLos Altos, California . The county used a state-of-the-artcomputer model for predicting the effects of sound propagation fromroadways , with variables consisting ofvehicle speed ,truck mix,roadway surface type, roadwaygeometric s, micro-meteorology and the design of proposedsoundwalls .Interior sound baffle design
Since the early 1900s scientists have been aware of the utility of certain types of interior coatings or baffles to improve the
acoustics ofconcert halls ,theaters ,conference rooms and other spaces where the quality of sound is important. By the mid 1950sBolt, Beranek and Newman and a few other U.S. research organizations were developing technology to address the design challenges. This design field draws on several disciplines includingacoustical science ,computer modeling ,architecture andmaterials science . Sound baffles are also used inspeaker cabinets to absorbenergy from the pressure created by the speakers thus reducing cabinetresonance . In 1973, Pearl P. Randolph, aschool bus driver inVirginia , won a new school bus in a national contest held byWayne Corporation for the suggestion that sound baffles be installed in the ceiling ofschool buses . In 1981, they were first made mandatory by thestate of California .Vehicle exhaust sound baffles
Baffles are also found in the exhaust pipes of vehicles, particularly motorcycles.
ee also
*
Architectural acoustics
*Muffler
*Noise pollution
*Noise barrier
*Noise health effects
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