Acoustics Research

Dr. Siu-Kit Lau (Eddie)

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Singapore Sustainable Built Environment (SBE16) Conferences

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Singapore Sustainable Built Environment (SBE16) Conferences will be held on 5th and 6th September 2016.  The theme is “Mitigating Climate Change from ASEAN’s Perspective”.  Four tracks of issues consist of Biodiversity, Waste Management & Sustainable Construction, Coastal Protection, and Human Behaviour/Social Policies. Researchers, students, policy makers, practitioners, and members from SBE partners should join.  The deadline for abstract submission is on 31 May 2016.  Details can be found at this link.

BCA Academy (Academic Tower)

BCA Academy (Academic Tower)

Investigation of Chinese word recognition scores of children in primary school classroom with different speech sound pressure levels

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New article for an investigation of Chinese word recognition scores of children in primary school classroom has been published.  Please visit the journal website in this link.

Abstract:

Chinese word recognition (CWR) test was conducted by grades 3 and 5 children under the different conditions of reverberation time (RT), background noise level (BNL) and speech sound pressure level (SSPL) in three primary-school classrooms. The CWR scores and signal to noise ratios (SNRs) have been obtained at listening positions. Results show that the CWR score for grades 3 and 5 children increases with increase of SSPL, decrease of RT or increase of age, but it decreases with increase of BNL under the same conditions. For a mixed noise of 56 dBA (speech-spectrum-like noise and ambient noise), the CWR scores in the classroom for grades 3 and 5 children reach a peak at SNR of 15–20 dBA under the same RT and age of children condition. For the natural ambient noise, the CWR score for grades 3 and 5 children gradually increases with increase of the SNR. The high SSPL could not guarantee good CWR for children in classroom, which also depends on RT and BNL in classroom. When the classroom has long RT or high BNL, the increase of SSPL would not be necessarily to achieve better CWR. The novelty of the present study is to further evaluate and confirm the results under environments of real classrooms (not simulated room in laboratory).

Classroom of a school in China

Classroom of a school in China

Research Workshop with Prof Wang Jie from Zhejiang University (China)

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Prof. Wang Jie for Zhejiang University has visited the Department of Architecture at NUS on 3rd Nov 2015.  She has given a presentation in a research workshop at CSAC, entitled “On the implementation and practice of rural and village protection and regeneration”.  Prof. Wang is a Professor, Doctoral supervisor and Director of Landscape and Garden Center at the College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University.

Dr. Zhang Ji (from 2nd left), Prof. Stephen Lau, Prof. Wang Jie, Dr. Siu-Kit Lau and students in the research workshop

Dr. Zhang Ji (from 2nd left), Prof. Stephen Lau, Prof. Wang Jie, Dr. Siu-Kit Lau and students in the research workshop

Presentation by Prof. Wang Jie

Presentation by Prof. Wang Jie

2015 Green Building Leadership Camp (Tongji University)

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2015 Green Building Leadership Camp has been held in Tongji in this summer by the IGCA and SBC.  On August 19, 2015, 4 groups of students from different countries presented their works on designs of buildings in Shanghai.  All design were incorporated with advanced technologies.  Dr. Siu-Kit Lau was invited to be a judge for the students designs.  Details can be found in this link (Chinese).

Winner of 2015 Green Building Leadership Camp

Winner of 2015 Green Building Leadership Camp

 

Dr. Siu-Kit Lau was a judge in 2015 Green Building Leadership Camp

Dr. Siu-Kit Lau was a judge in 2015 Green Building Leadership Camp

 

Dr. Siu-Kit Lau in the 2015 Green Building Leadership Camp

Dr. Siu-Kit Lau in the 2015 Green Building Leadership Camp

An impedance-mobility model of acoustic metamaterials

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A fast prediction method for the performance of stacked membrane-type metamaterials has been developed using An impedance-mobility model.  Matthew Blevins of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln introduced the method and a Matlab platform regarding this approach at the Spring 2015 meeting of Acoustical Society of America.  The work is collaborated and supervised by Dr. Siu-Kit Lau and Dr. Lily Wang.  Metamaterials are man-made materials to have properties that have not yet been found in nature. Membrane-type acoustic metamaterials have been proven to exhibit high low-frequency transmission loss despite their small thickness and light weight.  The efficient model based on the impedance-mobility can be used to facilitate design and optimization of stacked membrane-type acoustic metamaterials.

Abstract (metamaterials) of the presentation in the ASA meeting spring 2015 in Pittsburgh, PA

Abstract (metamaterials) of the presentation in the ASA meeting spring 2015 in Pittsburgh, PA

Advisor of University of Nottingham

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Dr. Siu-Kit Lau is honored to have opportunity to serve as an advisor in the industry panel for the Department of Architecture and Built Environment at the University of Nottingham in Ningbo.

The University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) was the first Sino-foreign university in China. Established in 2004, with the full approval of the Chinese Ministry of Education, they are run by The University of Nottingham with cooperation from Zhejiang Wanli Education Group, a key player in the education sector in China.

Invitation letter for advisor of University of Nottingham

Invitation letter for advisor of University of Nottingham

Student Design Competition of a Rural School (Visiting Ningbo)

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Sixteen design teams of students in University of Nottingham at Ningbo have been formed for the student design competition of a rural school.  Recently, they have visited a Adream classroom in Ningbo.  Details can be found in this link.

Classroom of a school in China

Classroom of a school in China

CIBSE SHP (Shanghai Panel) Annual Dinner

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The Shanghai Panel (SHP) of The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) had annual dinner on March 27, 2015.  Committee members, guests and student in the University of Nottingham at Ningbo joined this wonderful night and discussions.

CIBSE SHP Annual Dinner 2015

CIBSE SHP 2014-2015 committee

The 11th International Conference on Green and Energy-Efficient Building & New Technologies

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The 11th International Conference on Green and Energy-Efficient Building & New Technologies and Products Expo has been held in Beijing on March 24 and 25.  Dr. Siu-Kit Lau has been invited for a speech regarding the current research at classroom acoustics in China.  Results have been compared with a recent study in UK.  There are other professionals sharing their studies and experiences in green campus development.

CGBC 2015 (Register)Dr Siu-Kit Lau (CGBC 2015)Green Campus (Guests)

 

Dr Siu-Kit Lau (CGBC 2015)

A Major Element for Health, Wellbeing and Productivity of Staff

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Acoustics in Offices:

— A Major Element for Health, Wellbeing and Productivity of Staff

Typical Business Operation Cost (Source: http://www.worldgbc.org)

Typical Business Operation Cost (Source: http://www.worldgbc.org)

Recently, a new report from the World Green Building Council (WGBC) finds “overwhelming evidence” that office design significantly impacts the health, wellbeing and productivity of staff.

Staff costs typically accounts for 90% of business operating costs. A study in 1998 found that there was up to a 66% drop in performance for a ’memory for prose’ task when participants were exposed to different types of background noise. A follow-up study by the same authors in 2005 found that 99% of people surveyed reported that their concentration was impaired by office noise such as unanswered phones and background speech.

Background sound levels need to drown out unwanted distraction, but not be too loud to cause stress, therefore a background sound level of 45dBA is recommended in open plan offices. In private or cellular offices the background sound levels can be reduced to 40dBA. In both cases, any higher and that background sound itself risks becoming a distraction.

For more details about the report, it is kindly suggested to visit the link below.

http://www.worldgbc.org/activities/health-wellbeing-productivity-offices .