COMETA

 

COMETA

DIFFUSE LABORATORY: APPLIED ACOUSTICS LABORATORY

Department of Civil, Computer Science, and Aeronautical Technologies Engineering

Responsible: prof. Giosuè Caliano

 

Description of activities.

The Applied Acoustics Laboratory, as part of the COMETA diffuse laboratory of the Department of Civil, Computer Science, and Aeronautical Technologies Engineering, conducts research, consulting, and contract work mainly in the following areas:

•     Measurement of the structural integrity of works of art and artistic artifacts, particularly frescoes and paintings on panels;
•     Measurement of acoustic properties and resistivity of materials (special, porous and powdered);
•     Measurement of acoustic quality of rooms intended for listening to music and speech;
•     Measurement of environmental noise and workers' personal noise exposure.

The richness and diversity of cultural heritage, lavished in archaeological and monumental areas, cities of art, museum and similar institutions, public and private, and buildings of worship, are among the phenomena that most characterize Italian identity. The high density and relevance of Italy's cultural heritage and that of Latium in particular, combined with the need for the protection of cultural property, impose continuous technological research in the fields of conservation, including preventive conservation, restoration and maintenance, which are fundamental for the national economy. Heritage thus becomes an important driver for the development of creativity, embedded in new technologies and research and economic organizations for cultural heritage. The primary objective of the Applied Acoustics laboratory is to research a methodology, in the field of acoustic techniques, that can be transferred to the protection of cultural heritage. The techniques of detection and control of degradation aim to define, in a clear and unambiguous way, the state of conservation of the artifact, identifying the type, morphology and distribution of degradation and evaluating the possible interventions to be performed.

The acoustic characterization and modeling of materials is becoming increasingly important not only for the verification of their performance but also because of the growing popularity of simulation systems (FEM, BEM, SEA) for the design of complex systems that include such materials. The laboratory can carry out, activities for the development of innovative measurement systems for the characterization of materials, both with regard to acoustic parameters that define sound propagation in the medium, and for the determination of physical material parameters, such as porosity, tortuosity and resistance to air flow. In addition, techniques known as “inverse” techniques have recently been developed that make it possible, from acoustic measurements of different types, to determine through numerical algorithms and theoretical models the physical parameters of the material and consequently a model of sound propagation in the medium itself. Such computational tools, combined with experimental equipment, allow a complete understanding of the acoustic field in the medium and the physics behind such phenomena.

The Lab, integrated with the instrumentation acquired in these areas by the laboratory, will be able to make measurements, predictive assessments and designs in the different areas of applied acoustics: acoustics for cultural heritage diagnosis, environmental acoustics, architectural acoustics, building acoustics.

 

ACOUSTICS FOR CUTURAL HERITAGE

- Experimental assessment of surface damage to frescoes or panel paintings and its monitoring over time.

- Experimental assessments of the state of conservation of architectural surfaces or ancient mosaics.

- Mapping of the state of conservation of artistic heritage and related monitoring over time.

 

ACOUSTIC PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS

- Impedance tube with 4-channel acquisition system for acoustic characterization of materials: measurements of absorption coefficient, reflection, surface impedance for normal incidence according to UNI EN ISO 10534-2 and transmission loss

- Laboratory measurements of sound insulation and noise reduction and absorption coefficient measurements for diffuse incidence.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL ACOUSTICS

- Experimental assessment of noise climate: pressure level measurements, statistical analysis of levels

- Predictive assessments of climate and noise impact in the open environment

- Noise remediation plans and plans for the containment and abatement of noise emitted by transportation infrastructure

 

ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS

- Measurements of reverberation time and room acoustic quality indices (TSI, RASTI, clarity and definition index)

- Room acoustic design and correction

- Predictive assessment of the acoustic quality of confined spaces using calculation codes.

 

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