In October 2016, Saint-Gobain presented on the Russian market a comprehensive ECOPHON solution for creating a favorable acoustic environment in various types of educational institutions: classrooms, auditoriums, assembly and sports halls, canteens, corridors, workshops, laboratories and locker rooms.
The integrated solution ECOPHON is developed in accordance with the concept of Activity Based Acoustic Design, based on the relationship between the acoustic environment in a room and the type of activity carried out in it. For schools, this means that three main factors are taken into account when developing the acoustic design of a specific project: the characteristics of the room itself, the number and age of teachers and students who will study in it, and the purpose of the room itself.
When choosing acoustic materials, architects and designers can use a library of BIM objects: ECOPHON products are presented in the form of digital models for working in Revit and ArchiCAD programs. The Revit Object Library contains ECOPHON objects and typical assemblies for various design situations.
Basic solution from ECOPHON
In classrooms and auditoriums, a combination of Master Rigid and Gedina sound-absorbing ceiling panels with the unique Extra Bass low-frequency sound wave absorber is recommended. Such modules are mounted around the perimeter of the room (behind Master Rigid or Gedina ceiling panels). In this case, the area of the low-frequency sound absorber must be at least 50% of the area of the class. In addition, wall sound-absorbing panels can be installed additionally in classrooms. They are mounted on the end wall opposite the chalkboard (if no cabinets or racks are installed in front of it), and on the longitudinal wall of the classroom opposite the windows. In large classrooms, it is recommended to place sound-reflecting panels above the teacher's seat, which enhance the speaker's speech.
Sound-absorbing panels with impact-resistant Master Rigid XL format are offered for corridors and recreation. The increased dimensions allow for quick installation of the system in walk-through areas.
In sports halls, Super G panels are used to withstand the frequent impacts of sports equipment such as a soccer ball. The same impact resistant panels are recommended for use in changing rooms in conjunction with moisture resistant Hygiene Performance acoustic panels.
The combination of Hygiene Advance, Hygiene Performance and Hygiene Foodtec is recommended for acoustic finishing of dining rooms and kitchens, that is, where intensive wet cleaning with the use of detergents and disinfectants is required.
Objective evidence
Numerous scientific studies confirm the influence of acoustics on the effectiveness of teaching and the health of teachers. Sound waves bounce off the hard surfaces of walls, ceilings and floors repeatedly and chaotically, creating background noise that impairs hearing and speech intelligibility. Pupils miss important points of explanation, get distracted from the topic of the lesson, lose interest in learning and begin to talk with each other. Teachers have to speak louder to be heard, so the noise level rises and the learning efficiency declines. The tension of the vocal cords provokes sore throats in teachers, and a high level of stress negatively affects their well-being and condition in general.
According to the American Acoustic Society, an increase in background noise by 10 dB leads to a decrease in the level of information assimilation by an average of 5-7%. However, the Speech, Language and Hearing Association analyzed numerous medical reports and found that teachers are 32 times more likely to experience vocal cord problems than people in other professions.
Good acoustics literally helps children learn. German studies have found that in a favorable acoustic environment, the perception of oral information by schoolchildren increases by 25%. Children are more likely to work in groups in such an environment, while the noise level in classrooms with sound-absorbing finishes is reduced by 13 dB. Where classes are focused on monologue (the teacher speaks, the students listen), this figure is 10 dB (research results from Heriot-Watt University, UK, and the University of Bremen, Germany).
Visual effect
ECOPHON acoustic systems allow you to quickly update the interiors of classrooms. Installation of sound-absorbing suspended ceilings is carried out dry and, in fact, is not associated with large-scale renovation work. Colored panels (9 standard colors or any shade to order) and products with factory-applied graphic images allow you to create an interesting interior composition.
After the installation of sound-absorbing ceilings in the classrooms, it becomes brighter: ECOPHON acoustic materials reflect and scatter daylight (out of 85% of reflected sunlight, 99% is scattered). At the same time, the energy consumption for artificial lighting is reduced by up to 50%.
ABOUT SAINT GOBUIN
Saint-Gobain is an international industrial group headquartered in Paris that develops, manufactures and markets high quality building materials and innovative solutions that improve the lives of everyone and society as a whole. Saint-Gobain products can be found in homes, offices, transport, infrastructure, etc. Saint-Gobain CIS has 8 operating factories in this region, as well as a research center in Yegoryevsk.
The world leader in creating comfortable spaces In 2015, Saint-Gobain's SALES were 39.6 billion euros. The group has offices in 66 countries around the world. The company employs over 170,000 employees.
www.saint-gobain.com
