Abstract :
Indoor noise is mainly caused by road and railway traffic, especially in summer time due to open windows. The presence of absorbent ceilings can help to reduce reverberating noise and the global mean acoustic level. The aim of this work is to define an index to evaluate the indoor noise reduction index (NRI) with open window; it is a function of the acoustic absorption coefficient of the room ceiling. It is evaluated by measurements in two reverberating rooms, which simulate the real conditions. In the emission room a noise source reproduces the road and railway noise. In the receiving room a microphone measures the noise level and its spectrum; the ceiling is treated with different absorption materials. A comparison between the values in absence and in presence of different materials and an evaluation of NRI are carried out. Experimental results are generalised and a theoretical expression of NRI is given.
