Uncertainty of in situ low frequency reverberation time measurements from 20 Hz - An empirical study

Measuring reverberation time is normally one of the steps within the procedure of determining sound insulation in dwellings where 100 or 50 Hz usually serves as the lower frequency limit. However, even lower frequencies have become a matter of interest as research in the field recently indicated that the range 20-50 Hz seems to be of great importance when it comes to the perception of impact sound in lightweight buildings. A major issue in this context is then whether it is appropriate to measure and evaluate reverberation time at such low frequencies. This paper presents an empirical study of reverberation time measurements made in two rooms using more than 100 microphone positions in each. The measurement uncertainty with respect to microphone position and combinations of positions are compared for the frequency bands from 16 to 1600 Hz. Furthermore, it is analyzed how many microphone positions are needed in order to, with a reasonable probability, end up with an uncertainty in the related standardized impact sound level insulation L'(n,T) within +/- 1 dB. (C) 2016 Institute of Noise Control Engineering.