Study Case on the Acoustic Quality of Classrooms in Brazil

Acoustic performance of classrooms is paramount on the student capacity of learning. In several countries there are specific regulations in order to achieve adequate acoustic quality. However in Brazil there are no appropriate regulations or guidelines concerning acoustics conditioning and insulation of schools. Only a requirement considering background noise inside classroom is mandatory standard according to ABNT NBR: 10152. In this paper, a study case on the acoustic reality of schools in Brazil is presented. Sound insulation, conditioning and noise control parameters of several classrooms were obtained by in field measurements and simulations aiming to overview the acoustic performance of typical Brazilian schools compared to international requirements. The results of this study will give input to the development of new guidelines of building acoustics.