Comparison between Predictive and Measurement Methods of Speech Intelligibility for Educational Rooms of Different Sizes with and without HVAC Systems

Samantha Di Loreto (), Fabio Serpilli, Valter Lori and Costanzo Di Perna
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Samantha Di Loreto: Department of Industrial Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Brecce Bianche 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy
Fabio Serpilli: Department of Industrial Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Brecce Bianche 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy
Valter Lori: Department of Industrial Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Brecce Bianche 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy
Costanzo Di Perna: Department of Industrial Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Brecce Bianche 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 6, 1-17

Abstract: Heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems represent one of the main noise sources inside classrooms. This explain why HVAC systems require careful design, competent installation and balancing, and regular maintenance. Many factors influence the classroom acoustical design, such as air handlers or fans, the velocity of air inside the classroom, as well as the size and acoustical treatment of ducts, returns, and diffusers. Acoustic parameters, including background-noise levels, reverberation time, and intelligibility, were analyzed in 17 classrooms at the Università Politecnica in the Marche region. The study of intelligibility was performed by measuring the objective parameters in situ and using prediction methods to determine the intelligibility score. The relationship between speech intelligibility measurements and speech intelligibility calculation has been studied. The relationship between the STI values with the background-noise levels and the reverberation time was also studied. This research shows that a comparison between predictive methods and measurement methods results in speech intelligibility for classrooms of different sizes with and without HVAC systems. The current method of calculating the voice transmission index (STI), proposed by national and international standards, has been used to determine speech intelligibility scores in classrooms. The results show that the calculation tool has computational robustness allowing its use in preliminary evaluations of speech intelligibility, design of the optimal type of school buildings, and sound amplification systems in classrooms that comply with Italian regulations.

Keywords: intelligibility; acoustic measurements; acoustic comfort; speech transmission index (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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