Architectural Acoustics


Book Description

Get the leading guide to acoustics for architects, engineers, and interior designers. A widely recognized, comprehensive reference to acoustic principles for all concerned with the built environment, Architectural Acoustics, Second Edition provides design professionals with up-to-date information on basic concepts, acoustical materials, and technologies for controlling wanted or unwanted sound within and around buildings. Written by a team of internationally recognized experts and experienced consultants, this Second Edition covers fundamental acoustic principles, design criteria, acoustical materials, control strategies, and methods for a wide variety of building types, including educational, healthcare, recreational, residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation facilities. Particular attention is given to places for listening and performance such as theaters, churches, concert and recital halls, outdoor arenas, classrooms, multiuse auditoria, libraries, music practice and rehearsal rooms, recording and broadcast studios, sports venues, home theaters, and other spaces that people meet to communicate and enjoy performance. Updated throughout, this edition features: New information on acoustical standards and guidelines for sustainable building design. Additional, richly detailed case studies demonstrating real-world applications, including the acclaimed Walt Disney Concert Hall and many other building types. Nearly 200 photos and illustrations that further elucidate specific principles, applications, and techniques. New developments in sound reinforcement and audio visual systems and their integration in room design. Progress in research and future directions in acoustical modeling. With fundamental conceptual understanding of basic acoustical principles provided by Architectural Acoustics, Second Edition, building designers can confidently create aesthetically and aurally pleasing spaces, while avoiding problems that could be very costly, if not impossible, to solve later.




Acoustic Characterization of Contrast Agents for Medical Ultrasound Imaging


Book Description

Contrast agents for medical ultrasound imaging is a field of growing interest. A large amount of literature has been published on the medical applications of such contrast agents. However, there is no textbook giving a broad overview of the physics and acoustics of the agents. This monograph aims to fill this gap. The book is written by a physicist, from a physics point of view, and it tries to draw links from the physics and acoustics to the medical imaging methods, but medical applications are mainly included for background information. The book consists of nine chapters. The first three chapters give a broad overview of the acoustic theory for bubble-sound interaction, both linear and nonlinear. Most contrast agents are stabilized in a shell, and this shell can have a strong influence on the interaction between the bubbles and the ultrasound. The effect of the shell is given special attention, as this is not easily found in other bubble literature. The following chapters, 4, 5, 6, and 7, describe experimental and theoretical methods used to characterize the acoustic properties of the agents, and results of studies on some agents. Chapter 8 shows how the theory and the experimental results can be combined and used to model various phenomena by means of computer simulations. The main purpose of the simulations is to get insight into the mechanisms behind the described phenomena, not to get accurate predictions and values. The book is aimed at both newcomers into the field, as well as those who are more experienced but want better insight into the acoustics of the contrast bubbles.