Acoustic effectiveness of pulpit reflector in churches

• Type: Article in International Conference Proceedings Book
• Date: 2001

Authors

Victor Desarnaulds (Author) Other; P. Chauvin (Author) Other; A. P. Carvalho (Author) FEUP

Conference proceedings International

Title: Proceedings of the 17th International Congress on Acoustics

17th ICA

Roma, Itália, 2 a 7 de Setembro de 2001

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology > Civil engineering

CORDIS: Physical sciences > Physics > Acoustics

Other information

Abstract (EN): Since the 12th century, pulpits and pulpit reflectors (canopies) were widely used in churches. This paper studies the acoustic effectiveness of such devices based on in site measurements (STI and D50) in four (unoccupied) churches with pulpits with and without the canopy. The pulpit reflector can remove the late reflection resulting from a high ceiling and makes possible to improve the listening conditions at medium distance from the pulpit. The pulpit reflector effectiveness decreases and becomes even unfavourable when the height of the ceiling drops (h < 10 m) and when the distance to the speaker increases. The absolute variations of speech intelligibility ratings are generally rather weak (average STI variation from +0.01 to -0.03), but can increase in the presence of an assembly.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 2