Analysis of composite walls for short path propagation modeling

For short propagation paths, such as those found in indoor and microcellular environments, correctly representing the reflections of electromagnetic energy from the surfaces is critical for accurate prediction signal characteristics. The method of homogenization is used to determine the effective material properties of composite material commonly used in construction. The reflection and transmission coefficients for block walls and other types of materials calculated with these homogenized effective material properties are presented. The importance of accurately representing the reflections for signal level prediction models is also investigated. It is shown that a 5 to 10 dB error in the received power can occur if the composite walls are not handled appropriately.