Abstract
THE acoustics of buildings is a subject which has always possessed importance, but with the increasing size of public buildings and the congestion of our urban populations, it has assumed much greater importance in recent decades. Though a good deal has been written on this subject, there are few books which present the problems to be solved in a lay form suitable for those not possessed of scientific attainments. Prof. Watson has succeeded in producing a volume which should prove of great value to architects concerned with the design or acoustic improvement of auditoriums, and has incorporated a number of his own researches. The volume is divided into three parts, a short introductory chapter on the principles of sound transmission scarcely deserving of a main separation, the acoustics of auditoriums, and the sound-proofing of buildings. In part 2, after explaining the behaviour of sound in a room, the nature and control of reverberation, the successful design of an auditorium and sound absorption are discussed, followed by a very interesting chapter on practical examples from existing buildings. Part 3 gives a number of experimental tests on materials by the author and others, followed by examples of sound-proofing rooms and buildings, and a special chapter on ventilation in reference to sound, while vibrations in buildings are shortly dealt with. The work is a successful attempt to bring the investigations of science to the aid of the artist and technician.
Acoustics of Buildings: including Acoustics of Auditoriums and Sound-proofing of Rooms.
Prof.
F. R.
Watson
By. Pp. viii + 155. (New York: J. Wiley and Sons, Inc.; London: Chapman and Hall, Ltd., 1923.) 15s. net.
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Acoustics of Buildings: including Acoustics of Auditoriums and Sound-proofing of Rooms. Nature 114, 85 (1924). https://doi.org/10.1038/114085b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/114085b0