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This paper aims to characterize and develop a new ecological lightweight concrete reinforced by addition of palm plant fibers (from vegetal waste) to be used in the thermal and acoustical insulation of local constructions. The date palm plant fibers are characterized by their low sensitivity to chemical reactions, low cost and large availability in local regions. Therefore, the newly obtained lightweight concrete may suggest a great interest, as it seems to be able to achieve good solutions for local construction problems, technically, economically and ecologically.

The experimental program focused on developing the composition of palm-fiber-reinforced concrete, by studying the effect of the length of the fibers (10, 20, 30 and 40 mm) and their mass percentage (0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2%), on the mechanical and acoustical properties of the composite. The main measured parameters were the compressive strength and flexural strength, sound absorption coefficient, noise reduction coefficient (NRC), etc. These tests were also borne out by the measure of density and water absorption, as well as microstructure analyses. To fully appreciate the behavior of the material, visualizations under optical microscope and scanning electron microscope analyses were carried out.

The addition of plant fibers to concrete made it possible to formulate a new lightweight concrete having interesting properties. The addition of date palm fibers significantly decreased the density of the concrete and consequently reduced its mechanical strength, particularly in compression. Acceptable compressive strength values were possible, according to the fibers content, while better values have been obtained in flexion. On the other hand, good acoustical performances were obtained: a considerable increase in the sound absorption coefficient and the NRC was recorded, according to the content and length of fibers. Even the rheological behavior has been improved with the addition of fibers, but with short fibers only.

Over the recent decades, many studies have attempted to search for more sustainable and environmentally friendly building materials. Therefore, this work aims to study the possibility of using waste from date palm trees as fibers in concrete instead of the conventionally used fibers. Although many researches have already been conducted on the effect of palm plant fibers on the mechanical/physical properties of concrete, no information is available neither on the formulation of this type of concrete nor on its acoustical properties. Indeed, due to the scarcity of raw materials and the excessive consumption of energy, the trend of plant fibers as resources, which are natural and renewable, is very attractive. It is therefore a major recycling project of waste and recovery of local materials.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the acoustic properties of needle-punched nonwovens produced of bamboo, banana and hemp fibers blended with polyester (PET) and polypropylene (PP) as they are supportive enough to minimize sound transmission inside the automobiles.

Textile materials like bamboo, banana and hemp blended with PET and PP in the ratio of 35:35:30 were applied to make the web. The needle-punching technique was applied to each web for three times to form a full nonwoven textile composite. The concept of PET/PP blend with natural fibers was to enhance the consistency and thermoform propensity of the composites. When nonwoven textile composites were placed in between a sound source and a receiver, they absorbed annoying sound by dissolving sound wave energy. Sound absorption coefficient was measured by the impedance tube method as per ASTM C384 Standard. Bamboo/PET/PP composite showed the highest absorption coefficient in most of the frequencies.

Physical and comfort properties were tested for the composites and it was noticed that bamboo/PET/PP composites with its compressed structure showed a better stiffness value, lesser thermal conductivity, lesser air permeability, better absorption coefficient and highest sound transmission loss compared to other two composites. At 840 Hz, the absorption coefficient of bamboo/PET/PP remained in satisfactory level but it was inferior by 20 percent in banana/PET/PP. Conversely at more frequencies like 1,680 Hz, there was a decrease from the target level in all the nonwovens composites, which could be enhanced by raising the thickness of the nonwovens, and all these properties of bamboo/PET/PP were considered appropriate for controlling noise inside the vehicles.

This research will provide facilities to decrease noise inside the vehicles. It will improve the apparent value of the automobiles to the traveler and also provide a sensible goodwill to the manufacturer.

This research will open several ways for the development of different nonwoven composites, particularly for the sound absorption and will open possible ways for the scholars to further study in this field.

This paper aims to study the design and characterization of a 3D printed tetrakaidecahedron cell-based acoustic metamaterial. At present, the mitigation of low-frequency noise involves the utilization of spatially demanding materials for the absorption of sound. These materials lack the ability for targeted frequency control adjustments. Hence, there is a requirement for an approach that can effectively manage low-frequency noise using lightweight and durable materials.

The CAD model was created in SolidWorks and was manufactured using the Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D printing technique. Experimental study and numerical simulations examined the metamaterial’s acoustic absorption. An impedance tube with two microphones was used to determine the absorption coefficient of the metamaterial. The simulations were run in a thermoviscous module.

The testing of acoustic samples highlighted the effects of geometric parameters on acoustic performance. Increment of the strut length by 0.4 mm led to a shift in response to a lower frequency by 500 Hz. Peak absorption rose from 0.461 to 0.690 as the strut diameter was increased from 0.6 to 1.0 mm. Increasing the number of cells from 8 to 20 increased the absorption coefficient and lowered the response frequency.

DLP 3D printing technique was used to successfully manufacture tetrakaidecahedron-based acoustic metamaterial samples. A novel study on the effects of geometric parameters of tetrakaidecahedron cell-based acoustic metamaterial on the acoustic absorption coefficient was conducted, which seemed to be missing in the literature.

With the development of the modern technology and aerospace industry, the noise pollution is remarkably affecting people’s daily life and has been become a serious issue. Therefore, it is the most important task to develop efficient sound attenuation barriers, especially for the low-frequency audible range. However, low-frequency sound attenuation is usually difficult to achieve for the constraints of the conventional mass-density law of sound transmission. The traditional acoustic materials are reasonably effective at high frequency range. This paper aims to discuss this issue.

Membrane-type local resonant acoustic metamaterial is an ideal low-frequency sound insulation material for its structure is simple and lightweight. In this paper, the finite element method is used to study the low-frequency sound insulation performances of the coupled-membrane type acoustic metamaterial (CMAM). It consists of two identical tensioned circular membranes with fixed boundary. The upper membrane is decorated by a rigid platelet attached to the center. The sublayer membrane is attached with two weights, a central rigid platelet and a concentric ring with inner radius e. The influences of the distribution and number of the attached mass, also asymmetric structure on the acoustic attenuation characteristics of the CMAM, are discussed.

In this paper, the acoustic performance of asymmetric coupled-membrane metamaterial structure is discussed. The influences of mass number, the symmetric and asymmetry structure on the sound insulation performance are analyzed. It is shown that increasing the number of mass attached on membrane, structure exhibits low-frequency and multi-frequency acoustic insulation phenomenon. Compared with the symmetrical structure, asymmetric structure shows the characteristics of lightweight and multi-frequency sound insulation, and the sound insulation performance can be tuned by adjusting the distribution mode and location of mass blocks.

Membrane-type local resonant acoustic metamaterial is an ideal low-frequency sound insulation material for its structure is simple and lightweight. How to effectively broaden the acoustic attenuation band at low frequency is still a problem. But most of researchers focus on symmetric structures. In this study, the asymmetric coupled-membrane acoustic metamaterial structure is examined. It is demonstrated that the asymmetric structure has better sound insulation performances than symmetric structure.

The problem of port and starboard ambiguity will exist when only utilize the vector or scalar parameters. Meanwhile, the amplitude-phase error between the vector and scalar can also cause this problem. In this paper, a compound MEMS vector hydrophone which contains cilia vector microstructure and piezoelectric ceramic tube has been presented to solve the problem. Compared with traditional MEMS vector hydrophone, the compound MEMS vector hydrophone can realize the measurement of sound pressure and vibration velocity simultaneously.

A compound MEMS vector hydrophone has been presented. The unipolar directivity of the combined signal which combine the acoustic pressure and vibration velocity is used to achieve the direction of arrival (DOA). This paper introduced the working principle and the target detection mechanism of the compound vector hydrophone. The amplitude and phase error are analyzed and corrected in the standing wave tube. After that, the authors use beam-forming algorithm to estimate the DOA.

The experimental results in the standing wave tube and the external field verified the vector hydrophone's directional accuracy up to 1 and 5 degrees, respectively.

The research of compound vector hydrophone plays an important role in marine acoustic exploration and engineering applications.

This research provides a basis for MEMS hydrophone directivity theory. The compound vector hydrophone has been applied in the underwater location, with a huge market potential in underwater detection systems.

This paper aims to propose a new model to study the relationship between the acoustic properties of the thickness shear mode (TSM) in lateral field excited (LFE) film bulk acoustic wave resonator (FBAR) and the gap distance of the surface electrodes.

In the finite element analysis, harmonic and modal analyses are performed to obtain the admittance spectrum and determine the mechanical vibration mode. The results are used to modify the ideal model used in the theoretical calculation.

In the case of LFE FBAR, the acoustic velocity and electromechanical coupling coefficient (K2) of the TSM decreases as the gap distance decreases and there is a compromise between the exciting effectiveness and the acoustic properties.

The paper proposes a new method to study the dependences of the acoustic properties of the lateral field excited FBAR on the gap distances of the surface electrodes through the extraction of the static capacitance based on the finite element simulation results.

In a coaxial ultrasonic flow sensor (UFS), wall thickness is a vital parameter of the measurement tube, especially those with small inner diameters. The paper aims to investigate the influence of wall thickness on the transient signal characteristics in an UFS.

First, the problem was researched experimentally using a series of measurement tubes with different wall thicknesses. Second, a finite element method–based model in the time domain was established to validate the experimental results and further discussion. Finally, the plane wave assumption and oblique incident theory were used to analyze the wave propagation in the tube, and an idea of wave packet superposition was proposed to reveal the mechanism of the influence of wall thickness.

Both experimental and simulated results showed that the signal amplitude decreased periodically as the wall thickness increased, and the corresponding waveform varied dramatically. Based on the analysis of wave propagation in the measurement tube, a formula concerning the phase difference between wave packets was derived to characterize the signal variation.

This paper provides a new and explicit explanation of the influence of wall thickness on the transient signal in a co-axial UFS. Both experimental and simulated results were presented, and the mechanism was clearly described.

The general attitude of the ancient theatre conservation strategies and policies is still concerned primarily with their architectural physical appearance without considering their authentic scientific acoustical qualities. The paper attempts to illustrate and discuss how to enhance their acoustic heritage to arouse the audience's interest and needs. Thus, supporting their reconstruction based on recent acoustical research and community needs-related concerns and opportunities for ancient theatre's modern use.

It is based on reviewing the main issues related to reconstruction in the international charters and conventions and how to infuse ancient theatres with their full role. It discusses the dilemma and debates regarding the theatre stage wall, colonnade (portico) restoration and anastylosis. Is it sufficient enough to recover the theatre sound volume? Or to rethink for full physical reconstructions of these missing related acoustical theatre architectural elements to their original level and layout as in ancient times in parallel to their virtual reconstruction?

The cultural significance of the authentic theatre's acoustical qualities needs to reform the conservation strategies and policies for a more flexible and resilient approach. It should be postulated, re-examined and advocated parallel to their 3D virtual reconstruction in the related international charters and conventions.

The paper's implications are not immediate; it is far-reaching. It suggests the importance of acoustics in analysing historic theatre performance venues and reforming conservation strategies and approaches. This issue is especially critical for architects, conservators, the heritage community and the public audience.

Recommendations are made for potential bold reconstruction actions that may be taken to achieve further sustainability, comfort, and permeability in modern theatre-use performances. Their physical reconstruction for improving the performance of contemporary theatre use regarding retaining the acoustic cultural significance should be more flexible and resilient in the charters.

THE trend to ‘hard’ trim aircraft interiors is explained and the range of available materials is surveyed. Although aesthetically and economically attractive, thermoplastic sheet materials are deficient in certain properties particularly for freighter and dual role aircraft. Against this background the HS. 748 Military Freighter version featured the use of an all G.R.P. interior which was unique in that the visible surface was a textured finish gel‐coat integral with the laminate. The design and production problems involved with this approach are discussed and an overall assessment of service experience is attempted.

As oral communication in higher education is vital, good classroom acoustics is needed to pass the verbal message to university students. Non-auditory factors such as academic language, a non-native educational context and a diversity of acoustic settings in different types of classrooms affect speech understanding and performance of students. The purpose of this study is to find out whether the acoustic properties of the higher educational teaching contexts meet the recommended reference levels.

Background noise levels and the Speech Transmission Index (STI) were assessed in 45 unoccupied university classrooms (15 lecture halls, 16 regular classrooms and 14 skills laboratories).

The findings of this study indicate that 41 classrooms surpassed the maximum reference level for background noise of 35 dB(A) and 17 exceeded the reference level of 40 dB(A). At five-meter distance facing the speaker, six classrooms indicated excellent speech intelligibility, while at more representative listening positions, none of the classrooms indicated excellent speech intelligibility. As the acoustic characteristics in a majority of the classrooms exceeded the available reference levels, speech intelligibility was likely to be insufficient.

This study seeks to assess the acoustics in academic classrooms against the available acoustic reference levels. Non-acoustic factors, such as academic language complexity and (non-)nativeness of the students and teaching staff, put higher cognitive demands upon listeners in higher education and need to be taken into account when using them in daily practice for regular students and students with language/hearing disabilities in particular.