Airports acoustic treatment

The anxiety of loosing a flight

Loosing a flight because they couldn't hear the Public Address (PA) System is likely to be the main concern that travellers have in an airport. In order to minimize this anxiety and make all travellers more confident, airports should provide all relevant flight information in a clear and perceptible way. This led Vicoustic team of Acousticians to develop a case study of acoustic treatment for an Airport. This study is described integrally in a White Paper for Airports.

The key point to take into account when designing the acoustics of an airport is to absorb the maximum amount of the, often huge, acoustic energy generated by all travellers and workers in the room. This will both enhance the control of noise build-up and speech intelligibility from the airport’s Public Address (PA) system.

Acoustics in walls and ceilings

Ideally, acoustic treatment should be located evenly by all of a room’s surfaces (walls and ceiling). This will help to create a more homogeneous acoustic environment and will control any strong, specular reflections from all surfaces.

However, due to project constraints, for the most part, this is not feasible. In these situations, one should look for the best possible compromise. Ceiling treatment is usually preferential, since it is ordinarily the biggest surface available for acoustic treatment and it covers all of the airport’s area.

From Flat Panels to ViClouds

For wall installation or T-Bar systems, Flat Panel VMT may just be the ideal solution for an airport. Flat Panel VMT is a sound absorbing panel, extremely efficient in middle and high frequencies, where speech occurs, making it ideal for spaces where great concentrations of people are expected such as in airports.

ViClouds VMT are extremely efficient suspended elements that can be used to control the room’s reverberation and any strong sound reflections from the ceiling. ViClouds VMT are a simple and lightweight suspended acoustic solution that is ideal for spaces, where there is a great concentration of people and where background noise, created by a room full of conversations, can quickly build up.

As ViClouds VMT are suspended, these acoustic elements have twice the area of absorbing material exposed to noise than other common acoustic panels, making them an extremely effective solution.

Create signs and advertisement with VMT

VMT stands for Virtual Material Technology. These are panels developed exclusively by Vicoustic using an innovative dyeing technology. You can simulate concrete, marble, wood and other materials, achieving a realistic look in any setting with the added benefit of having the acoustics controlled.

VMT products are available in a wide range of standard patterns or may be customized with any art-work one may want. The versatility of VMT allows it to be used for advertisement. This use means that part of the acoustic treatment of the airport could be supported by third parties.

Flat Panel VMT can be used to identify different areas using color codes and signs. This will help travellers find the right way to specific airport areas. By changing the design, one will be able to create different atmospheres for each area. This VMT versatility enhances airport communication, making people feel more confident and less stressed, while addressing airport acoustics.

For more information, please download our White Paper for Airports.