Suvarnabhumi Airport Office Building

Why do large airports… need to prioritize “reverberation” inside buildings?

                  Have you ever noticed that in some airports, when announcements are made through loudspeakers, the sound may be unclear or there may be an echo, causing passengers to listen more carefully than usual?

This is because large areas with high ceilings, steel structures, and many hard surfaces such as glass, metal, or concrete tend to easily create Reverberation and Echo.

For places with constant usage like airports, the problem of reverberation not only affects user comfort but also relates to the clarity of communication and the passenger experience.

And this is one of the key challenges for the AOB Suvarnabhumi project, which aims to improve the acoustic conditions within the area to suit its use in the airport building.

Origin of the Problem : Large areas and unavoidable echoes

Airport interiors are often designed with large halls, high ceilings, and open structures to accommodate a large number of passengers.

While this type of design creates an airy and grand feel for the building, acoustically, such structures often lead to problems such as:

• Echoes from floors, walls, and ceilings
  
  

• Reverberation within large areas
  
  

• Reduced clarity of announcements
  
  

• Increased acoustic clutter within the area
  
  

Therefore, the AOB zone within Suvarnabhumi Airport required a method to reduce reverberation within the area to help create a more acoustically balanced overall environment.

Solution Approach : Using an acoustic ceiling system to control sound

After analyzing the area's characteristics and usage, the team selected the Acoustics T-Bar Star concealed edge acoustic ceiling system

which is a ceiling system designed to absorb sound energy and reduce sound wave reflection within the area.

Installing an acoustic ceiling in this manner allows the ceiling to act as a sound-absorbing surface instead of a sound-reflecting surface like typical hard materials.

The result is that sound previously reflecting back and forth in the area will be partially absorbed, reducing the Reverberation Time within the space.

Highlights of the Acoustics T-Bar Star system

The Acoustics T-Bar Star concealed edge acoustic ceiling system is designed to support usage in large areas requiring sound control, such as public buildings, airports, or high-traffic areas.

Key features of the system include:

1. Helps reduce reverberation within the area

Acoustic ceiling panels can absorb some sound energy, reducing echoes inside the building.

2. Improves sound quality in public areas

When echoes are reduced, announcements or speech within the area become clearer.

3. Suitable for large areas

T-Bar ceiling systems can be efficiently installed in large areas and are well-suited for public building structures.

4. Helps create a comfortable environment for use

When reverberation is reduced, the atmosphere within the area becomes more peaceful and acoustically balanced.

   

Result: An airport area with more balanced acoustic conditions

After installing the Acoustics T-Bar Star concealed edge system within the AOB area of Suvarnabhumi Airport, the acoustic conditions within the space became more balanced.

Echoes within the area are reduced

The overall atmosphere is acoustically more comfortable

and effectively supports the use of public areas with a large number of people.